New rescue helicopter takes to skies: Upgraded machine a boost for the Tairāwhiti service

The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team are saving lives and transporting sick or injured patients in a new and more capable machine. 

The team have given up their beloved BK-117 helicopter, ZK-HNP, to take possession of a chopper that has a bit more grunt and a more powerful winch. 

“HNP has served us very well but demand has been increasing in those areas,” base manager/critical care flight paramedic Richard Curtis says. 

“However, our original helicopter is still absolutely fit-for-purpose, so we may be able to use it as a cover aircraft in the future.” 

The new helicopter is also a BK-117 which, as a twin-engined model, is regarded as a safe option for rescue and emergency situations. 

It operates under the registration tag ZK-IIX, is owned by Philips Search and Rescue Trust and is leased to the Eastland team via its operations company Search and Rescue Services Limited (SRSL). 

IIX’s greater winch capability offers the team more options when lifting multi-part loads, including patients and critical-care flight paramedics, along with heavy equipment. 

It also brings the bonus of an extra 100 horsepower — making it a bit more nimble — and has been well tested in rescue missions around the North Island. 

With its black and white markings, the helicopter looks similar to the Trust Tairāwhiti Rescue Helicopter’s existing aircraft and work is under way to apply the distinctive livery of the team’s valued sponsors. 

“We’re grateful to have access to this upgraded helicopter,” Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust spokesman Ian Parker said.  

“It’s a step towards our goal of securing the Instrument Flight Rules-capable aircraft that will be a giant leap forward for rescue services in our region.” 

From the team’s perspective, Curtis says being able to secure the greater-capacity helicopter aligns the service with the rest of the SRSL fleet. 

“The changes may seem minor but any improvements we can make around both flying and clinical operations are a really big deal.” 

Mission log 

The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter completed six missions in the seven days from Monday, September 2: 

●September 3, 9.50am: Responded to a medical event at Tolaga Bay, flying the patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital. 

●September 4, 5pm: Dispatched to a motor vehicle accident at Matawai, from where the patient was flown in critical condition to Gisborne Hospital. 

●September 5, 10am: Called to a medical event at Ruatōria, flying the patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital. 

●September 6, 5am: Carried out an inter-hospital transfer, flying a patient in stable condition from Gisborne to Waikato. 

●September 7, 4am: Responded to a medical event at Tolaga Bay, flying a patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital. 

●September 8, 6.30am: Recalled to the East Coast for a medical event at Ruatōria, from where the patient was flown in in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.