Westpac Rescue Helicopter (New Zealand)




 * 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 BK 117 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. They do a total of about 2,000 missions per year, of which about 50% are flown at night.

Helicopters
The helicopters can attain cruising (long-distance) speeds of around 200 km/h (120 mph), and have a range of about 500 km (300 nautical miles), carrying 605 litres internally and a further 300 litres with auxiliary fuel tanks. 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 - BK 117-B2 MBB-Kawasaki operated by The Life Flight Trust
 * Christchurch: ZK-HJC - BK 117-B2 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.

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.