New helo boost for rescue service
After 18 months of development, the region has a new, state-of-the-art aircraft, valued at $18 million
The Waikato, King Country and Coromandel regions have a new addition to the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter operations family, an Airbus H145 twin-engine helicopter.
With the new H145 rescue helicopter, the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter service will remain a tworescue helicopter base.
The state-of-the-art aircraft, valued at $18 million, has undergone an 18-month development process installing advanced technology and top-of-the-line equipment.
The helicopter displays new additions that significantly increase its efficiency and performance in critical and emergency situations.
It is equipped with advanced autopilot capabilities and avionics, which allow the helicopter’s flight control system to take over several manual tasks previously operated by the pilot, enabling the helicopter to fly predefined and customised routes accurately.
This, in turn, significantly reduces the pilot’s workload.
With its advanced autopilot system, the H145 rescue helicopter will also have more capability to fly in poor weather, providing the rescue crew with more options in emergency situations.
Pilots are then able to navigate through poor visibility with ease, allowing rescue teams to attend to missions in weather conditions previously considered unsuitable.
The H145 helicopter also has skids that make it easier to land on rough or uneven terrain.
Additionally, skids provide a wider base of support for the helicopter, making it more stable on the ground.
This H145 also has an increased amount of space in the cabin that can be fully utilised.
This H145 rescue helicopter has been designed with a 3-seat configuration in the back, which has enabled the creation of a centre console between two of the seats.
This unique addition will provide the Critical Care Flight Paramedic with easy-to-reach medical equipment, making the emergency response process even more efficient.
The centre console addition is exclusive to this helicopter and is the only aircraft in New Zealand that features this innovative design.
“We have highly skilled pilots and specially trained crew and paramedics to carry out the latest aviation and medical technology. This specialist aircraft will give clinical staff more room to provide vital patient care and better patient outcomes,” chief operating officer Chris Moody said.
The helicopter also features a striking new puhoro, an intricate design specifically created to represent both a katikati (guardian spirit) of the waka, and the different journeys people take while on our waka and their journeys beyond that time and space.
The design provides assurance to those in need that help is on the way.
The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter is manned with a dedicated team of pilots, crewmen and critical care flight paramedics on call 24/7, 365 days a year.
In 2022, the service carried out a 890 missions to the Waikato, King Country, Coromandel, and surrounding regions.
The service has already completed over 500 life-saving missions this year alone.
The launch of the new aircraft marks an exciting development for the Waikato region, ensuring help is available in an instant for those in times of need.