A state-of-the-art H145 rescue helicopter has made its inaugural flight to the West Coast and is now mission-ready!
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter, with the registration number IGA, departed the GCH Aviation Air Rescue Base in Christchurch in late March, flying across the main divide and landing at the air rescue base in Greymouth.
Rescue pilots and paramedic crews spent time training on the new machine before it joined the rescue helicopter service as the West Coast Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
IGA is the first of three H145 rescue helicopters purchased by the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust for the rescue helicopter service across Canterbury and the West Coast. The purchase of these helicopters is the cornerstone of the Trust’s MISSION 2026 campaign, which is transforming rescue helicopter services across the region.
Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust Chairman Murray Willocks says the arrival of IGA signals a new era for rescue helicopter services on the West Coast.
“The West Coast community deserves a world-class rescue helicopter service. That is what this helicopter will help provide,” Murray says.
The H145 Airbus helicopter is the gold standard in air rescue. Its advanced avionics and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capability will enable the crew to fly more often in more adverse weather. A larger cabin provides more space to give critical care, tail and rear mounted cameras improve visibility, while a weather radar helps pilots avoid dangerous weather during flights.
In preparation for the arrival of IGA, the Trust has invested significantly in training for West Coast crews, including H145 and IFR training for pilots. The Trust has also invested in new technology and specialist equipment to ensure the H145 rescue helicopters truly are world-class.
“The rescue helicopter service provides the fastest access to critical care for West Coast communities. We’re incredibly proud that after years of planning, we’re delivering on our promise to ensure the West Coast has the most advanced rescue helicopter and latest technology to support the exceptional crews who serve it,” Murray says.
West Coast Critical Care Paramedic Rod Partington says the crew is so excited to have this H145 Westpac Rescue Helicopter dedicated to serve the West Coast.
“With this H145 rescue helicopter, we’re able to make a fundamental shift in how we manage patients. We have more room to move around and the clinical layout is far more functional. It has dedicated patient monitoring systems which are safer and more secure.
“The helicopter itself has more power, more range, and more comfort. You can see everything so much better! The advanced avionics has features like auto-hover and a weather radar, which is a massive leap forward.”
“It’s like going from driving a Ford Cortina to a Tesla – it’s more powerful, more advanced, and built for saving lives,” Rod says.
While the West Coast’s new helicopter is now in service, Murray says MISSION 2026 is not over yet.
“We have two more H145 helicopters to get mission-ready and commissioning helicopters doesn’t come cheap. We need your support now more than ever to complete the modernisation of the rescue helicopter fleet and fulfil our vision of saving more lives, more often.”
The West Coast has been home to a helicopter rescue service since 1995, when GCH Aviation established an air rescue base there. It was first serviced by a Squirrel helicopter, before being replaced by a BK117. The H145 IGA will replace that BK117.
Images below show the West Coast crew training in the new H145 helicopter.
