Taupo helicopter gets down to work in Aceh

The Heli Harvest Mi-8 helicopter will be in Banda Aceh for up to 12 weeks. File picture / Hawke's Bay Today

A Taupo-based helicopter and its crew of five have begun relief work in tsunami-ravaged Banda Aceh.

The Russian Mi-8 helicopter, owned by Heli Harvest, arrived in the northern Indonesian region on Saturday with pilots John Funnell, Chris Mansell and Alexey Ostapenko and engineers Sergey Temnikov and Nikolay Sidirov.

The crew yesterday began helping restore the region's water supply and transporting aid to tsunami survivors.

Banda Aceh was one of the worst-hit areas in the disaster.

Heli Harvest administrator Qwilton Biel said the helicopter was sent after charity organisation Oxfam approached the company asking for help.

"Having seen some of the photos that have come back I would like to think anything we can get into those villages will make a big difference," Mr Biel said.

The helicopter would be in the region for up to 12 weeks but the crew would swap with a fresh one at the end of this month.

"We are very mindful that even though a lot of work has gone on there already, it's still not a nice place to be," Mr Biel said.

The Mi-8 helicopter is capable of carrying five tonnes of supplies and can seat up to 30.

In New Zealand it is usually involved in construction, logging or load-lifting work.

- NZPA