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This is what a deep clean of the rescue helicopter looks like.
After a recent water rescue off the North Canterbury coast, a GCH Aviation engineer spent the morning cleaning and wiping down every part of our H145 Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
As well as salt water being stirred up by the downwash of the rescue helicopter, the two fishermen who were rescued – and the critical care paramedic who was winched down to rescue them – were very wet.
Salt water is corrosive so, with salt water on the inside and outside of the rescue helicopter, a deep clean was required. Luckily the engineering team came to the rescue – and the sun was shining which made the process easier!
We are extremely proud of our new H145 rescue helicopters and do all we can to take the very best care of these life-saving machines.
Want to know more about the state-of-the-art H145 helicopters we have recently purchased for the rescue service? Head to www.airrescue.co.nz.
And the winner is ....
𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗮!
Crews from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the New Zealand Flying Doctor Service loved seeing these beautiful colourings and lovely comments for the crew. They simply couldn`t choose just one winner, so the crews selected two finalists each - and from there we randomly selected the main prize winner.
The four finalists are:
🚁Siwoo, age 10
🚁Nina, age 3
✈️Francine, age 6
✈️Olivia, age 4
Thank you to all those who attended the GCH Aviation Open Day and generously supported the work of the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust and the NZ Flying Doctor Trust.
@newzealandflyingdoctors
"𝗜𝘁`𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝘁`𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲."
You are so right Emma - and you would know better than most!
Emma was first rescued after a speedway accident on the West Coast. Years later, the rescue helicopter was there for her again picking her up from her in-laws` Mayfield farm.
"𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀. 𝗜𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗼𝗰𝗸.”
Emma - thanks for sharing your story in support of this month`s Westpac Chopper Appeal.
Read Emma`s story here or at the link in bio: https://www.thepress.co.nz/wellbeing/361000165/its-not-just-helicopter-its-lifeline-emma-williams-2026-plea
Donate here: www.airrescue.co.nz/chopper or go to the Chopper Appeal link on our Linktree
Rob was trapped with no way of knowing if help was on the way.
Then he heard the sound of the chopper.
It took time for Rob to piece together what happened that day. To work out how he survived.
He’s figured it out. It was because of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and a very special person called Kath.
"𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗜’𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 ... 𝘀𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲." 𝗥𝗼𝗯
Rob is sharing his story for this year’s Chopper Appeal. Because the rescue helicopter saved his life.
This Chopper Appeal the piece we need is you.
Donate today.
www.airrescue.co.nz/chopper
Or see the Chopper Appeal link on our Linktree
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