The Canterbury-West Coast region’s new H145 Airbus rescue helicopter was officially unveiled in Christchurch on Thursday.
After three months of commissioning, the new Westpac twin-engine light utility helicopter was officially unveiled at the GCH Aviation air rescue base.
It is the first of three state-of-the-art helicopters for the region.
Rescue helicopter pilot Brent Fredericksen said he was part of a team tasked with rescuing a climber from Mt Rolleston in Arthur’s Pass National Park about a year ago.
Fredericksen said the original rescue attempt, using a BK117 helicopter, was cancelled because the wind had made conditions too dangerous for the aircraft.
"There was a lot of northwest wind that day, and a bit of rain too," he said.
"I went up in an H145 helicopter which has more power, even at a high altitude, and we were able to rescue to the climber."
He said "having identical flight decks across the whole fleet will be incredible".
“The last thing you want to be doing at 3am is looking for switches."
From January to November 2025, the rescue helicopter had been called to 976 missions, including 620 in Canterbury and 356 in the West Coast.
"It signifies the start of the biggest transformation the service has seen in its 40-year history."
Prince said the H145 is the gold standard.
"A larger cabin provides more space to give critical care, tail and rear-mounted cameras improve visibility, while a weather radar helps pilots avoid dangerous weather during flights."
-Allied Media
