About 220 people were at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum on Saturday to celebrate 21 years of service by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter.
Pilot Graeme Gale said the night at the museum paid tribute to the Mosgiel-based helicopter and the people who had made the service a success, including pilots, doctors, nurses, paramedics, engineers, ground crew, office staff and sponsors.
''The people who never get a mention - never get a credit for anything - yet they are a vital part of the whole service.''
To allow everyone involved with the helicopter's success to enjoy the ''fantastic'' celebration, Garden City Helicopters, the business operating Westpac Rescue Helicopter from Christchurch, supplied pilot Tim Douglas-Clifford to cover some of the weekend's work.
The celebration was the first time everybody involved with the helicopter had a night without being on call, he said.
It was just as well, as the helicopter had to leave its own birthday party about midnight to attend a serious crash in the Hakataramea Valley.
