Shaun Stewart

Shaun Stewart’s interest in helicopters came from seeing rescue teams land at a notorious accident spot near his home in rural Hawke’s Bay. By the age of 18 he’d achieved his CPL (Commercial Pilots Licence) then, in both charter and agricultural flying, racked up the thousands of hours needed for medical aviation. In January 2024 Shaun joined the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team, stepping up to the role of base manager just a year later. “The team members are all here for one purpose, to help people,” he says. “Getting to be part of that is pretty cool.”