A CareFlight helicopter lands in Belrose after a teenager is badly hurt in a mountain bike fall. It lands again in Dee Why, where an infant is having a suspected allergic reaction. Weeks later it returns to Belrose for another mountain bike injury, and then goes to Forestville, where a woman is trapped under a vehicle.
All of these happened on the Northern Beaches in 2026. By July, the rescue helicopter had been tasked to incidents in the area more than 20 times.
For 40 years CareFlight has been sending doctors and paramedics to give critical care at the scene, and demand is still rising. (Ed’s note: We are often asked if there are more flights than there used to be, every second day we are asked why there is a helicopter above!) And the short answer is, yes. The helicopters can be police (Pol-air), NSW Ambulance (Toll), or private, though often they are an emergency response from CareFlight. Â And yes, flights are more common.
CareFlight’s National Medical Director, Dr Toby Fogg, puts this down to population growth. Better outcomes also play a part, because the service brings the hospital to the patient instead of the other way round. Increasingly it just makes better sense to fly the experts direct to the patient.
It is a demanding logistical operation and an expensive one, at an estimated $10,000 per mission. When the difference is life or death, most would agree that the cost is justified.
Dr Fogg said CareFlight helps nearly 10,000 Australians every year, giving them access to the best level of healthcare and the greatest chance of recovery.
“Our dedicated crews embody our core mission and continue to innovate and save lives every day,” he said.
“From pioneering helicopter emergency medical services to embracing advances in aviation and clinical care, we’ve continued to evolve to meet the growing needs of patients and communities.”
The Mounties Care CareFlight Rapid Response Helicopter is based at Westmead. It typically covers the Sydney basin, though NSW Ambulance can send it further afield when needed. (NSW Ambulance decides whether CareFlight is sent to an incident.)
“When an incident occurs, NSW Ambulance assesses the situation and determines if CareFlight will be tasked. If required to respond, our crew can be on the way to a major trauma incident within three minutes of tasking,” a CareFlight spokesperson explained.
“Today, our Rapid Response service remains the fastest launching emergency helicopter in Australia, bringing critical care directly to the patient.”
Dr Fogg said the Rapid Response service is funded by the NSW Government, naming rights sponsor Mounties Care, grants, and donations from community and corporate partners. That support means patients are not charged.
The back storyÂ
CareFlight was incorporated as a public company in May 1986 by a group of Australian medical professionals, pilots, and aircrew: Ian Badham, John Hoad, Richard Mailey, Jeni Saunders, Fran Smith, Peter Maccormick, Â Des Boker, Wayne Vardenaga and the late Dr Luis Gallur.
Careflight’s first operational mission departed Westmead of July 15, 1986.
Founding member and retired CareFlight pilot John Hoad said the service changed the way helicopter rescue worked in Australia.
“When CareFlight was established, helicopter rescue was largely focused on flying patients to hospital. CareFlight pioneered the approach of ‘flying the hospital to the patient’, focused on rushing critical care treatment to patients for initial stabilisation before transporting them to hospital,” he said.
Manly was the scene of one of the first high-profile rescue operations undertaken in the first 18 months of the service, with a fisherman rescued from the rocks at Blue Fish Point at night time. Those involved in the rescue were commended for their bravery.
“Over the past four decades it’s been incredible to see our original vision not only continue to save lives but be built on to expand the reach of CareFlight and the number of Australians impacted.”
CareFlight now operates helicopters, turboprop planes, jets and road vehicles. Its doctors, nurses, pilots and air crew officers are supported by in-house engineers and 24/7 logistics hubs. It works across NSW and the Northern Territory, nationally, and internationally across the Asia Pacific.
