Trusted, innovative and proudly Australian, Babcock Australasia is continuing its growth as a defence, aviation and critical services company, providing agile, reliable, and responsive end-to-end solutions for customers throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Employing more than 1,300 talented people across the region, Babcock’s domestic capability is growing in the aviation and critical services sector, whilst drawing on a global pedigree that has worked in partnership with customers for more than a century.
Babcock Australasia’s Managing Director – Aviation & Critical Services, Darren Moncrieff, said Babcock is a world leader in engineering and operational support to the emergency services sector.
“We believe in working in collaborative long-term partnerships with customers to deliver cost effective management and sustainment of complex and critical assets, designing and delivering bespoke training solutions, and providing emergency and mission critical aviation services,” Mr Moncrieff said.
“Our team has maintained operations and remained committed to service delivery throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing critical services in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.
“Babcock is responsive and adaptive, rising to the challenge to meet customer needs and community expectations. We’re there when it counts.
“Our fleet of rotary wing aircraft play an integral role in delivering world-class emergency aeromedical response, patient care, and recovery from remote and challenging environments across Australia.”
Since entering service for Ambulance Victoria in 2016, the state-of-the-art Leonardo AW139 twin engine helicopter has been an essential component to Babcock’s growing emergency medical services (EMS) and search and rescue (SAR) capability.
Over the past five years, Babcock has supplied five AW139s, plus a service assurance aircraft, to support Ambulance Victoria’s Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operations. This fleet has now flown more than 20,000 hours.
Chief Pilot and Head of Flying Operations (Onshore), Captain Tom House, said Babcock’s services include training and qualifying pilots, aircrew and engineers to provide a 24/7, 365-days-a-year service within on-call rapid response times.
“We also provide specialist aeromedical training to Ambulance Victoria’s Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) Flight Paramedics, which enables them to conduct HEMS operations,” Captain House said.
“This training includes down-the-wire land and water winch rescue operations in addition to their medical duties.
“Babcock pilots and aircrew officers work in a close-knit team with MICA paramedics, which is critical when conducting operations at short notice at all hours of the day and night, often in challenging weather conditions and involving traumatic circumstances.
“As a result, there is a high level of professional respect between the crew members and a close bond forged by shared experiences.”
Operating from bases in Essendon, La Trobe Valley, Bendigo and Warrnambool, Babcock’s AW139 crews fly more than 2,700 EMS and SAR missions each year across Victoria and Bass Strait.
Captain House said Babcock provides Ambulance Victoria with turnkey helicopter support services to maintain and fly the fleet of specialised medical emergency configured helicopters.
“This includes early adoption of new technologies, custom configuration of specialised on-board aeromedical equipment, as well as bespoke aircraft cabin designs and fitouts suitable for HEMS and SAR operations,” Captain House said.
“All AW139s are equipped with a rescue winch allowing MICA paramedics to be lowered into remote places to rescue patients, including bushland, boats and the ocean.
“Babcock’s expertise, commitment, and focus on safe practices in the most challenging of circumstances has helped saved many lives and 2020 saw almost 2,000 patients transported by HEMS. “Our long-term partnership with Ambulance Victoria and experience with HEMS continues to deliver significant benefit to more than 5.8 million people living in rural, regional and metropolitan Victoria.”
