CareFlight emergency helicopter missions include:

• treating critically injured people at accident scenes
• transporting patients from accident scenes to the nearest appropriate hospital

CareFlight is Australia’s most experienced helicopter medical emergency service. The CareFlight model of care provides a fully integrated aeromedical crew – a specialist doctor, nurse or paramedic, pilot and aircrewman – working together as a team. This highly trained trauma team flies directly to accident scenes, effectively taking the hospital to the patient.

The NSW CareFlight Rapid Response Helicopter Service is based in the grounds of Westmead Hospital. The service aims to be airborne and on its way to trauma incidents within five minutes of being called. This means that severely injured patients receive hospital level care as quickly as possible. Every minute saved is vital – for some patients the difference between life and death.

The NT CareFlight Rescue Helicopter is a crucial lifeline for the Top End community. Big, fast, and long range, the Agusta Westland 139 is particularly suited for the vast distances and challenging terrain of the Top End. This helicopter can transport multiple patients and medical staff.

The CareFlight Rescue Helicopter is funded by the local community and local business. Click here to learn how you can help keep the helicopter in the air, saving lives.

CareFlight is on 24 hour call to conduct search and rescue operations.

CareFlight has an agreement with the Australian Maritime Authority (AMSA) to provide search and rescue support. AMSA is responsible for resolving any emergency beacon activation in Australia’s region of international rescue responsibility. This region includes land and sea.

CareFlight crews are trained in search and rescue work. Over the years, we have been called on to help locate and/or rescue sailors from stricken yachts, fishermen swept from rocks, ill or injured crew from passing freight ships, missing and crashed light aircraft and lost bushwalkers.

CareFlight uses helicopters or aeroplanes for search and rescue operations, depending on the location. Increasingly, we are called on to conduct search and rescue work at night because of our night vision goggle capability.

CareFlight has many years of experience in caring for and transporting ill and injured babies and children. Our teams are trained to undertake the most complex emergency missions and our aircraft equipped to carry the youngest and most fragile patients.

CareFlight’s Sydney based Rapid Response Helicopter Service flies doctor/paramedic teams to trauma scenes so critically injured children receive specialist care as soon as possible. After on-scene stabilisation, CareFlight transports the children directly to paediatric hospitals.

In the Top End, CareFlight provides a 24 hour aeromedical paediatric service on behalf of the Northern Territory Government. CareFlight doctors and nurses use helicopters and aeroplanes to transport babies and children between medical facilities and from accident scenes. The aircraft are fitted with specialised newborn and paediatric equipment so CareFlight medical teams can provide a hospital level of care for the tiniest patients during flights.

Lighter and more advanced aeromedical equipment is constantly being developed to allow aircraft to flyer further and faster. The better our equipment, the more efficiently we can transport our paediatric patients. Please help CareFlight buy the latest and best so we can save more young lives. Click here to donate.

CareFlight’s fleet of fixed wing aircraft plays a vital role in our long distance emergency and rescue work. Staffed by highly experienced aeromedical teams, our ‘flying hospitals’ are equipped to carry the most critical patients.

We operate B200 King Air turbo-prop aeroplanes in New South Wales and the Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory. With purpose designed communication and navigation systems, these planes are ideally suited for CareFlight’s long range flights across remote areas. They are fitted with wide cargo doors, loading systems, stretcher bases, oxygen and specialised medical equipment. The aircraft can carry two adult stretcher patients and two sitting patients, as well as the aeromedical crew.

A CareFlight plane in the sky is a welcome sight to people suffering life-threatening injuries or illness in isolated regions of the Top End. It signals the arrival of life-saving help and the fastest possible means of getting safely to hospital.

In New South Wales, CareFlight operates three dedicated air ambulances from bases at Bankstown in Sydney and Newcastle Airport to transport patients needing specialist care in regional areas to and from major hospitals in Sydney and Newcastle. The aircraft are also equipped to carry critical patients.

We use medically configured jets for emergency patient transfers from overseas and interstate. Provided by CareFlight International Air Ambulance, medi-jets can be airborne within two hours of tasking.

Community support means CareFlight can continue to develop and enhance this service so our patients receive the very best care. Please help us make our top-class service even better.