Child Flight aircraft

The Child Flight helicopter

One of the key vehicles used by NETS teams is the Child Flight helicopter, a BK117. The Child Flight aircraft is specially configured for interhospital retrieval (which accounts for 90% of medical helicopter work, the other 10% is "rescue"). Over 400 neonatal and pædiatric interhospital retrievals are performed each year using helicopters in NSW. The aircraft features two-pilot IFR, CRM, long range operation and capacity for up to two infant transport systems (of 120 kg each) and 3 or 4 NETS clinical team members.
	The Child Flight helicopter has landed. The mobile life support system is being unloaded for use in a local hospital where a sick baby awaits the team's specialist treatment. NETS teams transport newborns to any one of 10 NICUs (neonatal ICUs) or 2 PICUs (pædiatric ICUs) in New South Wales or the Australian Capital Territory.
The Child Flight organisation has been instrumental in the establishment of hospital helipads throughout New South Wales. One recently completed hospital helipad at the Prince of Wales Hospital / Sydney Children's Hospital provides direct trolley access to key areas of those hospitals. In this way, critically ill patients arriving by helicopter can be delivered to the intensive care, imaging or operating theatres without the need to use lifts or vehicles.

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