Media Release courtesy of George Scott
MEDIA RELEASE
8 August 2023
Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust: New Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) route to Wanaka
The Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust is excited to announce that a new IFR route will be operational into Wanaka this week, thanks to funding from the Rotary Club of Wanaka.
The Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Service operates across the largest and arguably the most challenging geographic landscape in New Zealand, providing a critical medical response to people in often desperate situations right across the lower South Island. In the past, missions could only be completed where pilots had the clear visibility for flying but, with the development of instrument flight rules (IFR) routes, missions can now be flown where poor visibility would otherwise preclude a response. From the first routes into Dunstan, Invercargill, and Dunedin, the network has been expanded over the past five years to cover all the main valleys in the region.
Developing these precision routes to Queenstown and Wanaka were much more of a challenge but, with funding from the Rotary Club of Wanaka, a route to the Wanaka Medical Centre will become operational this week. “The is a really significant development that will save lives in the Wanaka area” said Graeme Gale, Managing Director of Helicopters Otago Ltd that operates the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Service. “I didn’t think it was going to be possible to get routes through those valleys, given the narrow terrain, but it’s brilliant we’ve achieved that. When visibility is poor and the freezing level drops, the only way through is on an IFR route. At times we are flying 20 – 30% of missions on IFR, all missions that would otherwise be impossible”. Overall, this is a very significant piece of infrastructure for the lower South Island enabling the critical rescue helicopter service to reach patients nearly all the time. There are still times where very low freezing levels or severe weather conditions make flying impossible, but we are far less restricted that before.
Funding was provided from the Rotary Club of Wanaka from funding raised at its Upper Clutha Winter Cropping Competition in 2022. The Competition’s organiser, George Scott said “we knew each leg of these IFR routes cost tens of thousands to develop so the community really pulled together to make this happen”.
Martin Dippie, Chairman of the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust said “the disperse communities across Otago and Southland are reliant on the rescue helicopter service reaching them when severe medical or accident emergencies occur and we are proud to support developments that enable those missions”.
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