KEY POINTS:
Just hours after winning widespread praise for safely landing his crippled helicopter, pilot Richard "Hannibal" Hayes was back in action rescuing French sailors from their capsized yacht off the Otago coast.
Southern Lakes Helicopter pilot Mr Hayes had started his day in spectacular fashion, by flying for 25 minutes in a helicopter with a broken tail rotor.
Southern Lakes Helicopters operations manager Lloyd Matheson said after the "complete disintegration" of the tail rotor at an altitude of about 4500ft, Mr Hayes' only option was to maintain forward momentum to steer the aircraft and keep it stable.
Mr Matheson said it had been "an exceptional piece of flying" on Mr Hayes' part to land the craft and walk away unscathed.
Hours later, Mr Hayes was back in the helicopter to help rescue 10 French sailors from their capsized yacht.
The sailors were taking part in the Jules Verne Round the World Yacht Race when their craft overturned.
Three rescue helicopters winched the crew off the hull of the Groupama III about 3.30pm.
Flying New Zealand president John McLean told the Southland Times Mr Hayes' actions yesterday were brilliant, but not surprising.
"That's outstanding - what he's done - but it doesn't come as a surprise that someone like Richard would actually do that.
"If he's called on to do things, he would just go on to do them."
To land a helicopter after losing the tail rotor was "exceptional", he said.
"It's pretty much all over when you lose your tail rotor, I would've thought, because you lose your stability.
"If you lose that, your ability to control it becomes very limited. To actually put it down, it's pretty exceptional."
Mr Hayes was a legendary pilot who was at the top of his profession, Mr McLean said.
He had been made a MNZM (Member of New Zealand Order of Merit) for his services to search and rescue, and last December was a recipient of the FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) Outstanding Airman Award for helping to save lives in a 2005 Queenstown fire.
Only one pilot in the world is given the award in any year and Mr Hayes was the first New Zealander to receive it.
The award recognised Mr Hayes' work during a night-time bush fire near Queenstown in November 2005 when, using night-vision goggles, he flew for six hours above advancing flames, repeatedly dousing endangered houses with a monsoon bucket.
- NZPA
