5 January 2012
Southland is experiencing a very hot and dry summer,  which is great!  However the fire danger is
extreme at the moment. 
We had 3 helicopters fire fighting at Waikawa today.
  

17 November 2011

Ken Tustin & Richard Hayes view bush damage indicating Moose activity and ponder the continuing mystery.
Cameras were checked yesterday but unfortunately film footage didn't reveal any Moose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhTIHvA8Fks&feature=player_embedded
Click on this link to see fantastic Fiordland scenery and also Southern Lakes Helicopters delivering passengers to Supper Cove to join the Pembroke, Fiordland Charters.

http://www.fwf.org.nz/Wapiti_Bugle_Ballot_Information_2012.pdf
Check out the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation website for useful information for all Wapiti Blocks for the
forthcoming season.

 http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5503164/Helicopter-dash-with-sick-seaman
Click link to read article

30 July 2011
Click on the link below to view TV3 News coverage of the latest Auckland Island Medivac 
http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/world/54251.html

30 July 2011 
Richard Hayes and Mark Deaker flew to Port Ross, Auckland Islands to Medivac an Australian Naval crew member from
the MV Aurora Australis to Dunedin Hospital.
Click on the link below to read a report from the Southland Times.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/5367719/Choppers-rescue-ill-Aussie

June 2011 
The 2011 Wapiti Bugle was a busy time, it's over now but we are looking forward to 2012.
Click on the link below to view a TV3 News item which gives a lot of good film footage to
entice you back in 2012!
 http://www.3news.co.nz/Deer-hunters-excited-by-elite-prospect/tabid/309/articleID/208337/Default.aspx

11th June 2011
Clothing company Hallensteins treated their staff and competition winners to a flight to
Moose country.  'Moose Man' Ken Tustin accompanied the passengers and gave them
an informative overview of the Moose project.

June 2011
Southern Lakes Helicopters has been awarded a certificate of excellence
and recognized as a recommended attraction by millions of travelers who
shared their opinions on TripAdvisor.

Click on the link below to view some magnificent Fiordland scenery, taken recently while undertaking weather station work
just above the Milford Track.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbIu4IyAy8M

blackmount rural fire station

Blackmount Rural Volunteer Fire Station opening was held recently and Southern Lakes Helicopters
Pilot Chris Green demonstrated fire fighting capability.
 

 Tuatapere based pilot - sam gawith

2011 WAPITI BLOCKS

The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation Ballot for 2011 was drawn on 30th October.  If you were lucky enough to win a block, contact us for a competitive price to fly into your hunting ground.
If you were not so fortunate give us a call for information on other available hunting locations.

 'Gone Fishin' with Graeme Sinclair

Click on this link to view the episode screened on Saturday 25th September 2010.  Graeme and his team spent time in Fiordland and were flown by Southern Lakes Helicopters.
http://ondemand.tv3.co.nz/Season-18-Ep-4/tabid/59/articleID/1185/MCat/183/Default.aspx

   






www.3news.co.nz/Colleagues-mourn-climbers-death/tabid/309/articleID/149947/Default.aspx   

Southern Lakes Helicopters assisted an alpine cliff rescue team from Queenstown to recover the body of a climber who fell to her death from Mitre Peak.
An emergency beacon was set off in the Mitre Peak area shortly before midday Monday 5th April 2010, and a Southern Lakes Rescue helicopter was sent from Te Anau to Milford Sound
by the Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zealand (RCCNZ).

Wild fiordland weather

Fiordland experienced a night of wild weather on Sunday night.  Trees were blown down causing damage to tracks, huts
and roads. The photo below was taken by Southern Lakes Helicopters pilot,  Chris Green.  This slip is at Lake Fergus,
on the road to Milford.

  MARK & HEIDI DEAKER

BACK TO SCHOOL RADIO PROMOTION

More FM Radio in Invercargill held a competition to mark the beginning of the
new school year. Southern Lakes and South West Helicopters
sponsored the prize which was a helicopter flight to deliver a child to school on
the first day of term.
The photo below shows pilot Chris Green with the winners of the competition ready to
take to the skies!  

The 22nd Kepler Challenge  race was held in Te Anau on Saturday 5th December. 
Southern Lakes Helicopters was proud to be a sponsor of the event and congratulate all
competitors on their achievement.  We were especially proud of Yvonne (wife of pilot Chris).
This was Yvonne's first Kepler Challenge race. She not only recorded a very good
time of 7:55:55- but as you can see below she had a strong finish.

In conjunction with the annual Kepler Challenge, the Te Anau Child Care
Centre hold an event for pre-school children. The photo below shows
Hunter Matheson (grandson of Southern
Lakes Helicopters Operations Manager, Lloyd Matheson) proudly displaying his
'medal' after taking part in the 'Race Day Ramble'.

Southern Lakes Helicopters are pleased to announce that we have purchased the commercial flying business of South West Helicopters Ltd effective 1st October 2009.
The agricultural division has been purchased seperately by Helicopters Otago Ltd.

We are delighted to have the opportunity to extend our aviation interests with the purchase of the South West Helicopters business. Our main base will remain in Te Anau,  we will also be operating daily from our Clifden hangar,  and from our Invercargill hangar when required.
We will generally have a Squirrel and R44 positioned at Clifden.
For all inquiries for work from any of our bases please contact us either by phone 03 2497167; 
or email info@southernlakeshelicopters.co.nz

 

Spectacular winter scenery in Fiordland. Recent snow falls and clear blue skys have made
scenic flights into the mountains a trip to remember.

 

 

 

 Heavy snow falls in the Milford road and Homer Tunnel area have created extreme avalanche conditions and the Milford road has been closed to all traffic for several days.  Southern Lakes Helicopters pilot Richard Hayes has been working in the area on avalanche control flights.  Recently TV1 reporter Tshai Tiffen flew into the area and her camera crew filmed the 'heli-bombing' and the resulting avalanches.
Click on this link to view the TV1 news item.  http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/avalanche-debris-closes-road-milford-2885185/video?vid=2887163

 

 

 

Flynn Gullick from St Thomas's Primary School in Winton has produced a fantastic project based on Southern Lakes Helicopters Pilot Richard Hayes.  There were 80 entries all up for the Southland Social Studies fair and Flynn got a 2nd in his category and also was awarded a special prize from the 80 entries for having the Best Biography.  As part of his project Flynn interviewed Richard and got to look over the helicopters. Flynn is shown below with Richard Hayes and sitting in a Southern Lakes Helicopter - maybe a future pilot!! 

          

 
Southern Lakes Helicopters R44 lifting the life rafts off Real Journey's  MV Luminosa for the annual survey.
A perfect winters day in Te Anau!

 

NEW HELI-HIKE & BOAT CRUISE EXPERIENCES
We are pleased to announce we have several new heli-hiking and boat cruise options. We can offer you the opportunity to enjoy a hike in the beautiful isolated hills of Mt Nicholas Station. Click on the Heli-Experiences tab for more details.

We are also offerring a helicopter trip to the MV Pembroke, you can board the boat and enjoy the spectacular beauty of Fiordland from the water!
Click on the Heli-Experiences tab for more details.

 

 WINTER HAS ARRIVED!  2009


Mt Kidd wearing its winter coat.  Pilot Rod Hall-Jones captured this scenic shot on a recent flight to Mt Kidd.

 

 CRAYFISH SEASON 2009

Richard Hayes loads crayfish tubs into his helicopter.

 

 

Diamond Princess Visits Milford Sound 

Milford turned on a moody day for the cruise ship Diamond Princess.

Rescue Mission to Southern Ocean Sets Record

An injured crew member on the German passenger ship the MS Bremen was airlifted to Invercargill on Sunday 25th January 2009, setting a record for what is believed to be the country's longest-range off-shore rescue in the Southern Ocean by helicopter. 

Southern Lakes Helicopters provided top cover for Helicopters Otago during the record setting flight.
The photograph below shows (from right)Southern Lakes Helicopters pilot Richard Hayes, Helicopters Otago pilots Graeme Gale and Stuart Farquhar, and Southern Lakes Helicopters Operations Manager and winchman Lloyd Matheson.

Photo - Southland Times photographer Barry Harcourt   http://www.southlandtimes.co.nz/
Click on this link to view a report from the Otago Daily Times: 

Click here to view video coverage of the rescue as shown on TV One News

 

Auckland Islands Sights
These images were captured on a recent visit to the Auckland Islands.
  

  

Fire Fighting
Southern Lakes Helicopters pilots Richard Hayes and Chris Green were recently involved in the battle to contain 
a 20ha fire near Waimahaka, in southern Southland, after a fire reignited from a controlled burn in the area.
The photograph below was kindly supplied by Southland Times.  Richard Hayes (ZK-IRM) in the foreground
and Chris Green in background are about to fill the monsoon buckets from the Mataura River.

 
  Photograph courtesy of Southland Times  http://www.southlandtimes.co.nz/

 

Litttle Spotted Kiwi Programme
The endangered Little Spotted Kiwi has been reintroduced to Chalky Island following a successful stoat eradication programme on the island. Richard Hayes delivered the little birds safely to their new home.

 

Fiordland Tourism Awards

Lloyd Matheson
Southern Lakes Helicopters Operations Manager has been awarded the 2008 Tourism Personality of the Year. At a function at the Distinction Hotel in Te Anau on 13th September, Lloyd was presented with the award by the Minister of Tourism Damien O'Connor.

Destination Fiordland chief executive Lisa Sadler, speaking at the awards on Saturday night, said since he retired as Te Anau's police sergeant in 2003 Mr Matheson was seeing the more enjoyable side of helicopter operations.

He has more than 25 years' experience in search and rescue and in 1987 was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for his service to the community.

Ms Sadler commended his unfailing positive approach and strong advocacy for tourism and the district.

 

PILOT FLIES R44 TO SAFETY AFTER LOSING TAIL ROTOR
Richard Hayes of Southern Lakes Helicopters did some remarkable flying when he piloted his Raven ll to a safe landing after the helicopter's tail rotor was destroyed.
http://www.robinsonheli.com/prarchive/newsletter/summer_2008.pdf

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Appeal

Southern Lakes Helicopters flew to Invercargill recently to help promote the Westpac Rescue Helicopter fundraising appeal. The picture shows Richard Hayes talking to some of the interested members of the public who attended the open day at the Gala Street Reserve.

Photograph courtesy of Southland Times

 

Precision Flying For Dual Lift Operation!

Richard Hayes and Dave Kershaw (Heliworks) combined their extensive flying experience to perform a dual lift of an abandoned 2 tonne steam engine. The engine was originally used as a sawmill base and will now be restored to its former glory by the new owner.The lift was carried out with absolute precision and perfect timing.

FAI Recognises Richard Hayes

The FAI’s Diploma for Outstanding Airmanship can be awarded to no more than two recipients in the world in any one year and it is only awarded when the FAI deems nominees worthy of receiving it. In six of the years since it was first instituted in 1985, it was not awarded when the FAI deemed there were no suitably worthy recipients. However, as Rob Neil reports, Richard Hayes recently became the first New Zealander ever to receive the honour.

Click here to read Rob Neil's article.

January 08 - Dolphins come out to play in Breaksea Sound!

December 07 - Richard Hayes wins World Aviation Award for Outstanding Airmanship

Click here to view One News Video Clip

A South Island helicopter pilot has become the first New Zealander to receive an international award for outstanding airmanship that helped to save lives.

Only one pilot in the world is given the award in any year and it was presented at the opening ceremony of the New Zealand air-games.

Legendary helicopter pilot Richard Hayes received the Outstanding Airman Award from the President of the World Air Sports Federation for helping to save the life of others.

"My congratulations and I hope there's no more bushfires but if there is one please help again," said Pierre Portmann, Federation Aeronautique Internationale.

"He flew that helicopter for five to six hours through some of the most extreme conditions that anyone could ever fly a helicopter in," said John Mclean from Flying NZ.

Those extreme conditions were on the third of November 2005 when gusty winds of up to 75 kilometres an hour, helped by strong heat and smoke from a very large fire and only one pilot was authorised to fly with night vision goggles.

"You sort of have to go over the fire to do any good with the bucket and it got a bit interesting there for a while not to the dangerous factor but it gets a bit bumpy and you've got to hang on a bit," says Richard Hayes over the experience that won him the award.

He was on his own, with the best view of how close the fire was getting, knew what those on the ground would be going through.

"The mere fact they can hear the noise of the helicopter in the middle of the night does give a bit of comfort to a few people," says Hayes.

"Richard Hayes has really been a legend in the South Island for many years and it's just made up one of the many things he's done," says Mclean.

The award is quite a rarity - the last time this award was handed out was a joint award to the pilots involved in rescuing people after Hurricane Katrina.

Flying New Zealand says it could have nominated Hayes for any number of rescues but they are just glad this humble pilot accepted the award.

September 07 - Bivy Support for the Department of Conservation on Resolution Island.

September 07 - Click here to read the acknowledgement from Tourism New Zealand staff recently flown.

link to North & South Feature Article 
 http://www.southernlakeshelicopters.co.nz/Files/North-&-South.pdf

Southland Times Article 8th August 2007, click here to read