OVERSEAS OPERATIONS

Heli Harvest rescue crew win international humanitarian award

On the 17th March 2006, the Taupo crew flew to Raoul Island to evacuate five Department of Conservation staff who had been trapped on the island by a volcanic eruption that claimed the life of one member of their team.

A dramatic mercy dash by a Taupo rescue team to Raoul Island nearly a year ago has had a sequel in the United States.

The Taupo rescue helicopter crew received the Igor Sikorsky Award for Humanitarian Service from the Helicopter Association International for their efforts in retrieving Department of Conservation staff from Raoul Island in the Kermadecs in March last year.

They join an impressive list of recipients including the crews who took part in the relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina, the Chernobyl nuclear power station accident and the Twin Towers disaster.

The award is presented to the persons who best demonstrate the value of civil rotorcraft to society by saving lives, protecting property and aiding those in distress.

The crew of ER-MHH, a huge twin-engine Russian helicopter based in Taupo and owned by Heli Harvest Ltd, installed long-range tanks into the helicopter for the five hour and 1,000 kilometre journey across the Pacific Ocean.

When the crew arrived, they located the trapped rangers on the island and conducted an aerial surveillance within the active crater area.  The crew then flew the survivors back to New Zealand that same night.

“The crew showed tremendous bravery and a calm demeanour during a stressful situation.  Their quick response saved five lives.  This extraordinary team worked together as one,” the Association says.

The five crew members include pilots Alexey Ostapenko and John Funnell, flight engineer Oleg Pazynitch, engineer Alexander Ivlev and crewman Taupo Police Senior Constable Barry Shepherd.

Mr Shepherd says, “The award is a special honour within the helicopter industry and Taupo is fortunate to have so many experienced search and rescue personnel who understand the importance of teamwork.”
“We were fortunate the operation went as smoothly as it did.  Conditions at Raoul Island were unknown and the eruption had affected visibility with volcanic ash still in the air”, says John Funnell.
“Cooperation from surviving DoC team members - despite the ordeal they had been through and the shock over the loss of their comrade, their professionalism and calmness enabled us to carry out our role quickly and efficiently.”

The five Taupo crew members formally received the award at the International Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida on Friday 02 March 2007.

This link will take you to details of the 2006 Igor Sikorsky Award for Humanitarian Service recently announced by the Helicopter Association International: http://www.rotor.com/rotor/Homenbsp/tabid/510/newsid905/53918/Default.aspx

WORKING IN INDONESIA:

While in Indonesia in early 2005, helicopter ER-MHH together with Heli Harvest crew assisted OxFam in the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami around Banda Aceh.

Upon completion of the OxFam work, this same helicopter repositioned to Pekanbaru in the Riau Province of Indonesia to provide aerial firefighting services to a large forestry company.

Then during April 2005, ER-MHH underwent scheduled maintenance and inspections at a base in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  It was then was flown back to Norfolk Island after its lengthy stay overseas, and subsequently back to its home base in Taupo, New Zealand.

4,533 nautical miles by helicopter over 5.5 days:

Once fitted with special internal long-range fuel tanks, the range of our Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters is quite phenomenal. 

In January 2005, helicopter ER-MHH was flown from Taupo, New Zealand to Banda Aceh, Indonesia to assist in the tsunami relief effort.

Its return journey from Kuala Lumpur to Norfolk Island is plotted below.  Progress was slower than the flight up to Indonesia in January due to headwinds on all sectors of the flight.

The crew departed Kuala Lumpur on Monday 30 May and flew a total of 4,533 nautical miles to Norfolk Island.  The flight crew for this journey was comprised of 2 pilots and 2 ground engineers.

Our thanks to Air Center One based at Auckland International Airport for arranging all required clearances and refuelling stops with the UVglobal Network along the route.

DEPARTURE POINT:	ARRIVAL POINT:	SECTOR DISTANCE:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (WMSA)	Palembang, Indonesia (WIPP)	407 nm
Palembang, Indonesia (WIPP)	Semarang, Indonesia (WARS)	418 nm
Semarang, Indonesia (WARS)	Denpasar, Indonesia (WADD)	304 nm
Denpasar, Indonesia (WADD)	Kupang, Indonesia (WATT)	511 nm
Kupang, Indonesia (WATT)	Darwin, Australia (YPDN)	445 nm
Darwin, Australia (YPDN)	Katherine Tindal, Australia (YPTN)	153 nm
Katherine Tindal, Australia (YPTN)	Mt Isa, Australia (YBMA)	548 nm
Mt Isa, Australia (YBMA)	Longreach, Australia (YLRE)	314 nm
Longreach, Australia (YLRE)	Maroochydore, Australia (YBMC)	516 nm
Maroochydore, Australia (YBMC)	Lord Howe Island, Australia (YLHI)	431 nm
Lord Howe Island, Australia (YLHI)	Norfolk Island, Australia (YSNF)	484 nm
	TOTALS:	4,533 nm