The region’s brand new $18 million rescue helicopter is off to a flying start, completing almost two dozen missions across the New England in its first weeks.
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The Westpac Rescue Helicopter’s Augusta Westland from Italy has been fitted out with more than $1.5 million worth of medical equipment and is already flying in and out of its Tamworth base.
Boasting a greater maximum speed, more fuel and safety features, the new chopper can hover for longer and has a greater capacity to complete a mission should it suffer an engine failure.
The AW319 aircraft is part of the partnership with NSW Ambulance and will see rescues and emergency medical transfers of patients from north of the Hawkesbury River to the Queensland border, 24-hours a day, seven-days-a-week.
“This is a huge milestone for the Service and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the communities of New England North West for their continual support in helping ensure no-one ever pays to be assisted,” Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service CEO Richard Jones said.
“Under the new contract, four Agusta Westland 139 helicopters will service Northern NSW.
Compared with the current fleet, the AW139’s provide improvements in speed, range and endurance and support advanced patient care through many on-board features such as the special ‘zero lift’ arms to assist moving Newborn Emergency Transport Service (NETS) cribs.”
The new helicopter first touched down in Tamworth last October after it’s maiden flight from Melbourne where it was pieced together. Since then, pilots and crew have undertaken extensive training as well as a team of engineers and maintenance workers who will take care of the new chopper.
“This work is a great credit to our pilots, crews, engineers and NSW Ambulance medical teams in Tamworth, Belmont, Broadmeadow and Lismore. I acknowledge their efforts and hard work and we are very proud of everything that has been achieved,’ Mr Jones said.
The new chopper has a maximum speed of about 165 knots per hour, meaning the service can get to remote and far-fetched locations even faster.
“I am confident this partnership will enable our highly-qualified NSW Ambulance paramedics and NSW Health helicopter doctors to continue delivering exceptional out-of-hospital critical care to patients across the state, no matter where in NSW they live,” NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said.
