Trying out the rescue helicopter pilots' helmets helped make rescue missions a reality for Herewini and Meraania Insley.
The Rotorua siblings were among the thousands of people who attended the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter Service open hangar day yesterday where they interacted with local emergency services and watched demonstrations put on by the fire service, armed offenders squad, St John and police dog handlers.
Mother Kimiora Insley said it was their first time at the show.
"It was so cool. The kids really enjoyed sitting in the helicopter. It made their day."
After armed offenders squad staff were called out to their street before Christmas, Mrs Insley said it was good to get a close look at what they did.
"They really liked the police dog demonstration and the AOS demo. The gun gave them more of a fright than they thought they would get ..."
BayTrust pilot Barry Vincent said they were impressed with the turnout.
"It was awesome. We had a fantastic day with a steady crowd through all day," he said.
