The BayTrust Rescue Helicopter has had a quieter summer than last year, something the Rotorua base manager is taking as a positive sign.
During the December, January and February just gone, the Rotorua-based rescue chopper attended 36 missions. That's 14 fewer than the 50 it attended in 2014/15.
In 2015, the service attended 116 callouts, compared to 134 in 2014.
The helicopter service was founded in 1992 to provide Rotorua and Bay of Plenty regions with air ambulance and air search and rescue services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As well as base manager/pilot Barry Vincent and pilot Ben Fry the crew is made up of volunteers and a fundraising and marketing team.