Sheffield school came to visit us at the base Friday 14th of September. Kent Wilson, one our highly experienced Rescue Pilots, gave the students a tour of the base and helped them to learn a little bit more about what we do at the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. The students sat in a big circle around Kent. They sat arms crossed, and leaning in, the students eagerly listened to Kent’s rescue tales.
Excitement lit up the faces of the students, as they were told they could explore the inside of our back up rescue helicopter. Kent also gave some insight into the advanced equipment the crew uses and shared his rescue mission experiences.
Hearing about the night vision goggles our crew use when out in the field at night, particularly interested the students. From the generous support of our lovely donors, the 2017 night vision goggle appeal allowed us to purchase 5 pairs. The students learned that over 30% of rescue missions occur at night time and the danger of night missions
Sheffield student Zoey Malloy said her favourite part of the trip was, “getting to stand in the helicopter,”. Fellow student Jack Smith said his favourite part was, “exploring the engineering room”. By the end of the trip, a few of the children raised their hands when asked, “Who wants to be a pilot when they grow up!”
All of the team thoroughly enjoyed hosting the students, parents and teachers. We love teaching and inspiring the younger generation about the fundamental, life-saving work we do here. Thank you again to Sheffield school for travelling over to the base and spending the afternoon with us!
