Northland Coastguard Air Patrol
Community Organisation
Community Organisation
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Northland Coastguard Air Patrol is seeking volunteers to take the opportunity to join a friendly and efficient team doing a vital job within the national Coastguard network. If you are fit, interested, and community-spirited then Coastguard could have a place for you.
Come along to see what the … View moreNorthland Coastguard Air Patrol is seeking volunteers to take the opportunity to join a friendly and efficient team doing a vital job within the national Coastguard network. If you are fit, interested, and community-spirited then Coastguard could have a place for you.
Come along to see what the Unit is about at an Open Day from 10am on the 16th of December, adjacent to the Air New Zealand terminal at Kerikeri Airport.
Currently there are positions within the Air Patrol for pilots*, observers, radio operators and support staff. There is an immediate need for the roles of treasurer, and admin staff, so if your skills match up, then please contact the Unit using the details following.
The Unit meets for training on the first and third Sunday morning of each month at Kerikeri Airport.
Come and have a look and a chat:
Northland Coastguard Air Patrol
e: northcapair@gmail.com
m: 027 285 3382
* pilot roles require special criteria. Please contact Northland Coastguard Air Patrol to see if you meet the requirements.
Northland Coastguard Air Patrol were airborne on a routine training exercise on Sunday morning, 18th March, when they were asked to fly to a position South East of Tutakaka. A yacht with two elderly persons on board, one man aged 77 and his 70 year old wife had sent out a Mayday distress call … View moreNorthland Coastguard Air Patrol were airborne on a routine training exercise on Sunday morning, 18th March, when they were asked to fly to a position South East of Tutakaka. A yacht with two elderly persons on board, one man aged 77 and his 70 year old wife had sent out a Mayday distress call asking to be taken off their stricken vessel as they were exhausted after spending the night at sea with system failures on board, principally loss of steering and some power to navigation equipment.
They had transmitted a position around 4 hours earlier, some 12 nm. S.E. of Tutakaka, but no further communication had been received, and Coastguard Northern Region requested that we positively identify the vessel and give an updated position to assist a rescue helicopter, the weather and sea state being deemed to dangerous for any Coastguard vessel to assist at that time.
NorthCAP flew to the given position but could see no vessel although they did establish communication on the Ch 16 distress frequency, so started an expanding square search to visually locate the vessel. Eventually a helicopter also located the vessel some considerable distance from the original position, and NorthCAP commenced a return to base, but then the helicopter had to return to Whangarei to refuel, and asked NorthCAP to return to the scene until it could return.
NorthCAP circled the vessel for nearly two hours, until the helicopter returned and that crew then decided that the conditions were too dangerous to try to attempt a rescue.
It was ascertained that the vessel was making way towards the Poor Nights Islands, and it was suggested that the crew on board attempt to make a landfall to the lee of the islands and possibly anchor until morning when it was hoped that they could be rescued.
The 4 NorthCAP aircrew were airborne that afternoon for nearly 4 hours in appalling weather.
A report next day in the local Press indicates that the vessel foundered overnight but that the occupants were able to get ashore and wait on a nearby rock until they were lifted off by the helicopter crew at around 05.30 on Monday morning, and that the vessel is damaged beyond reasonable repair.
This mornings Press details the sad loss of a diver near Cape Reinga on Friday morning, and mentioned that searching took place at first light that day. Northland Coastguard Air Patrol were alerted on Thursday evening and volunteers attended their base at Kerikeri Airport just before 6.00 am, … View moreThis mornings Press details the sad loss of a diver near Cape Reinga on Friday morning, and mentioned that searching took place at first light that day. Northland Coastguard Air Patrol were alerted on Thursday evening and volunteers attended their base at Kerikeri Airport just before 6.00 am, the aircraft then being airborne en route to Cape Reinga just after 6.30 am.
The aircraft was requested to search the shoreline from the Eastern end of Spirits Bay around Cape Reinga and down the West coast as far as Twiight Bay. After some 3 1/2 hours low level searching, the air crew landed at Kaitaia to refuel, and after leaving Kaitati to then search outwards from the shore, they were advised that the diver had been found by a landbased patrol, sadly deceased, and so then returned to Kerikeri.
Members of the Northland Coastguard Air Patrol, based at Bay of Islands Airport, Kerikeri, conducted an air/sea exercise with the Whangaroa Coastguard Unit on Sunday morning. Having been given an area of probability, the aircraft flew a creeping line ahead type search pattern, i.e. up and down … View moreMembers of the Northland Coastguard Air Patrol, based at Bay of Islands Airport, Kerikeri, conducted an air/sea exercise with the Whangaroa Coastguard Unit on Sunday morning. Having been given an area of probability, the aircraft flew a creeping line ahead type search pattern, i.e. up and down parallel lines on a North and South heading, 1/4 km. apart, whilst slowly working towards the West, and successfully located a small training "target" previously dropped in the ocean off Stephenson Island, and then locating and directing the Whangaroa Coastguard Rescue vessel back to the spot to "rescue" the target. This is the core business of the Air Patrol, being able to cover a large area of the ocean when the exact location of a missing vessel, or one in distress ,is unknown.
Recreational sailors are encouraged to join Coastguard New Zealand, and are then offered a free service in the form of a monitored Trip Report, e.g. radio to Coastguard your departure point, destination, total persons on board, and estimated time of return, so that if you don't call back and advise of your safe return on schedule, search and rescue organisations can start to look for you much more quickly than if your friends and relatives "eventually" realise that you have not returned.
Never say never, Murphy is always with us ! Safety is no accident.
If you feel that you can help this cause, contact the Air Patrol, volunteers are always welcomed.
8 members of the Northland Coastguard Air Patrol wiil attend a 2 day course to be held at Ardmore airfield, South of Auckland during the first week of October. This is not only part of the official qualification standard required by the national Coastguard organisation for their own operations, … View more8 members of the Northland Coastguard Air Patrol wiil attend a 2 day course to be held at Ardmore airfield, South of Auckland during the first week of October. This is not only part of the official qualification standard required by the national Coastguard organisation for their own operations, but also qualify them to join a Police aircraft fixed wing or helicopter, should one be sent to Kerikeri at short notice and possibly without a full complement of Police staff, should they be required.
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