User:FlyingDoctor/NETS Heliport

The NETS Heliport (ASA airport code YWNT), also known as the NETS Base, Westmead, is part of the NETS state headquarters. The elevated helipad comprises a FATO, two parking areas for helicopter, a hangar and home base for Telstra Child Flight. It is a restricted heliport owned and operated by NETS, a statewide service of NSW Health. Approved EMS operators can use the heliport to access either of the nearby tertiary hospitals - Children's Hospital at Westmead and Westmead Hospital. However the main function of the heliport is as a base of operation of NETS, the emergency inter-hospital medical retrieval service for children. NETS preferentially uses Child Flight, a not-for-profit community helicopter service dedicated to providing rotary wing transport for NETS.

The NETS Heliport opened in August 2004 and is the first heliport in Australia to be fitted with HAPI, a visual guidance system similar to PAPI. It is rated for aircraft up to 7 tonnes (gross).

Previously, operators serving NETS were located no closer than a nearby oval and loading of medical retrieval teams required re-positioning of staff and equipment from the NETS Base to the oval. Since co-location of NETS teams and the helicopters operated by Telstra Child Flight for NETS in the NETS Base, launch times have improved substantially.

Facilities and aircraft
The heliport is located on top of a four level mult-storey carpark with an area of ? m2 at an elevation of 120 feet (31 m) above mean sea level. It has one FATO with a 40m diameter concrete surface and two parking areas designated P1 and P2. P1 is the preferred parking area for itinerant aircraft. HAPI approaches from three directions are available (36/10/18). Other facilities include pilot activated lighting (FATO, taxiway, windsock, HAPI), Ground Power, in-ground fuel (Jet A1), Pilot activated lighting and an AWIS (automatic weather information system).

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had ???? aircraft movements, an average of ? per day.

Operators

 * Child Flight
 * Ambulance Service of NSW contracted helicopters (Bankstown & Orange, NSW)
 * Westpac Lifesaver Newcastle, Tamworth
 * NRMA CareFlight (Westmead, NSW, Australia)
 * Snowy Hydro Southcare (South Symonston, ACT, Australia)