14 June 2012
Prime Minister John Key launched Life Flight Trust’s new air
ambulance in Wellington today.
Mr Key said he was delighted to unveil the new plane as Life
Flight was a worthwhile service, which helped to save lives. Life Flight Chair Bill Day says, “The Trust was the first
organisation to provide air ambulance services in New Zealand and has done so
since 1987. We needed to upgrade to this plane because maintaining our old
Metroliner had become more challenging and expensive as it aged. “We have today moved to a J32 Jetstream which enables us to
continue providing the highest standards of patient care in the air at lower
costs.” Life Flight flies an average of four emergency missions
every day throughout New Zealand. The service operates with doctors and
specialist medical teams from Wellington Hospital who provide some of the best
medical services in the country. Last year Life Flight flew 1387 missions. “The Trust can only do this with the support of the
community and we need to raise $2,500 for every mission flown. Our supporters
are very generous,” Mr Day said. “This plane will save lives, of that there
cannot be any doubt. We are very proud of our pilots, staff and medical teams
who do such an outstanding job.” A quarter of the Trust’s flights are for babies and
children. Whether for children or adults, the flights are often the difference
between life and death.
There are excellent photos of the Jetstream air ambulance (especially good for those wanting to do a flight sim paint job) at http://www.lifeflight.org.nz/planelaunch.php
A couple of questions I have...
"We needed to upgrade to this plane because maintaining our old Metroliner had become more challenging and expensive as it aged" - Is the J32 going to be any better???
How do they get the stretcher in the door of the J32??? A Metro or 1900 would be far easier
Those Jetstreams are a pile of junk. It's more than appropriate that it is covered in a bandage.
ReplyDeleteReplacinhg cheap old junk with cheap slightly newer junk?
ReplyDeleteI know that lifeflight do a lot of trips out to the Chatham Islands, I live here. i am unsure on the j32s range, but will it make a return trip? The j32s are awful planes. Air National operate them on behalf of Eagle sometimes. Cramped and noisy, horrible flights. I cant help feeling that lifeflight shouldove got a 1900 or just kept the metro!!
ReplyDeleteNot without good reason is the Sodastream known as two engine failures connected with an electrical fault.
ReplyDeleteThis j32 only has about 5000 hrs total time, it's practically brand new. Same fuel efficient Garett's as the metro. The running costs of a 1900 are far to high for an air ambulance. The metroliner is a good plane, but nzlft was out on maintenance more often than it was in the air, with no local engineering support. A 4 ft 11 cabin is no good in this day and age for an air ambulance. The j32 has much more useable space for patients and medical equipment. No brainier really.
ReplyDeleteLifeflight do not go to the Chathams. Hawkes bay's King airs service the islands on behalf of the Hawkes bay DHB and have done for ages. Get your facts right.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you Hawkes Bay guys fly those King Airs so bloody slow? Having to fly min clean because you are flying 170 on the star is mind numbing.
ReplyDeleteFYI Steve , it's actually easier to load stretchers into a jetstream than a metro. They can also take bariatric patients whereas the metroliners lifting system can't cope with anything over 150 kg . The jetstreams can handle 250 kgs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments on the why the J32 was chosen. They fill in a few gaps.
ReplyDeleteFunny seeing how ignorant some are as to the choice of the J32 - Airwork were not providing a level of service that LifeFlight were happy with so it was unsurprising that LifeFlight chose Vincent when their contract came to an end.
ReplyDelete1900s are/were never an option as an air ambulance as the running costs are astronomical compared to a J32 or Metro. The claim that J32s are noisy and cramped inside is not really valid as they are no worse (in fact probably better) than a Metro.
After much evaluation by Vincent they chose to offer the J32, it is a more modern aircraft than the Metro with a cabin better suited to air ambulance ops and as mentioned earlier ZK-LFW is effectively brand new.
I'd say ambulance work is probably the only feasible role these things could comfortably fill in New Zealand. For RPT work, they're not exactly user friendly and the performance is laughable.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the performance laughable ?
ReplyDeleteA small comment if I may, the Lifeflight Metro ZK-LFT has flown trips to the Chatham Islands over the years, the last one noted was on 14 March this year, just two weeks before its flying for Lifeflight ceased.
ReplyDelete