Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust

The Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust is a registered charity. It runs the Wallace Foundation Rescue Helicopter Service across the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The trust was established in 1984 to provide a dedicated rescue helicopter service.

The crew responds to nearly 400 missions each year. More than 80 percent involve urgent medical help at accident scenes or the transfer of critically ill patients between hospitals. The helicopter also supports Police operations, national search and rescue missions, training exercises, and public demonstrations.

The service area runs from the Takapau Plains and Porangahau in the south to Waikaremoana and the Mahia Peninsula in the northeast. The service operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is provided free of charge to everyone in the community.

The trust relies on donations, sponsorship, and fundraising. It must raise about 1.4 million dollars each year to keep the helicopter flying and the crew ready to respond. Health New Zealand and the Accident Compensation Corporation jointly funded the new helicopter.

In mid 2026 the service introduced an Airbus H145 helicopter. Its larger cabin gives critical care paramedics more room to treat patients in the air. The aircraft has instrument flight rules capability, a Helionix avionics suite, tail and rear cameras, and onboard weather radar.

The crew also uses a rapid response vehicle, so critical care paramedics can reach local emergencies by road. Search and rescue missions use GPS, thermal imaging, and night vision technology.

The service began in the 1960s, when local agricultural helicopters helped with patient transport. The trust moved to a twin engine BK117 in 2009 and to a newer BK117 D2 in 2018. Its values are professionalism, safety, teamwork, and inclusiveness.

Services

• Emergency response
• Search and rescue
• Inter-hospital transfers
• Rapid Response Vehicle
• Police support
• Public demonstrations
• Community fundraising
• Volunteer roles