Alouette: My understanding is that NZ CAA has no issue with singles being used for rescue or inter-hospital transfer work. There are a number of squirrels and a Koala being used for both. What they do have an issue with is this particular pad. Wellington Hospital is in a built up area. It is surrounded on three sides by houses or businesses and the remaining side by rising ground covered in pine trees which has houses on the other side of it. The wind is usually northerly or southerly. Approach and departure for both of these winds is over densely populated or built up streets.
The rules for operating in and out of such pads have remained the same for some time. CAA believes the life or death element of the rules is being exploited by some just because they operate rescue helicopters.
SAS: For once I have some sympathy for our CAA!!! There are have been queries raised with the departmnet about use of this pad and the Director of CAA has said the rules must be obeyed.
There have been 3 or 4 incidents with rescue helicopters in NZ. As well as the BK crash up on the Rimutaka Ranges, there was a BO-105 in Wellington which had a rotor strike leaving a park (or some such) where it had been on static. A squirrel fell into Whangarei Harbour after the line it had on the hook got caught on a fence as it left a park as part on a training exercise.