Chair
REA WIKAIRA JP Dip BMS is presently chair of the Air Rescue Air Ambulance division and an independent consultant with extensive knowledge in the management and operation of EMS services. With a background in hospital management, rescue services in both Australia and New Zealand and as the immediate past CEO of Auckland’s Air Rescue Trust, he has gained experience in senior management roles within Waikato and Middlemore hospital and diverse management consulting roles. He is a trustee of Auckland University Rheumatic Fever Research Trust and Bone Marrow Register Trust, a member of the Auckland University Medical Science Advisory Council and Spectrum Care Trust. Rea, for three years, held the role of assistant managing director of the Tertiary Institutes Development, Te Wananga o Aotearoa.
Committee members
TOBY CLARK has been actively involved in the aviation industry for over 30 years, with 1,100hrs fixed wing experience, including twin IFR and approx 15,000 hrs helicopter time. His experience includes 10 years as Wellington base manager for Airwork NZ Ltd and chief pilot for the Life Flight Trust Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, during which time the first twin-engine BK117 was introduced to the NZ Air Ambulance role, (replacing the single-engine Squirrel). A Twin Metroliner aircraft was also incorporated into air ambulance tasks for the Life Flight Trust. In 1998 he transferred to Auckland to manage the Helilink facility at Mechanics Bay, which included the day-to-day pilot operational requirements for the Auckland-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter and the NZ Police (Eagle) helicopter operation. From 2001 to 2008 Toby owned and operated a successful family-run corporate, 135-certified helicopter operation based in Taupo. Toby is currently Taupo base manager and senior company pilot for HELiPRO, New Zealand’s largest domestic helicopter operator, with some 33 helicopters NZ-wide. He is also deputy Chair of the transitional committee establishing the New Zealand Helicopter Association.
PAUL CHIVERS is the director of special projects for Aerosafe and has over ten years experience in developing, implementing and introducing risk management frameworks, programmes and systems to organisations around the world. He is considered a risk expert in the field of EMS operations and has had both practical and theoretical application of risk practice worldwide and was instrumental in the cultural change of risk practice in the North American and Australia EMS industry at an operational, executive and board level.
DR CRAIG ELLIS is a specialist emergency physician at Hawke’s Bay Hospital and the regional medical advisor for St John, central region. He trained in Wellington and Perth, Western Australia and has worked as a specialist in Western Australia, Queensland and New Zealand. His interests include pre-hospital care and retrieval, allergies and resuscitation. He is currently undertaking a PhD at the West Australian Institute for Medical Research.
JOHN FUNNELL is the chief pilot and operations manager for the Philips Search and Rescue Trust and managing director of Helicopter Services BOP Ltd. John has operated commercial helicopter companies for more than 25 years and has 35 years experience as a fixed wing and helicopter pilot. In 1983 John was awarded an MBE for recognition of his contribution to search and rescue in New Zealand and the New Zealand bravery medal in 1999 for the recovery of a NZ meteorological service employee from Campbell Island in 1992. He had previously held the position of chair of the helicopter division and president of AIA.
JASON GRAY is the CEO of Air National Group based at Auckland airport. He holds a number of aviation qualifications and also has a strong background in aviation logistics, finance, sales and marketing. He trained in Melbourne and Auckland and has, outside of Air National, held positions with two other major airlines as well as sales roles in the electrical industry. His interests include music, jet skiing and aviation.
RICHARD HAYES is owner/operator of Southern Lakes Helicopters Ltd, Te Anau, and founding director/CEO of Heliworks, Queenstown. 30 years-plus flying rotor wing aircraft, first becoming involved in the industry during the pioneering days of venison recovery from within the Fiordland National Park, Richard specialises in long-line and heavy lift operations and is particularly interested in SAR/Medivac operations. Mountainous and weather-restricted Fiordland tends to have its fare share of SAR operations throughout each year and it is in this area and surrounds that has allowed him to gain in excess of 27,000hrs of helicopter flight time. He also involves himself in offering southern ocean emergency air support to the offshore fishing industry and to supporting the Sub-antarctic Island infrastructure of the Auckland and Campbell Islands over many years. He also has carried out flying operations in Antarctica, supporting Italian operations for a season. He, (along with Graeme Gale of Otago Helicopters), was the forerunner of introducing civilian night vision goggles (NVG) operations to the industry.
KARYN HATHAWAY is an associate charge nurse manager in the intensive care unit and an intensive care flight nurse in the fight retrieval service at Wellington Hospital. She has worked as a flight nurse for more than eight years and is the vice chair on the New Zealand Flight Nurses Association (NZFNA). Karyn has been actively involved in the development of clinical audit and education for flight nurses within the Wellington service and coordinates the national flight nurses course for NZFNA. She is in the final year of study towards a masters degree in health science (endorsed in aeromedical retrieval and transport) through the University of Otago.
BARRIE MALLOCH MRAeS is managing director of ATCA (NZ) Limited, a multidisciplinary consulting company actively involved in the EMS industry. Barry has over 20 years air traffic management experience in both civilian and military airspace operations. He holds a CPL (1978) and multi-engine instrument rating and his flying covers charter operations, glider towing and recreational. Barrie is completing a masters of aviation management and a diploma of tertiary teaching. He is an industry elected representative on ACAG, the key industry advisory committee on rule making issues in New Zealand.
LLOYD MATHESON is an ex-police sergeant of 34 years service, 25 of those years based at Te Anau and has a vast experience in both land and marine SAR. A recipient of the QSM for services to SAR in 1986, he initially became involved with Southern Lakes Helicopters as a volunteer winch operator for Richard Hayes whilst still serving in the police and then as the company grew, was employed by Richard Hayes as his operations manager/winch crew person after taking an early retirement option from the police seven years ago. Involved now in aviation compliance work for the company and day-to-day ground operations, Lloyd is a trustee of the Southern Regional Lions Air Ambulance Trust and a committee member of the Fiordland St John’s Volunteer Ambulance Service.
IAN MCLEOD has spent over 40 years in the aviation industry. His flying career has included experience in both military (Royal Navy and RNZAF) and commercial roles. This has involved anti-submarine flying, agricultural spraying, aerial photography, charter, load lifting, search and rescue in a wide variety of situations, and pilot training – both ab-initio and role training. He was later employed in flight operations with Air New Zealand, supplying route information to flight crews. While at Air New Zealand he attended an International Certifications Limited (JAS-ANZ accredited) safety audit and lead auditor course, and qualified as a lead auditor. He has now filled the role of auditor for AIA for nine years.
DR SHAWN STURLAND FANZCA, FJFICM, resides in Wellington and is vocationally registered in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine. He is a fulltime specialist in the intensive care unit at the new Wellington Regional Hospital and is newly elected this year to the JFICM (NZ) council. Shawn has been actively involved in aeromedical retrieval for the last 15 years throughout Australasia in both military and civilian systems and is, at present, the medical director for LifeFlight Wellington. This year he completed his masters in aviation medicine through Otago University. In his spare time he is a pilot and sport plane homebuilder.
KIMBERLEY TURNER is the chief executive officer of Aerosafe Risk Management, a global aviation risk management company founded in Australia with offices and staff in Sydney, Canberra, Wellington, Shanghai, Mumbai and Washington DC. Among aspects of a very diverse risk management practice Kimberley is heavily involved in setting standards for the air ambulance industry in Australia, Canada and the United States, through her role as founder of the aviation safety network programme. She has worked with air ambulance companies, rotary and fixed wing, around the world and presented at the Air Med Conference in Prague 2008, Air Medical Transport Conference in the USA 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, the International Helicopter Safety Team in Montreal 2005, 2007 at the regional IHST meetings in India and in Australia. At present Kimberley is heading a team that is conducting a national review of the HEMS industry in the United States, the results have been presented and shared with the NTSB, FAA, Flight Safety Foundation and over 25 industry association groups in the country.
BRIAN WHELAN has over 20 years experience, as a pilot, a manager and as a consultant., working across many sections of the industry. He has participated in a number of reviews across the sectors of the aviation industry; from defining strategic objectives, investments and negotiations, to development of tactics and execution steps of an action plan. Brian has specific industry content knowledge which helps him working with different cultures, people and organisations; from New Zealand through to the Middle East and Asia. Recently, he has completed a New Zealand rotary investigation, for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, including global trends in rotary flight training, domestic capability analysis; business model assessment and strategic fit with export opportunities. Brian holds an MBA and is presently chair of the Aviation Community Advisory Group (ACAG) which provided advice to the CAA on all rule matters within the civil aviation environment in New Zealand.
Biographies pending
SARAH ALDINGTON
DENIS LAIRD
PETER TURNBULL
