2
Photo Info

Auckland rescue helicopter service making transition to IFR operations

By Sarah Grandy | April 18, 2016

Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 33 seconds.

The rescue service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, using two MBB BK-117-850D2 helicopters and a standard crew consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, doctor, and a paramedic. Daniel Hines Photo
The rescue service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, using two MBB BK-117-850D2 helicopters and a standard crew consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, doctor, and a paramedic. Daniel Hines Photo
The Auckland rescue helicopter service is transitioning to operate on an instrument flight rules (IFR) basis, as it seeks to expand a proud tradition of safe operations that has seen no major accidents in its 46 years of existence.

The rescue service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, using two MBB BK-117-850D2 helicopters and a standard crew consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, doctor, and a paramedic.

“We’re trying to operate on an IFR-basis for most of our missions, regardless of the weather,” Dave Walley, chief pilot of Auckland rescue helicopter service, told Vertical. He said the service is trying to build up a network of 12 instrument approach destinations across the region to enable greater IFR operation in the future.

“We would fly to one of our 12 regular destinations that have an instrument approach on them and . . . then break off and go to wherever the accident is,” he said. “It’s an IFR philosophy, which means when the weather is really bad or it’s night time, we’ve practiced those procedures and they’ve become sort of routine.”

Another key aspect to the service’s safety culture is simulator training, which is completed at least twice a week.

“Simulator training is very important to us,” said Walley. “We have two aircraft-approved simulators on base, which are accessible to us every day, and we try to make sure the pilots and crewmen go into the simulator on a very regular basis.”

However, Walley said the most important element to improving safety was having a ‘just culture’ in place.

“[This] means that you don’t put pressure on your pilots to fly in bad weather; you don’t put pressure on them to get the job done; you support their decision making, and if they do make a mistake in any way, you don’t reprimand them,” he said. “It’s a basic principal of safety management systems. We’ve got the kind of culture where the crew, paramedics and doctors can pipe up and say they’re uncomfortable about things.”

The Auckland rescue helicopter service began as part of the Auckland Surf Life Saving Association, which started what it claims to be the world’s first civilian surf-rescue helicopter service in late 1970s.

Throughout the service’s 46 years of operation and thousands of missions, it continues to upgrade its aircraft to keep up with the demand for service. It began with a Hiller 12E, and progressed through a Bell 206 JetRanger, a Bell 206L LongRanger, an Airbus Helicopters AS350, an Airbus Helicopters AS355, and finally to the BK-117-850D2. This version replaces the BK-117’s standard Honeywell LTS101-750B1 engines for the higher-powered LTS101-850B2.

“The great thing about the BK-117, particularly the 850 model, is that your available payload is actually very good compared to new helicopters,” said Walley. “We’ve got an available payload of approximately 1,100 kilograms, and that means you can carry just over two hours of fuel, four crew, and one patient and one relative — if you have to.”

When AgustaWestland (now known as Finmeccanica’s helicopter division) launched the AW169, Auckland rescue helicopter service put in an order for two of the aircraft, which it hoped would allow it to increase service availability.

“We’re looking for more space in the back for the paramedics to treat patients, and greater payload to lift more crew and fuel,” said Walley. “We don’t want to just buy one; we want to buy two to four helicopters for the New Zealand rescue helicopter community in general.”

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HAI Heli-Expo 2024 Recap

Notice a spelling mistake or typo?

Click on the button below to send an email to our team and we will get to it as soon as possible.

Report an error or typo

Have a story idea you would like to suggest?

Click on the button below to send an email to our team and we will get to it as soon as possible.

Suggest a story