The Beechcraft King Air turboprop fleet operated by the NZ Flying Doctor Service is a vital part of New Zealand’s medical infrastructure, quietly getting on with providing a critical link for people in the regions.
Words Cameron Officer Photos Matt Hayes and Stu Drake
The NZ Flying Doctor Service provides a literal lifeline for the provinces. Where the familiar rescue helicopters that make the TV news are the ‘roadside response’ units in an emergency situation, it’s the fixed wing aircraft and their highly trained flying and medical crews that effectively become ICUs’ in the air.
“The majority of patients onboard NZ Flying Doctor Service aircraft are transferring from one hospital to another,” explains GCH Aviation CEO, Daniel Currie. “They have been stabilised to the point they can be transferred to where they need to go to recover. That’s where we come in.”
The service – which is a Trust operated as a division of GCH Aviation, headquartered within a purpose-built base at Christchurch Airport – sees a broad scope of passengers onboard every day, with most destined for specialised care.
On average the team completes three to four missions per day, lasting anywhere between three to six hours each. Around 1500 missions per year are undertaken by the services’ fixed wing fleet. Daniel says the job entails about 40% actual flying, with pilots also involved in assisting medical staff with the loading and unloading of patients, and helping to keep the situation calm in what can oftentimes be a tense working environment.
Aircrew have been involved in transferring patients in the aftermath of major calamitous events, such as the Pike River Mine disaster and the Whakaari White Island eruption. The Cave Creek platform collapse on the West Coast in 1994 was the first galvanising tragedy which the then-new service responded to.
But day-to-day, patients requiring medical procedures that aren’t offered by regional hospitals – specialised cancer treatments, hip replacements, burns unit care, premature infants and their families – all rely upon the service for positive health outcomes as well. Trips to the West Coast are almost a daily occurrence for the Christchurch based crew, which also operates a satellite base in Nelson, covering the Tasman, Marlborough, and Wellington regions.
“Without the NZ Flying Doctor Service, communities like those on the West Coast for example could effectively be closed-off from receiving rapid or specialised medical care,” Daniel continues. “Patient care is paramount. We provide a true bed-to-bed service and we’ve developed systems and processes that help ensure patient stability and comfort for the entire journey.”
He points to the proprietary carbon fibre stretcher system that the NZ Flying Doctor Service developed in-house as an example of this. The stretcher system means the patient is transferred from bed to stretcher just once at the point of departure and again at the destination facility. Older systems involved transferring the patient onto and off the aircraft as well, adding further complexity and risk while connected to vital monitoring equipment.
With the NZ Flying Doctor Service providing rapid, consistent, and comfortable transit to patients all over the country, the hardware the organisation chooses to utilise for the task needs to be thoroughly fit-for-purpose as well.
On this point, NZ Flying Doctor Service Chief Pilot, Arthur Ruddenklau, is effusive: the Beechcraft King Air turboprop is absolutely the right tool for the job.
“They just do absolutely everything really well. They’re great versatile performers, offer a pressurised and climate controlled cabinfor the critical care of patients , and have an excellent reputation for reliability too. It’s really no wonder King Air turboprops are utilised as air ambulances, special mission and VIP aircraft all over the world.Arthur says the King Airs (the NZ Flying Doctor Service operates two, with a third soon to join the fleet from the US aircraft manufacturer Textron Aviation)can be configured to suit any situation. Two patients on stretchers with supporting medical staff can be accommodated, or conversely the cabin can be modified to offer full seating, with the necessary reconfiguration process taking only 20 minutes. The aircraft also allows for modern medical devices from major aeromedical suppliers to be integrated and utilized onboard.
According to the manufacturer, the new Beechcraft King Air 260 series aircraft has a top speed of 310 ktas (574 km/h) and a range of 1720 nm (3,185 km) – making it a fast aircraft to reach any location in New Zealand.
Two of the NZ Flying Doctor Service King Airs feature ‘door-within-door’ cargo door apertures, which means larger items such as pallets can be easily loaded when undertaking disaster relief operations, such as was seen during Cyclone Gabrielle early this year.
“You have to spec your aircraft to suit conditions at the most remote airfield and then work up from there,” explains Arthur. “Our Beechcraft King Air fleet works incredibly well in New Zealand’s geography, especially where the Southern Alps are concerned. They offer great climbing performance and, at the other end, a strong undercarriage and robust landing gear that suits the different airfields we’re routinely running between. The aircraft has a take-off and landing distance and climb rate unlike other aircraft in a similar class.
“This service offers a lifeline for patients all over the country,” he concludes. “No two missions are the same for us, but the reliability and consistent performance of the King Air turboprops means we can provide a rapid and comfortable transfer for patients. When lives are in the balance, we need a dependable aircraft that both us and the people we serve, can trust and depend on.”
