Life Flight

How long have you worked for Life Flight?

I have been flying the Wellington Rescue Helicopter since November 2019.

What work did you do before coming to Life Flight?

Before moving to New Zealand, I was flying an Air Ambulance helicopter in Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to that, I had worked in anti-poaching, mining support, survey and instruction.

What attracted you to this job?

Wellington is a great place to raise our 3-year-old twin boys, so we jumped at the opportunity to move the family here.

What is the best part of the job?

The diversity. One day we could fly a person from one hospital to another, and the next job could be a marine rescue.

What is the hardest part of your job?

Making the tough decision not to fly. When someone needs our help, we want to get out there and do everything we can to help, but the Wellington weather doesn’t always play along, so I have to make some tough calls and keep my crew safe.

What was the main thing that stood out for you when you started working here?

The community support. It’s great to see how many people come to the open days, and how we are treated when we respond to ambulance calls. That, and the wind.

What do you do when you’re not at work?

My kids keep me fairly occupied over weekends, but during the week, when I’m not working, I play the odd game of golf, and I do some amateur blacksmithing, making kitchen knives mostly.

Thank you so much for your support. Without the communities’ ongoing support, the service would not be able to operate at the level it does.