Air Rescue Trust update

ANZCO Foods is proud to support the Christchurch West Coast Air Rescue Trust, helping ensure rapid emergency response services are available to rural communities when they are needed most.

Between March and May, the Canterbury and West Coast Westpac Rescue Helicopters completed 283 missions, including 181 in Canterbury and 102 on the West Coast. Of these missions, 19% involved winch operations and 15% required the use of night vision goggles, highlighting the challenging environments and conditions crews regularly operate in.

The Trust has also recently commissioned a new H145 cockpit and winch simulator at the Air Rescue Base. One of only five combined cockpit and winch simulators in the world, it is the only simulator specifically configured to replicate both the winch setup and unique terrain encountered by local rescue crews. The advanced training facility is helping to further enhance crew preparedness and operational safety. You can see the simulator in action on Seven Sharp here.

Looking ahead, the rescue helicopter’s annual Back to Base fundraiser returns this August. The event provides a great opportunity for supporters to take on a distance challenge, get fit, improve mental wellbeing and raise money to support the training and equipment needed on every rescue helicopter. Get involved and help ensure this vital service remains available for the communities that rely on it. More information and registration details are available here: Back to Base.