HNZ wins SAR in Oz
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: bright side of life
Posts: 11
Insider - if you remember way back at the start of this thread.....HNZ’s own press release from Don Wall, President and Chief Executive Officer of HNZ Group said -
“We are very excited to expand our S-92 operations in Broome to include full all-weather search and rescue services.”
So apparently the contracted service is for full all weather search and rescue.
You may have to scroll back some time in the thread as the “very excited” Mr Wall made that statement in May. I wonder how thrilled he is now?
“We are very excited to expand our S-92 operations in Broome to include full all-weather search and rescue services.”
So apparently the contracted service is for full all weather search and rescue.
You may have to scroll back some time in the thread as the “very excited” Mr Wall made that statement in May. I wonder how thrilled he is now?
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Antipodea
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by [email protected]

As I understand it the contract is to provide AWSAR.
As I'm reliably informed by a mate next door, BRS would have had 24/7 AWSAR in place by now. Which was certainly something I was looking forward to having available, given the number of offshore flights we are doing, to effectively the middle of nowhere, cyclone season almost upon us and thousands of workers offshore.
As anyone who has crewed 24/7 AWSAR in the past will know it is 10 times more involved and difficult than LIMSAR, given the requirements for a bunch of gap analysis, risk assessments, CASA manual approvals and CASA exemptions etc. If HNZ are struggling to get day only LIMSAR up and running some 6 months late they will be in for a big shock when they move onto AWSAR, it just ain't easy and nor should it be, compared to offshore flights it has a significantly higher risk profile.
It can take months just to get exemptions trough CASA legal and then parliament, which cant be submitted until all manuals, training material etc is fully CASA approved. I cant see the service being available until the back end of next year, which is a shame. If there is anytime its needed that time is now, as Crab rightly points out we just have to hope that no ditching occurs on one of the later afternoon runs, a man overboard offshore at night or a serious injury on one of the many support vessels without a helideck.
Personally I don't like leaving things to chance.....anyway here's hoping!!

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: north or south
Age: 45
Posts: 463
Those days are long gone....
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: OZ
Posts: 146
Twisty
I wasnt going to comment but you blokes are making me laugh so much i cant get to sleep for my early shift. PHI and HNZ, both in business 60 years incapable of providing sar and BRS the only ones who know what they are doing? and pay extra to get the job done? maybe that's why BRS is losing all its work.
Crab
this a basically a repeat of your last post, are you ok or do you need to the clock test?
I wasnt going to comment but you blokes are making me laugh so much i cant get to sleep for my early shift. PHI and HNZ, both in business 60 years incapable of providing sar and BRS the only ones who know what they are doing? and pay extra to get the job done? maybe that's why BRS is losing all its work.
Crab
this a basically a repeat of your last post, are you ok or do you need to the clock test?
As far as “paying extra to get the job done”.
Surely the client has paid (the “new era” cheap) price to get the job done(SAR and transfers). When HNZ can’t do it (temporarily we would assume), someone is paying (extra) BRS and CHC to do it.
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Wanaka, NZ
Posts: 1,769
Is the Broome operation/contracts unique in having an AWSAR requirement?
Of all the offshore locations I've worked, plus those of pilots who I've trained, not one of those gigs had an AWSAR requirement. Limited night offshore MEDEVAC capability was the maximum extent of any requirement, no SAR, no winching, nothing. Just fly out to the rig/s at night under IFR weather and recover a patient to shore. The offshore workers understood this, that's why they're on the big bucks.
Of all the offshore locations I've worked, plus those of pilots who I've trained, not one of those gigs had an AWSAR requirement. Limited night offshore MEDEVAC capability was the maximum extent of any requirement, no SAR, no winching, nothing. Just fly out to the rig/s at night under IFR weather and recover a patient to shore. The offshore workers understood this, that's why they're on the big bucks.
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Canada
Age: 48
Posts: 215
Originally Posted by [email protected]

As I understand it the contract is to provide AWSAR.
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Canada
Age: 48
Posts: 215
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Australia sometimes
Posts: 89
As anyone who has crewed 24/7 AWSAR in the past will know it is 10 times more involved and difficult than LIMSAR, given the requirements for a bunch of gap analysis, risk assessments, CASA manual approvals and CASA exemptions etc. If HNZ are struggling to get day only LIMSAR up and running some 6 months late they will be in for a big shock when they move onto AWSAR, it just ain't easy and nor should it be, compared to offshore flights it has a significantly higher risk profile.
I sincerely hope that all players keep their focus on what's important & that's staying safe out there!
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Yellow and Black 92
Posts: 103
As I understand it the contract is to provide AWSAR.
Twisty
When HNZ can’t do it (temporarily we would assume), someone is paying (extra) BRS and CHC to do it.
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: llanelli
Posts: 370
Slightly off topic and apologies for that but with this many Aus experts, who is flying the Chevron work in the GAB at the moment? I heard a couple of rumours about that too.
Last edited by nowherespecial; 17th Oct 2017 at 11:25. Reason: I can't spell 'apologies' or 'the' anymore....
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Inside the Industry
Posts: 611
NWS, from Friday's ABC online
So I don't think anyone is or will be flying it.
Major international energy company Chevron has announced it has joined BP in abandoning plans to drill in the Great Australian Bight on South Australia's west coast.
It said while the Bight had massive potential, low oil prices had forced it to concentrate on other projects.
Chevron said the decision to ditch its $400 million plans had nothing to do with government policy, regulatory, community or environmental concerns.
It said while the Bight had massive potential, low oil prices had forced it to concentrate on other projects.
Chevron said the decision to ditch its $400 million plans had nothing to do with government policy, regulatory, community or environmental concerns.
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Nigeria
Age: 52
Posts: 4,320
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Antipodea
Posts: 12
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: EGDC
Posts: 7,092
inpex uses HNZ and BRS as helicopter companies so while BRS covers limsar we are covering more offshore runs which they would be doing. So i don't think it costs extra for BRS to do limsar.

Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Under a tree in the NT
Posts: 60
Originally Posted by [email protected]

so the logical thing to do would be to dump HNZ and use BRS for transfers AND you would get AWSAR as well. 
