His love of flying is in his DNA, with his father, a recreational pilot and his uncle a World War II fighter pilot in RNZAF's renowned 486 squadron. The ambition to fly aircraft and enthusiasm to make a difference in the community just came naturally.
Bremner has flown the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter since its inception.
Previously he worked as a pilot across the world, from Papua New Guinea to South Africa to back home in New Zealand.
In 1987 Bremner was approached to join newly formed rescue helicopter service Philips Search and Rescue Trust (PSRT).
At the time he was working in Taupō flying for Helicopter Services Ltd.
Owner John Funnell and Philips owner John Cooper had joined forces to establish the charitable trust following a fatal air accident two years earlier in Turangi that claimed the lives of two Philips executives and their pilot.
Without an air rescue service in 1985 when the light plane went missing, Cooper arranged and funded a private search and rescue mission to retrieve his team. He believes if a rescue service did exist back then, the lives of his colleagues could have been saved.
Bremner joined PSRT at a unique time - there were no other local charity-based rescue helicopter services, and certainly none funded by the community.
He was charged with setting up a base in Hamilton, today known as Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
Back then the trust had one Squirrel helicopter, two pilots and one administrator.
Staff volunteered their time and when not in the air, operated out of a van donated by Terry Booth Toyota.
Missions typically included hospital transfers to ICU, farm or road accidents, collection from remote locations and marine and surf rescues.
Flight crew consisted of a pilot, and depending on the nature of the mission, either a paramedic or medical staff from the relevant hospital.
The service relied predominantly on sponsorship and community support to fund the operations.
At the time, Waikato Hospital didn't have a helipad, so the rescue helicopter would land on the local nursing home's tennis court greeted by Waikato Hospital's medical crew.
Bremner was involved in campaigning to raise funds to build Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter's hangar and helipad.
He says although it was, at times, tough to raise the level of funding required to sustain and establish a maiden rescue helicopter operation, support from the community was abundant.
"Association with the region's first and only rescue helicopter service appealed to most businesses, it was a highly visible community cause to support.
"Trustbank, which later became Westpac, came on board as foundation sponsor, and continues as principal sponsor today as Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter."
The challenges faced in the early days of PSRT set a solid foundation and the trust created a loyal following of supporters and advocates for the cause.
After nearly four decades on the job, Bremner reflects on one of his personal highlights in the trust's history, the introduction of the Bell 222 helicopter.
"The Bell 222 and its IFR capability transformed the rescue helicopter service. The Squirrel relied on visual flight rules only, which meant we could only fly in daylight and clear weather.
"The Bell 222's IFR allows the pilot to navigate under instrument guidance, enabling us to fly at night and in conditions with limited visibility, it was revolutionary."
Over his time on the job, Bremner says his greatest challenge was establishing a rescue helicopter service.
"Everything was completely new and foreign. We started from scratch on a blank canvas."
Today Philips Search and Rescue Trust is New Zealand's largest rescue helicopter service, with five BK117 helicopters operating from four bases in the central North Island.
When Bremner is not in lockdown, he loves getting outdoors. Like many of the patients he has helped rescue over the years while enjoying their own recreational time, you would typically find him mountain biking, snow skiing and boarding, or on the water hunting for his next big catch.
