Life Flight (New Zealand)

Last updated

Life Flight Trust
Formation1982
FounderPeter Button
TypeNonprofit
PurposeResue helicopter service
Headquarters17 George Bolt Street, Rongotai, Wellington 6022
Location
  • Wellington, New Zealand
Official language
English
Website https://www.lifeflight.org.nz/

Life Flight, or Life Flight Trust, is a charitable trust providing an emergency air ambulance and rescue helicopter service that operates out of Wellington, New Zealand. Their services include the Wellington-based BK117 Westpac Rescue Helicopter, as well as two nationwide J32 Jetstream air ambulance planes that transport patients who are critically ill and in need of hospital transfer for specialist care. The majority of patients are from the central or lower North Island, or the upper South Island of New Zealand. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History

In 1975, Peter Button and Dr Russell Worth launched The Life Flight Trust, which would go on to save over 36,000 New Zealanders.[ citation needed ]

Equipment

Westpac Rescue Helicopter

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter is a BK117 emergency air rescue service which operates out of Wellington Hospital. [4] It is used primarily for search and rescue but may also be used for police and bomb squad operations, or in firefighting. [5] 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. [6] [7] [3] [8] [9]

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. [10]

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. [11]

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. [2]

Charity fundraising

As Life Flight Trust is a charitable trust, it receives funding through donations. Community fundraisers to raise funds for the service are often organised by individuals or groups such as Westpac bank, [10] or other local clubs and organisations. [12] [13]

Other fundraising events are often put on by Life Flight itself [14] and funds are also raised by word of mouth, online donations, and telemarketing. Due to the service's high-profile among New Zealand's rescue services, other lower profile services such as the Taranaki Air Ambulance and the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust have been confused for the service, and sometimes miss out on donations as a result. [15] [16] [17]

TV show

Life Flight was the subject of a reality TV documentary show in 2013 that ran for 10 episodes. [18] [19] A second season ran in 2016, also running for 10 episodes. [20] [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MBB/Kawasaki BK 117</span> German/Japanese utility helicopter

The MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 is a twin-engined light utility–transport helicopter. It was jointly developed and manufactured by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) of Germany and Kawasaki of Japan. MBB was later purchased by Daimler-Benz and eventually became a part of Eurocopter, which was later rebranded as Airbus Helicopters.

Air National was an airline based in Auckland, New Zealand. It operated domestic and international charter services and scheduled passenger services for Air New Zealand Link. Its main bases were Auckland International Airport

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northland Emergency Services Trust</span> Rescue helicopter service in New Zealand

The Northland Emergency Services Trust (NEST) is an emergency air rescue service in Whangarei, New Zealand. The Trust is supported by contributions from local sponsors, individuals, families, businesses and organisations. The operator, Northern Rescue Helicopter Ltd. (NRHL), is a joint venture between Northland Emergency Services Trust and Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Plymouth Airport</span> Airport in New Plymouth

New Plymouth Airport serves the city of New Plymouth, and the surrounding region of Taranaki. It is located on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island and is 11 km from the city centre, on State Highway 3 north to Auckland, and 4 km from the outer suburb/satellite town of Bell Block.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New South Wales Ambulance</span> Provider of pre-hospital emergency care in New South Wales, Australia

NSW Ambulance, previously the Ambulance Service of NSW, is an agency of NSW Health and the statutory provider of pre-hospital emergency care and ambulance services in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service</span> Canadian air ambulance service

The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service is a Canadian non-profit helicopter air ambulance organization funded by individual donors, service groups, corporate donors and government contributions. STARS provides rapid and specialized emergency care and transportation for critically ill and injured patients. STARS operates from bases in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and formerly Halifax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service</span> Helicopter rescue service in Australia

The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service is a helicopter surf lifesaving service that operates in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hato Hone St John</span> Ambulance service in New Zealand

Hato Hone St John is a charitable organisation providing healthcare services to the New Zealand public. The organisation provides ambulance services throughout New Zealand, as well as certain other health services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Aviation</span> 1992–2014 airline in New Zealand

Vincent Aviation was an airline based in Wellington, New Zealand. It operated air charter, freight and subcontract flights with a hub at Wellington International Airport. It was founded by Peter Vincent in 1992. On 28 May 2014 the Australian business was placed into receivership. On 24 October 2014 the New Zealand division was placed into receivership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust</span> Helicopter Ambulance Service

The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter is a New Zealand accident and emergency rescue and transport service operated by the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust (ARHT). The trust operates two AW169 and one BK117 helicopters on behalf of the helicopter owners—the greater Auckland community. There are four "Westpac Rescue Helicopter" services in New Zealand, but they are all separate entities and only linked by the same major sponsor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance</span> English charity air ambulance

The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is a registered charity, which uses a helicopter to provide an air ambulance service to the English counties of Dorset and Somerset. The air ambulance came into service in March 2000, following the success of similar schemes, such as Devon Air Ambulance and Cornwall Air Ambulance. The air ambulance headquarters are at Wellington in Somerset, but the helicopter is based at Henstridge Airfield in Somerset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Anglian Air Ambulance</span> English air ambulance charity

The East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) is an air ambulance providing Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) across the English counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. The appeal to fund the service was launched in the summer of 2000 by top jockey Frankie Dettori, who had been a casualty in a serious plane crash a couple of months earlier. When flying commenced in January 2001, the service was initially available only one day a week. The East Anglian Air Ambulance operates two helicopters, 365 days a year, from its bases at Cambridge Airport and Norwich Airport, covering over 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2) and a population of approximately 3.5 million.

Emergency medical services in Australia are provided by state ambulance services, which are a division of each state or territorial government, and by St John Ambulance in both Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Emergency medical services in New Zealand are provided by the Order of St John, except in the Greater Wellington region where Wellington Free Ambulance provides these services. Both have a history of long service to their communities, St John since 1885 and Free beginning in 1927, traditionally having a volunteer base, however the vast majority of response work is undertaken by paid career Paramedics. Strategic leadership of the sector is provided by NASO which is a unit within the Ministry of Health responsible for coordinating the purchasing and funding of services on behalf of the Ministry and the Accident Compensation Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland Ambulance Service</span> State ambulance service in Queensland, Australia

The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) is the state emergency ambulance and patient transport provider in Queensland, Australia. QAS is part of the Queensland Government under the Queensland Health portfolio and is one of the largest ambulance services in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Button</span> New Zealand aviator (1929–1987)

Peter Thomas Button was a pioneering rescue helicopter pilot in Wellington, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust</span> Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust

The Otago Rescue Helicopter trust is an emergency helicopter service covering the lower South Island area of New Zealand, used for accident and medical air ambulance missions, and search and rescue. As of 2009, the service operates a MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 B-2 helicopter, with two other BK 117s as backup to the primary rescue helicopter. It is run by a charitable trust formed in 1998, with major sponsor the Otago Regional Council. Based at Taieri Aerodrome near Mosgiel, it covers 25 percent of the country's land area. Retrieval missions typically transport patients to Dunedin Hospital, and the service works in cooperation with New Zealand's main ambulance provider, St John New Zealand. Around 400 missions and 600 flying hours are undertaken each year.

CareFlight is an air medical service headquartered in Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LifeFlight (Nova Scotia)</span> Aeromedical organisation in Canada

LifeFlight is an air ambulance critical care transport service that operates in the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air medical services</span> Use of air vehicles to transport patients

Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation and rescue operations.

References

  1. ↑ "Coverage area".
  2. 1 2 "Air ambulance pilot finds tough job rewarding". Stuff.
  3. 1 2 New Zealand Herald. "Chopper rescue family stay grounded".
  4. ↑ "The Westpac Rescue Helicopter".
  5. ↑ "Types of missions flown".
  6. ↑ TOMMY LIVINGSTON (29 January 2016). "Injured tramper winched out of bush in the Wairarapa". Stuff.
  7. ↑ "Wellington.scoop.co.nz » Helicopter rescues Days Bay tramper and Kapiti Island fishermen".
  8. ↑ "Poolside suspected heart attack death at police college in Porirua". Stuff. 29 February 2016.
  9. ↑ OLIVER LEWIS (19 November 2015). "'Luckiest man in New Zealand' thanks Life Flight". Stuff.
  10. 1 2 "Thousands raised for air rescue". The New Zealand Herald.
  11. ↑ "It's a wrap on Wellington's air ambulance". Stuff.
  12. ↑ ASHLEIGH MONK (19 April 2016). "Ulysses Club Marlborough host rescue ride fundraiser for Life Flight Trust". Stuff.
  13. ↑ SIMON EDWARDS (4 March 2015). "Big rigs roll for show and great cause". Stuff.
  14. ↑ "What's On in Wellington: From April 7". Stuff. 6 April 2016.
  15. ↑ HANNAH LEE (1 April 2016). "Taranaki Air Ambulance confused with other services, misses out on donations". Stuff.
  16. ↑ "Charity dogfight". Stuff.
  17. ↑ "Air rescue service told to 'back off'". Stuff.
  18. ↑ "Life Flight TV Series 1". Life Flight.
  19. 1 2 "Life Flight". TVNZ. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  20. ↑ "Life Flight TV Series 2".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.