Issue/Background

When a kayaker radioed for help when off the coast of Fiordland, Te Anau rescue pilot Richard Hayes from Southern Lakes Helicopters flew into the storm to try and find him.

But flying at night with the aid of NVG in storm conditions, he felt frustrated and helpless at not having any realistic means of accurately combing the search area, knowing a man was drowning, but not able to find him.

Solution

When Richard saw the first demo release version of the TracMap SAR system at the NZ Aviaition Industry Association annual conference in July 2011, he immediately recognised the potential for circumstances such as described above.

Southern Lakes Helicopters also often find themselves flying back and forward over bush covered hillsides, looking down through the canopy looking  for overdue trampers and hunters.

To quote Richard "I am impressed with the potential of the TracMap system. It would greatly simplify my job as a pilot when carrying out searches in difficult environments, and result in more effective search outcomes.

Outcome

Like a number of other aircraft operators who regularly fly Search and Rescue, Southern Lakes Helicopters, in conjunction with the Lakes District Rescue Trust, have been waiting on release 2 of the TracMap SAR system, and confirmation that it is working as expected. Now that release 2 of the system is available, they are in the process of placing an order for a unit.