Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It’s a new rescue helicopter!

The bright red five-blade Airbus H145 D3 replaced the old BK117 and took to the skies above Waikato, Coromandel and King Country last month with upgraded equipment and increased cabin space.

The $20 million helicopter was purchased by Philips Search and Rescue Trust (PSRT) and is one of nine upgraded air ambulance helicopters that will soon operate all around the country.

“The Airbus H145 rescue helicopter is the international gold standard helicopter for air ambulance and rescue services worldwide,” PSRT general manager Vanessa Richmond said.

“It is designed specifically for demanding, high-stakes missions, allowing rescue crews to respond faster, reach more remote locations, and with increased cabin space provide improved critical care in flight.”

The arrival of the new helicopter is just one of two reasons for the charity to celebrate, as PSRT also marks its 40th anniversary this year.

The trust was founded in 1985 after a plane crash killed management personnel from Philips NZ Ltd, an electronics goods manufacturer.

Having experienced the need for air search and rescue support firsthand, Philips NZ Ltd established an endowment and PSRT as a trust, to provide helicopter search and rescue services, initially based out of Taupō.

Now, PSRT is the charity that owns, maintains and kits out the Central North Island’s largest fleet of six community rescue helicopters, including the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter serving the Waikato, King Country and Coromandel region, the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter, serving the Bay of Plenty region, the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter, serving the Central Plateau and Lakes region and the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter, serving the Manawatū-Whanganui region.

The trust collaborates with Search and Rescue Services Ltd which leases the helicopters, operates them and provides the crew.

PSRT is responsible for fundraising for the helicopters and ensuring the crews have the appropriate equipment, bridging the gap in Government funding and resourcing.

“Without our donors, you would have a helicopter with a crew in a paddock. There is no hangar, no equipment like a stretcher, CPR machine or a winch, no rapid response vehicle,” PSRT head of fundraising Sharni Weir said.

PSRT is the charity that owns, maintains and kits out the Central North Island’s largest fleet of six community rescue helicopters.

“The trust fundraises 20% to cover baseline costs, plus money to cover the cost to maintain the six helicopters.”

The average cost for a callout is $9500, although it is free for people in need.

Since its start, PSRT has helped save 43,438 lives across the Central North Island.

One of them was 18-month-old Ciara Hamilton who needed a helicopter in 2019.

Her mother Laura said the family was living in Tokoroa at the time and rushed to the local emergency department after Ciara had been unwell “on and off” for months.

Ciara Hamilton needed a rescue helicopter in 2019, when she was just 18 months old.

At the ED, Laura said her daughter went “downhill really quickly”.

“She had difficulty breathing and her oxygen levels were low. She was put on breathing support and the emergency department called an ambulance to transfer her to hospital,” Laura said.

“But when the ambulance came out, they said they couldn’t take her, because they didn’t have the right equipment.”

That’s when the rescue helicopter was called and Laura was able to accompany Ciara to Starship Hospital, where Ciara was in intensive care for four days, due to asthma and pneumonia.

Last week, Ciara turned 7 and is living a normal life.

Laura said she had been donating to PSRT since 2011, even before Ciara was in need, but after this experience, she wanted to do more.

Philips Search and Rescue Trust general manager Vanessa Richmond.

After moving to Hamilton, Laura worked part-time in an office role at Melville Intermediate, until she saw a job ad for a database coordinator at PSRT.

“I said to my colleagues, ‘I love working with you guys but I am gonna apply for this’,” Laura said.

“I came into the [job] interview and said ‘I want this job’.

“I just wanted to say thank you. [My daughter] just wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.”

Aside from “donating her life” to the trust, she also continues to support their work with regular donations.

“They saved my daughter’s life, you can’t put a price on that... [and] I want to help keep [the service] going for someone else, pay it forward. You always think you never gonna need it - until you do.”

Richmond said stories like Ciara’s were the reason why she loved her job.

“This... is a very very important service in New Zealand.

“[The country] is quite spread out with different terrain where bad things can happen. The rescue helicopter is the one service that can pluck you out of difficult places.

“They make the difference between life and death.”

The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter will have an open day on Sunday, April 6, from 11am to 2pm at Hamilton Airport, 201a Airport Rd.

For more information or to donate, visit rescue.org.nz.