Indigenous students are a step closer to realising their aviation dreams after a visit to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) base in Townsville.
An initiative of Gunggandji Aerospace and part of the Raising Horizons pilot program, students from NRL Cowboys House were given an exclusive look at the aviation operations of the RDFS in action.
From piloting, to nursing, to engineering, the students - many of whom it was their first chance to step inside an operational aviation facility - were able to witness first-hand the behind-the-scenes prowess that powers one of the most important aviation programs in the country.
Gunggandji Aerospace director, Daniel Joinbee, said they wanted to show the students that "aviation is within their reach".
"Through Raising Horizons, we're giving First Nations youth real exposure to the industry, connecting them with role models, and showing them the pathways to get there," he said.
"This pilot program is just the beginning."
Students were able to tour an RFDS aircraft, looking at how they are modified for emergency and remote operations; explore an RFDS hanger and look at aircraft maintenance and technology; and meet professionals from the industry - including pilots, nurses, and engineers - and ask them about their career journeys and experiences.
Gunggandji Aerospace lays claim as Australia's first and only 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned company in the sector, with Mr Joinbee saying: "These students are our future pilots, engineers, and aviation leaders."
"By working with partners like RFDS and Cowboys House, we're providing meaningful opportunities for First Nations students to explore career possibilities and gain the knowledge and confidence to pursue them," he said.
Launched last year, Gunggandji Aerospace gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school kids "hands-on experience and direct engagement with the aviation industry". It has invested heavily to help support improved education outcomes and raise aspirations for First Nations students in regional areas.
Operating out of Townsville, the initiative involves plans to reach 29 regional and remote communities across northern Queensland, including the Torres Strait, with particular focus on, but not limited to, opening doors for female students.
"Raising Horizons is all about literally raising the horizons of our young students to get them interested in aviation," Mr Joinbee said last year.
"My whole philosophy is that it takes more than two pilots to fly a plane...so we want to expose these students to strategy and operations, air traffic control, ground operations - how do we actually bring out all of the supporting and enabling functions that happens at an aerodrome every single day, and let these kids experience that."
NRL Cowboys House, managed by Cowboys Community Foundation, is a culturally safe boarding facility for First Nations men and women at partner schools in Townsville, which helps to remove distance as a barrier to quality secondary education for Indigenous students in some of the country's most remote regions.
Cowboys Community Foundation chief executive Fiona Pelling said Cowboy House provides a "culturally safe and supportive environment that allows our young people to truly flourish and reach their full potential".
"We're grateful to be part of the Raising Horizons program and it's uplifting to imagine our students being inspired, educated and connected through the program and going on to follow their dreams within the aviation industry," she said.