Christchurch Helicopters Limited

Christchurch Helicopters is a helicopter operator at Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand. It runs a pilot training school alongside scenic tours, commercial work, agricultural operations and firefighting.

Its scenic tours are called Big Backyard Tours. Options include Christchurch City, Lyttelton and Mt Herbert, the Grape Vine wine region, Akaroa and Banks Peninsula, and the Southern Alps. Other flights cover Mt Cook and the Tasman Glacier heli hike, Kaikoura marine life, the Rakaia glaciers and a full day World in a Day trip. Trial flights, executive charters, transfers, hunting and fishing flights and weddings are also offered.

Pilot training covers the NZ Diploma in Aviation, the Commercial Pilots Licence, the Private Pilot Licence, the Flight Instructor Rating, and advanced training and ratings. Christchurch Helicopters is NZQA accredited, which allows student funding on the diploma. The school uses the Guimbal Cabri G2 for training.

Commercial work includes heavy lifting, firefighting, frost control for vineyards and crops, sluicing, concrete and gravel placement, wire stringing and power pole lifting, aerial survey, LiDAR and aerial photography. Agricultural work covers spraying, sowing and spreading, mustering, wilding pine control and wild animal management.

The fleet includes Airbus AS355 F2 twin engine helicopters, H125 B3E helicopters, two AS350 B2 helicopters, an EC120 Colibri, two Guimbal Cabri G2 trainers, and MD 500E and MD 520N helicopters. The AS355 is a twin engine light utility helicopter that can be set up for VIP transport and commercial operations.

The company also sells Guimbal Cabri G2 helicopters, and its team includes pilots, flight instructors and aerial survey specialists.

Services

• Scenic Tours
• Trial Flights
• Executive Charter
• Transfers
• Weddings
• Heavy Lifting
• Firefighting
• Frost Control
• Aerial Survey and LiDAR
• Pilot Training