Ricksheli. Thanks for that. No one could argue that they are not perfectly reasonable answers. But, isn't the point that at the present point in time the department deems the Taranaki Base Hospital pad to be a Cat A, Performance Class 1 pad and really everything else is irrelevant?
What work have the local operators done with the department to convince them that there is a safe approach/departure path for singles?
In regard to a flight nurse signing off the 13A exemption! I would be interested to see what the insurance companies of the aircraft owner and the DHB would say. It is clearly outside the intent of the rule and the exemption.
For example! Last year the Palmerston North rescue squirrel brought a man into Wellington Hospital who had an angle grinder embedded in this forehead. That certainly met the intent of of the exemption. It is highly dubious that many of the accident cases and certainly most of the inter-hospital transfer cases come anywhere near meeting the intent of the exemption.
If the comment of Mr Wickham from the Phillips Trust typifies the attitude the rescue trusts, then the public should be concerned about how their money is being spent and the level of service they are being provided. It is my understanding that the Director's letter IS the response to their request for exemption.
The Square Trust rescue helicopter is "flying in the face" of air safety rules that ban single-engine craft from helipads in congested areas, and could be grounded within weeks.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has told operators and district health boards that from the end of August it will enforce rules governing the ability of helicopters to make emergency landings in populated areas in the case of engine failure.
The Square Trust rescue helicopter is based at Palmerston North Hospital.
In the case of any breaches brought to the CAA's attention after that date, 10 days' grace would be granted to comply with the regulations before the authority ordered operators to stop flying, said director Steve Douglas.
The Central Regions Emergency Services Trust (CREST), which uses Helipro's BK 117 twin-engine helicopters, has offered to come to the rescue of the service.
But the Philips Search and Rescue Trust, which manages the Square Trust's operations, said it is not breaking the rules.
Chief executive David Wickham said the safety rules were more complex than a single-versus-twin engine debate, and the trust was operating professionally and responsibly.
Helipro pilot Rick Lucas said the rules were clear. He said there was no doubt the approaches to the Palmerston North Hospital helipad meant flying over a congested area.
"An engine failure would have absolutely catastrophic consequences, yet they are still flying."
Mr Wickham said the prospect of having to invest in twin-engine helicopters was far from inevitable.
"The wheels aren't going to fall off the service in Palmerston North, with or without CREST."
Compliance with safety rules had to be professionally assessed, flight by flight, depending on variables such as the weight of the load, wind conditions, and whether there was medical advice that it was a life-and-death situation for the patient on board, Mr Wickham said.
"The degree to which you expose people on the ground to risk has to be considered against the danger to the person on board if you don't make the landing."
He said the Civil Aviation Authority had spelt out its time line for enforcing the rules, but it was still unclear whether changes would have to be made to comply with those rules.
Just in case, the trust had applied for an exemption, "what we thought was the best, most robust case", but hadn't had a formal response. In the meantime, it had lined up options for sourcing twin-engine helicopters.
Mr Wickham said twin-engine helicopters cost twice as much to run but were not twice as safe.
"But we can't crystallise any of that until we know more."
MidCentral Health group manager for support services Jeff Small said he couldn't comment at present on whether the single-engine helicopter service could continue to operate.
Talks with the Philips Trust, which holds a contract to provide air transport services until the middle of next year, were continuing.