Westpac Rescue Helicopter The Westpac Rescue Helicopter is an H145 emergency air rescue service which operates out of
Wellington Hospital. It is used primarily for
search and rescue but may also be used for
police and bomb squad operations, or in
firefighting. The helicopter often rescues car accident victims, injured trampers stranded in the bush, or performs rescues in other areas which are a considerable distance from any nearby hospital. Life Flight is partially government funded. For each mission, $4000 NZD must be raised from the community. These donations are provided by individuals and companies across New Zealand.
Air ambulance Life Flight's
J32 Jetstream air ambulance, ZK-LFW, replaced their older
Metroliner plane in 2012. A second aircraft of the same type, ZK-LFT, was purchased in 2017 to meet rising demand. Both carry patients between hospitals around New Zealand to receive specialist medical care. The service flies an average of four emergency trips to hospitals around New Zealand per day. Pilot Ian Pirie commented that flying patients by air presents unique challenges, such as ensuring soft landings for patients with spinal injuries, or flying very low with patients with brain or
diving injuries. He commented that calls involving premature babies were often the most rewarding, as he was often able to see how much they had grown when later flying them home after weeks in hospital incubators. The plane is even equipped to deliver babies on board, if necessary. ==Charity fundraising==