A Life Saver

A glut of low-timed commercial pilots all vying for a seat in the cockpit of a commercial airline steered the career of Peter Yates, now chief pilot of the Sydney and the NSW south coast Westpac Life Saver Helicopter Rescue Service, into the world of rotary-wing aviation and saving lives for a living, via Papua New Guinea

With around 6,500 hours in his logbook, and ratings on 11 helicopter types, including some time in the Russian-built Mil Mi-17, Yates spent 11 years flying in PNG early in his career with this experience proving to be the foundation for a career in emergency medical service (EMS) and search and rescue (SAR) operations.

Growing up as a five-year-old in the northern Sydney suburb of Lindfield, Yates, 54, said his interest in aviation began while lying in the backyard looking up at the sign writing aircraft flying above. “I also remember having Airfix models. My father smoked cigars, so he used to make clouds for me to fly them through. ” Starting school, his interest in aviation was put on hold until after finishing his studies. Working for a company that sold automotive electronic tuning equipment in the service department doing repairs, and having been bitten by the travel bug, a visit to a newsagent to flip through a few travel magazines reignited his interest in aviation.