Westpac Rescue Helicopter (New Zealand)

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BK117 shown during a winch rescue (manufacturer stock photo).
BK117 shown during a winch rescue (manufacturer stock photo).
The Auckland helicopter at its heliport base.
The Auckland helicopter at its heliport base.
For the Australian version of the service, see: Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service is a New Zealand accident and emergency rescue and transport service operated by charitable trusts. It is comprised of three MBB-Kawasaki BK117 helicopters and one Bell 222B helicopter, with bases located in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.

The aircraft and crew are trained and equipped to operate day and night, their missions range from emergency/accident casualty transport, to medical transfers / medevacs to rescue searches and airlifts.[1] They do a total of about 2,000 missions per year,[2] of which about 50% are flown at night.[3]

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[edit] Helicopters

The helicopters can attain cruising (long-distance) speeds of around 120 mph, and have a range of about 300 nautical miles, carrying 605 litres internally and a further 300 litres with auxiliary fuel tanks.[2] Helicopters currently operated are:

  • Auckland: ZK-HLN - BK117 B-2 MBB-Kawasaki operated by Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust (*)
  • Hamilton: ZK-HQZ - Bell 222B operated by Helicopter Services (Bay of Plenty)
  • Wellington: ZK-HLF - BK117 B-2 MBB-Kawasaki operated by Helilink
  • Christchurch: ZK-HJC - BK117 B-2 MBB-Kawasaki operated by Garden City Helicopters

(*) The leased Auckland service model was recently replaced by a second-hand model of the same make (with a low number of flight hours), and equipped with extended night-flying gear, weather radar and better internal configuration. The new helicopter has cost NZ$3.3 million, compared with a yearly lease of NZ$1 million for the previous model.[3]

[edit] Funding

The helicopters have numerous financial supporters (including a small percentage of government funding), but the main and naming rights sponsor is the Australasian bank Westpac. The sponsorship began in 1981 when Westpac sponsored the Wellington helicopter service.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Missions (from the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust website)
  2. ^ a b c Westpac Rescue Helicopters (from the Westpac New Zealand website)
  3. ^ a b New rescue chopper big leap in safety - New Zealand Herald, Saturday 20 January 2007

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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