A Mid-Canterbury family became the first people to touch down on the new rooftop helipad at Christchurch Hospital – but this time no one will be critically ill.

Canterbury’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter landed on the helipad with the Murney family on board.

Willie Murney won the right to be the first to land on the helipad at last year’s Māia Health Foundation Feast event, where the helipad landing was up for grabs as an auction prize

The family were able to walk around the helipad and see the rooftop clinical support unit where patients can receive specialist emergency care on touchdown, before taking off again.

GCH Aviation supported the auction prize by arranging for the family’s flight to be taken in its new Airbus H145 rescue helicopter.

Joining Willie on the flight was his mum Kate, for whom the landing will be an especially poignant moment. Kate was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital in December 2013 critically ill with acute septicemia.