In September, pilots Barry and Stu travelled over to Helsinki on an IFR scholarship funded by J I Urquart Family Trust. After some intense training on the simulator, 40 hours each including a simulation of Christchurch from the air, they returned to Christchurch with a massive amount of new knowledge under their belts.
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) will allow us to fly in lower cloud cover and fog which often sits over Christchurch while the surrounding countryside is clear. This will allow us to respond to a greater number of call outs and ultimately will improve patient outcomes. We’re incredibly happy that this was an improvement that the Trust supporters have made possible.
Last week both Stu and Barry went off on their final flights to become IFR rated and we’re happy to say that they both passed their tests.
Congratulations to you both!
Next year our next couple of pilots will be off over to Finland for the first part of the training. Watch our social media for the announcement of which pilots have been selected for that round.
