Australian Air Force Hercules flies medical mercy mission into Whangārei

Royal Australian Air Force nurse Scott Gladding was among the medical personell involved in the evacuation from Whangārei Airport of an ill Australian tourist. Photo / Tania Whyte

An Australian tourist who fell ill while holidaying in Northland was evacuated to his country on a C-130 Hercules with medical staff on board.

The Australian Air Force plane flew directly to Whangārei Airport from the Australian Air Force base in Richmond, about 50km north west of Sydney, on Friday afternoon.

Airport manager Mike Chubb said the patient was a member of the Australian Air Force holidaying somewhere in the Far North when he became ill.

The nature of the health emergency was unknown.

Chubb said the Australian man was either flown or transported to the Whangārei Hospital before he was evacuated.

Chubb said the Hercules was in Whangārei for an hour before flying directly to Brisbane.

"It's probably the only time a medical evacuation from Whangārei had been undertaken by Hercules, which are in fact cargo planes, although they've landed in Whangārei before," Chubb said.

"They used to come and collect organs for transplants in the 80s and 90s and also collect Australian currency when it was printed at the money factory here.

"On previous occasions, they flew from Australia and on to Whangārei via Auckland due to Customs clearance but on this occasion, the Hercules flew directly to Whangārei and then to Brisbane."

The Royal Australian Air Force Hercules that flew for a medical evacuation from Whangārei Airport. Photo / Tania Whyte

Chubb said Hercules could fly and land at airstrips that didn't necessarily have sealed runways.

One or two medical staff from Whangārei joined doctors and nurses form the Australian Air Force on the flight to Brisbane.

Chubb said the airport was full of passengers as an Air New Zealand plane landed after the Hercules.

People took to social media to ask what a Hercules plane was doing in Whangārei.