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Helicopter emergency services provider Babcock has appointed a general manager from rival CareFlight to become one of its new directors.
Peter Newington will oversee the business’ aviation and critical services portfolio from 1 August, having previously worked at CareFlight overseeing patient transfer and aerial firefighting.
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Newington was also the CEO with Hevilift in Papua New Guinea.
“I am really pleased to be joining the Babcock Australasia team who play a key role in the delivery of emergency medical and search and rescue aviation services and critical asset management across Australia,” said Newington.
Babcock is Australia’s largest provider of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) and operates, crews and maintains a fleet of seven Leonardo AW139 and seven Bell 412 helicopters.
It has eight bases located across Queensland, Victoria and South Australia and works with customers including the Australian Border Force, the State Rescue Helicopter Service in South Australia, Queensland Health and Ambulance Victoria.
In November last year, Australian Aviation reported how two Babcock Australasia aircrew were recognised for rescuing a driver who drove a vehicle into the Murray River.
Senior base pilot Adam Richter and senior base aircrew officer Sam Fielder received the Commissioner’s Community Policing Commendation by the South Australian Police (SAPOL) Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams.
The two aircrew, who were awarded the commendation at a ceremony in Babcock’s hangar at Adelaide Airport, recovered the driver alongside two SAPOL officers amid an operation near Bowhill, South Australia, after a driver’s vehicle went off a cliff and into the river.
Both aircrew provided first aid to the driver before being transported to the South Australian Ambulance Service Special Operations Team Paramedic.
SAPOL officer in charge Special Tasks and Rescue Group (STAR Group) Craig Wall, commended the actions of the two aircrew.
“The Commissioner’s Community Policing Commendation is in recognition of outstanding commitment and professionalism in assisting police, as we saw from Adam and Sam in September,” Officer Wall noted.
“We’re pleased to see the teamwork and high level of aviation ability and initiative which exists between SAPOL and Babcock, particularly when the safety of our community and police officers is at stake.”
Richter explained that both aircrew responded with the lessons they learned throughout their military and emergency response training.
“Sam and I have worked with Babcock Australasia for a combined 23 years and understand the importance of responding quickly and deftly when the safety of others is at risk,” Richter said.
“This incident required the versatility and adaptability of our crew in partnership with SAPOL, working together to manage a quickly evolving situation.”
Richter served in the Australian Army for 20 years as a helicopter pilot, and now works for Babcock to support his community in the helicopter emergency medical services.
Mags
says:I hope Peter knows what he’s in for. The pilots at Babcock are voting on protected industrial action due to the breakdown in negotiations over wages. Nobody wins in a race to the bottom.