Helicopter Facts

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Facts and Figures

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter is a twin-engine BK 117-B2, weighing 3,350kgs and carrying a maximum of 720 litres of fuel.  It has a replacement cost of well over $6.2 million, excluding the rescue, medical and avionics equipment it carries.  There is well over $1 million of equipment installed in this rescue helicopter.

A few examples of some of the specialist equipment used:

2-man Breeze Winch
Nightsun - (Scene Illumination Equipment )
Auxiliary Fuel Tanks
GPS (Global Positioning System)
Propaq Monitor (Diagnostic Apparatus)
High Definition Night Vision Equipment
Specialised avionics and communications equipment
Electrocardiograph Defibrillator
Pulse Oximeter
Oxygen Equipment
Several varieties of splints
Scoop and rescue basket stretchers
Assorted ropes/harnesses/karabiners
General medical supplies
Life raft/life jackets/survival packs

The rescue helicopter is regarded as a fully equipped intensive care unit in the sky.  It has everything you would find in the back of a road ambulance, and more.