Cloud issues underline need for chopper upgrade

The Hato Hone St John team were on the scene for handover when the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter flew to Te Araroa in response to a trauma on Sunday. The patient was flown to Gisborne Hospital. Picture supplied

The need for the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter to upgrade to an Instrument Flight Rules-capable aircraft became even more clear after the team’s work was hampered by a week of low-lying cloud.

The upgrade from Visual Flight Rules would not just mean a new helicopter, to enable safe piloting it would also require the installation of flight paths along critical routes such as the East Coast.

“It is a big project and a very expensive project, but one that is vital to ensuring the team can operate when they are most needed,” Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust chair Patrick Willock said. “So that’s going to be a big focus for us going forward.”

Despite the conditions, the team managed to fly three successful missions in the week from Monday, November 20, but were turned back from one attempt — on Saturday — due to cloud conditions.

The completed missions were on November 23 at midday when the chopper was called to a medical event at Te Araroa. The patient, in a stable condition, was flown to Gisborne Hospital.

On November 24 at 11am, the team responded to a medical event at Te Kaha. The on-board critical care flight paramedic assessed and treated the patient, who was flown in a critical condition to Tauranga Hospital.

On November 26 at 3pm, the chopper team were called to a trauma at Te Araroa. The patient, in a stable condition, was flown to Gisborne Hospital.