Wanaka Helicopters is a family-owned flight training school and commercial helicopter operator offering training flights year-round in one of the world’s most breathtaking locations.
We are NZ’s premier and most experienced helicopter flight school, operating in Wānaka since 1992. Wanaka Helicopters offers private (PPL), commercial (CPL) and tertiary training including the Diploma in Aviation which has produced more Ministry of Education approved helicopter pilots than any other.
Founder and Chief Flying Instructor, Simon Spencer-Bower is NZ’s most experienced helicopter flight instructor. With extensive experience spanning over 50 years and accumulating more than 24,000 flight hours. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Queen’s Service Medal for services to aviation and the Helicopter Association International Flight Instructor of the Year 2015 award.
The New Zealand Diploma in Aviation programme is designed to equip students with the skills required to set them above most CPL licence holders for early employment with a commercial operator. It lays the groundwork for a future path toward flight instruction, ATPL, Air Traffic Control or becoming an Air Operator themselves. We also offer NZ’s top Advanced Helicopter Mountain Flying Training course and highly sought-after specialist training in helicopter safety, sling, new type ratings, and pilot recurrency.
Whether you are looking to start your dream career in aviation, want to complete your PPL or CPL privately or undertake advanced training our training team can help. Explore all of our training options below.
Our Hot Seat training experience is perfect for anyone curious about beginning their helicopter flight training who wants to get an idea of what it might be like with a lesson with one of our skilled instructors.
This experience includes a pre-flight ground lesson and briefing, followed by flight time in our low-flying area. Under the guidance of one of Wanaka Helicopters’ experienced instructors, you’ll enjoy a detailed lesson and even get the chance to take the controls, learning the fundamentals of helicopter flight.
If you already have a PPL or CPL please contact us at [email protected] to explore our flying options for licence holders. If you are looking at this flight prior to starting flight training with us please also contact us instead of booking this online.
