The highly anticipated Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter Open Day returned this year, celebrated as a huge success on April 6th, attracting thousands of attendees from across the Central North Island.

The event, held at Hamilton Airport (Helicorp) and open to the public from 11am to 2pm, brought together members of the Waikato, King Country, and Coromandel communities to celebrate the life-saving work of the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

The Open Day provided a fantastic opportunity for the community to see first-hand some of the specialist equipment onboard the rescue helicopter, interact with the rescue helicopter crew, and observe some of the critical skills that play a vital role in the life-saving missions carried out daily.

These critical skills included, a live winch demonstration performed by the rescue helicopter crew, simulating a winch rescue. This involved the Pilot holding the rescue helicopter in a steady hover while the Air Crew Officer acted as the Pilots second pair of eyes. The Air Crew Officer lowered the Critical Care Flight Paramedic (CCFP) down to the fake patient waiting below. Once on the ground, the Critical Care Flight Paramedic proceeded to demonstrate administering expert medical care before attaching the patient to a harness, and both were winched into the rescue helicopter.

Alongside the winch demonstration, a highlight for many attendees was the opportunity to get an up-close view of the brand-new Airbus D3 H145 rescue helicopter, call sign IXN, which became operational in March and is the third purchase of a state-of-the-art H145 rescue helicopter for Philips Search and Rescue Trust (PSRT).

Philips Search and Rescue Trust General Manager, Vanessa Richmond said, “the Open Day was the perfect time for supporters to view the rescue helicopter that serves their community and see for themselves why this aircraft is recognised globally as the gold standard for air ambulance and rescue services worldwide.”

The Open Day proved to be a fun-filled family event with activities for all ages, including interactive games, face painting, raffles, a merch stall, delicious food trucks and so much more. Raffle prizes included some incredible items for the lucky winners such as mobile phones, Helicorp helicopter scenic flights, glider plane vouchers, and many more thanks to generous sponsors.

Also present on the day were the rescue helicopter’s emergency service friends including Fire & Emergency, NZ Police, Land Search & Rescue, Coastguard, St John and many others. These teams engaged with the public through a variety of their own demonstrations, sharing insights into the critical roles they play within the community and alongside the rescue helicopter crew.

The day managed to raise over $15,000 for the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter thanks to support from the community.

This year’s Open Day was one for the books with not only an incredible turnout on the day but strong community backing from businesses and sponsors who helped make this event possible. Their generous donations of raffle items, set up equipment, and so much more helped to reduce event costs and ensure the donations from attendees on the day went directly to fuelling the life-saving flights of the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

A heartfelt thank you to all who attended, as well as all volunteers, staff, rescue crew, supporters, and sponsors of the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter for your contribution in making this day such a resounding success. This would not have been possible without you, and your Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew are beyond grateful for your help in ensuring they can continue to carry out their life-saving missions.

The fast response of the rescue helicopter and its highly trained crew ensures the patients receive the best care as quickly as possible. Help us gear up… Donate towards essential life-saving equipment for your Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter today at https://give.rescue.org.nz/event/waikato-westpac-rescue-helicopter/donate

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