Matt Shrimpton currently flies the Leonardo AW169 from Ardmore airfield in Auckland. He is a pilot for Northern Rescue, operators of the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter service. Initially a UK Navy pilot, he first visited New Zealand on an exchange tour in 2003. Finishing his military career as an instructor on the UK Naval Search and Rescue Squadron, he then moved to civilian flying supporting the offshore industry. In the past 10 years as a Line Training Captain, he has taught offshore pilots search and rescue techniques on the AW139 and Sikorsky S-92