Wilderness Helicopters Ltd.

Wilderness Helicopters Ltd. is a full service helicopter operator with over 25 years of experience flying in Northern Ontario. Its main base is at the Wawa Municipal Airport in Wawa, with additional bases in Marathon and Chapleau and a sub base in Sudbury. The company describes itself as a safe and professional helicopter charter service and operates year round.

Services

• Fire suppression and aerial ignition
• Wildlife, GPS, values and free to grow surveys
• Aerial photography
• Longline slinging, drill moves and specialty transportation
• Mineral exploration
• Powerline patrol and powerline maintenance
• Aerial spraying, coning and seeding
• Sightseeing, heli-tours, heli-hiking and heli-adventures

Sightseeing packages range from a 15 minute tour around Wawa to a longer flight down the Lake Superior coast. The company invites customers to call even when a job is not on its list, to find out whether it is possible.

Aircraft

• Airbus AS350BA+ and AS350B2: five passenger seats, cargo hook capacity of 1,600 lb and 2,000 lb, cruise speed 120 knots
• Bell 412: nine passenger seats, cargo hook capacity 3,800 lb, cruise speed 125 knots
• Bell 212: nine passenger seats, cargo hook capacity 3,800 lb, cruise speed 100 knots

Safety and equipment

Each helicopter carries a Latitude SkyNode satellite tracking system that reports position, heading and speed every two minutes. Aircraft carry a survival kit, a 406 MHz ELT, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and satellite telephones, and winter operations add shelter equipment, a shovel and snowshoes. Each machine has a Garmin moving map GPS and dual VHF radios, and passengers receive a safety briefing before every flight.