Cutting-edge $18m rescue helicopter boosts patient care

The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter service’s new $18 million Airbus H145 twin-engine helicopter will go into service this month.

Chief operating officer Chris Moody said the new helicopter had undergone an 18-month development process, with advanced technology and equipment installed that freed up the pilot to concentrate on critical tasks.

The specialist aircraft will give clinical staff more room to provide vital patient care and better patient outcomes.

It also ensures the Waikato service remains a two-rescue helicopter base. The helicopter has additions that significantly increase its performance in critical and emergency situations, he said.

Advanced autopilot capabilities and avionics allow the helicopter’s flight control system to take over several manual tasks that were previously done by the pilot, allowing the helicopter to fly predefined and customised routes accurately.

That reduces the pilot’s workload, so they can concentrate on critical tasks.

The advanced autopilot system meanst the helicopter has more capability to fly in poor weather conditions, and provides the rescue crew with more options in emergency situations.

It means pilots are able to navigate through poor visibility with ease, and attend missions in weather conditions that were previously considered unsuitable.

Special skids make it easier to land on rough or uneven terrain and on surfaces that would be difficult to manoeuvre on with wheels, such as rocky or muddy terrain. They also provide a wider base making it more stable on the ground.

The H145 also has more space in the cabin that can be fully utilised and has been designed with a unique three-seat configuration in the back, which enables the creation of a centre console between two of the seats. That provides the Critical Care Flight Paramedic with easy-to-reach medical equipment, making the emergency response process more efficient. It is the only helicopter in New

Zealand with the special design.

The new helicopter also features a new puhoro — an intricate design that represented both a katikati (guardian spirit) of the waka, and the different journeys that people took while being carried on the helicopter and beyond.

The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter is on call 24-7, 365 days a year. In 2022, the service carried out 890 missions in the Waikato, King Country, Coromandel, and surrounding regions and has so far carried out more than 500 missions this year.