Our History

Philips Search and Rescue Trust (PSRT) was founded in 1985 after an endowment by a private company, Philips New Zealand Ltd, to mark a light aircraft crash in which two Philips NZ Ltd employees lost their lives.

After instigating one of the largest privately organised searches ever seen in New Zealand, the company made an endowment to initiate a Trust with the objective of providing the highest possible standard of air rescue and emergency helicopter services in the central North Island. Philips Search & Rescue Trust became a dedicated, full-time service in 1987.

Board of Trustees: Stewart Davies (Chairman), Errol Millar (Trustee), Patricia Bayley (Trustee), Peter Masters (Trustee)