The Aircraft

The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter is a totally dedicated rescue aircraft. The interior of the helicopter is designed for the provision of patient care, maximum efficiency and the capacity to be multi role. The helicopter needs to be adaptable as the rescue missions vary from farming related injuries, search and rescue operations to motor vehicle accidents.

Night Vision Cockpit

Incompatible light reduces the effectiveness of night vision goggles dramatically. In 2006, the cockpit was upgraded to be night vision compatible. The rescue helicopter cockpit now provides the maximum benefit during night operations. The compatible cockpit increases safety allowing the rescue helicopter crew to see further into the night.

Rescue Helicopter Storage Compartment

The configuration includes medical, rescue and aviation equipment for rescue missions. The Trust has a full inventory of specialised equipment available at the rescue helicopter hangar in Hastings.

Interesting Squirrel Facts

• The helicopter travels at 220km per hour
• Flight range fully fuelled is 550 km
• 180 litres per hour of Jet A1 fuel is used by the helicopter
• Maximum fuel capacity is 530 litres
• Maximum weight is 2100 kgs
• Maximum altitude is 16000 ft

Equipment

	Crew Helmet Alpha and Gentex dual visor helmets includes lip-lights for night operations, microphone for internal and external communications, and external mounts for night vision goggle equipment.
	Night Vision Goggles The night vision goggles are used to enhance the vision of the pilots and crew while flying at night. They are a valuable safety tool for night operations, permitting the visual detection of lights and other objects that would not normally be visible to the naked eye.
	Night Sun The Nigh Sun is used for visual searches at night or night approaches to non-illuminated landing areas. It is remotely controlled from within the helicopter by the Crewman or Pilot and has strength of 30 million candlepower. The Night Sun is attached under the rear belly of the Helicopter.
	Winch Breeze Eastern 450 LB hoist, fitted on an electrically operated boom. The winch has 164 feet of cable, with an operating speed up to 210 feet per minute. The Crewmen controls the operation of the winch during rescue missions, with backup pilot controls available.
	Winch Stretcher The Winch Stretcher is a specialist stretcher, collapsible with a tubular aluminium frame. It can be stored conveniently for use in a helicopter and carried in its own back pack by paramedic or medical staff when winched into mountainous terrain or to vessels at sea.
	Rescue Harness Made of modern, strong, water and rot resistant materials, the Winch Strop is used to lift a single person from either land or sea during a rescue. These strops have been modified to include a buoyancy application as well as ensuring that patients cannot inadvertently slip from the strop.
	FLIR The Forward Looking Infrared Red (FLIR) is used to locate missing persons by detecting their body heat. It is typically used during search and rescue missions in bush terrain and at sea. The FLIR is operated by the Crewmen from inside the Helicopter to display heat generated video images. Typical detection capability is 1/10 degree Celsius at a range of 300 metres.
	Mustang Life Jacket This Mustang (military spec) life jacket is highly specialised, and is standard equipment for all Crewmembers on over water missions. It carries a wide range of safety, rescue and survival equipment, such as: Strobe light Emergency beacon Whistle Heliograph
	Survival Suit The Pilots and Crewmembers use the Mustang orange survival suit in conditions of extreme cold, such as mountain or offshore rescues. The multi-layered suit prevents the debilitating effects of hypothermia caused by cold air or sea temperatures
	Wetsuit The wetsuit is used by our rescue swimmers in surf or water rescue missions.
	Dry Suit A recent equipment acquisition, the dry suits are used when operating over water. They have the ability to be worn with or without additional layers of clothing, making them more comfortable in a wider range of temperatures.
	Aqua Lung (Underwater Emergency Module) The Aqua Lung is miniature underwater breathing apparatus and is a standard piece of equipment for all offshore operations. This equipment is part of the Crew’s lifejacket configuration, and provides emergency air in the unlikely event of having to escape from a submerged helicopter after ditching at sea.
	Thomas Pack The pack carries all of the Paramedics ready use medical equipment,. The Thomas Pack is made out of heavy-duty canvas with a series of pockets inside and out for ease of access and recognition of equipment. The Thomas Pack can be converted into a backpack if the Paramedic needs to travel by foot to reach the patient.
	Lifepak 12 The Lifepak 12 is a defibrillator and vital life signs monitor. It also has a verbal command advisory function, which can alert the Paramedic or Doctor when to administer an electric charge (defibrillate) to the patient. A major benefit of the equipment is that it can monitor the patient’s condition, such as blood pressure automatically, which is quite difficult in a helicopter.
	Direction Finding Equipment The Direction Finder is used to home in on emergency radio beacons. It is typically used to locate missing persons, boats or planes in distress
	Fire Bucket The fire bucket shown is secured to the cargo hook under the helicopter and can carry up to 750 litres of water for fire suppression. Water can be sourced from the nearest river, seaside or fire appliance available.
	Life Raft Our Eastern Aero Marine, 6 person life raft is carried onboard for all over water operations. Able to be deployed in a matter of seconds should an offshore emergency situation arise, it has a range of safety, rescue and survival equipment stored inside it.
	Dropable Life Raft The life raft self inflates to provide immediate support for multiple persons in the water. The life raft is used for both the rescue helicopter and fixed wing air ambulance services.
	Backup Equipment The Trust keeps a duplicate set of the equipment routinely used in the Helicopter, in the event of equipment failure or damage.

Training

The Hawke's Bay Helicopter Rescue Trust provides ongoing, highly specialised training programmes to ensure the Pilots and Crew are ready for any emergency situation.
These programmes include:

Winch
The winching environment is a demanding situation, requiring precision teamwork between pilot and winch operator. This programme is split into four different categories - land, boat, water and night. The demands and risk factors can vary greatly between the categories and all training is designed to carefully introduce the increasing demands of successive levels. For qualified winch crews, recurrent training is provided at regular intervals.

Night Sun
The Nigh Sun is used for visual searches at night or night approaches to non-illuminated landing areas. It is remotely controlled from within the helicopter by the Crewman or Pilot and has strength of 30 million candlepower. The Night Sun is attached under the rear belly of the Helicopter.

This programme is split into four different categories - land, boat, water and night. The demands and risk factors can vary greatly between the categories, for example:

• Boat winches can be performed up to 100 nautical miles off shore and in rough sea conditions
• The rescue helicopter may have to fly into small areas or very close to cliff faces

Winch training is conducted at least once every three months and includes all of our, Pilots Crewmen, and Paramedics

Nightsun Training
The Nightsun is a 30 million candlepower searchlight. Specialist training is required as factors such as depth perception can change dramatically at night. Introductory and ongoing training is conducted for Pilots and Crew.

NVG Training
The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter crews have been using Night Vision Goggles for all night operations since 1997. A considerable amount of expertise has been amassed in that time, making night operations safe and efficient in conjunction with the use of the Nightsun and FLIR equipment. The training is carried out by the Pilots and Crew who work together, as a pair, in using this equipment.

FLIR Training
This specialist infra-red equipment requires considerable initial and ongoing training to enable the equipment to be quickly fitted to the helicopter, and tuned for best detection results for the search conditions, whether it be day or night, over land or sea.

H.U.E.T. (Helicopter Underwater Escape Training)

HUET training is conducted by an external organisation, training Crews in escape and survival techniques if the helicopter ditches in the water.

The H.U.E.T. is designed simulate those conditions in controlled conditions and Crews practise exiting the helicopter through normal and emergency exits, inflating their life jackets and entering their liferaft.

All crew are exposed to this training opportunity on a rotational basis.

Continuous training for role changing

The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter carries operational, medical, aviation and rescue equipment based on the needs of the mission. The crew routinely practice role changing with the following equipment:

• Nitesun
• FLIR
• Static Line & Belly Strap
• Fire bucket
• Winch

Directional Finding Training

Each year the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter responds to a number of searches initiated by emergency beacons. These can be from planes, boats or people lost in the bush. The Crew train with our directional finding equipment to locate these emergency beacons.