It currently flies a pair of Sikorsky S-76’s averaging 4 missions in a 24-hour period.
I often hear(!) and see them passing overhead as they head to Auckland Hospital out of Northland.
Thought I’d try a run and be a hero.
This one starts at Kerikeri, staging through home base Whangarei
Couldn’t find a NZ ambulance for the sim, so there’s a police van instead, bringing in the medivac patient.
Then: Upward and Onward to Auckland
Precision landing on the Starship Hospital helipad, trying not to damage the patient.
Gusts of 35kt
No customers found for the return, so some sightseeing up the east of the island.
The Sikorsky is a 50-year old design, and it has possibly the worst of all piloting worlds: Plenty of steam dials plus incomprehensible 1st-gen glass displays.
I hand flew the thing using the sim birds eye view. Luckily the trim switches work, so at least it went generally in the right direction
But it’s a big, 13-passenger aircraft, well up to the task of carting people and things over 700km or so. We cruise in and land like an airliner, gas up and go to readiness for the next life-saving trip.
