Thread: Is this normal practice for helicopter operaters

Over Easter we were camped up a river in Canterbury.Mt Hutt helicopters flew over our camp in river and dropped off 2 hunters to camp 300 meters above us to camp on the face we were hunting.When we came out I called my hutt helicopters about it and they basically said that's how it goes on doc land.They also said that maybe the pilot hadn't seen us.I later spoke to another person who spoke to the 2 hunters that they had seen us when they flew over us.I think that it is a bloody dangerous practice if this is normal for helicopter operators as another 2 or 3 minute flight would take you a long way from another party.Obviously things would be different if you had a hidden campsite.

Mt Hutt Heli are known for questionable practices

Tough call,
At the end of the day, they probably dropped their clients where they asked to be dropped.
Whether that client was given any advice on other parties in the valley and chose to listen to it is another debate.

Typical Mt Hutt Heli, bunch of arseholes, absolutely no scruples or ethic's. Thats why I wont fly with them.

If you were the hunters in the chopper, would you want to be dropped beside another party that has already hunted/scented/shot the area?

I guess there's only certain places they can land

Originally Posted by Husky1600

Typical Mt Hutt Heli, bunch of arseholes, absolutely no scruples or ethic's. Thats why I wont fly with them.

Who (operator) is OK in that neck of the woods ??

Could it be that Mc Caw fella? Didn't notice a few boxes of milk around did you?

Depends, was the chopper all black? ;-)

Originally Posted by Friwi

Depends, was the chopper all black? ;-)

Winner, Friwi! Stand by for your milk today. Keep looking up...

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Mt Hutt Heli are known for questionable practices

What Ryan said

There are always two sides to every story and we've only seen one.

Generally speaking many people don't appreciate the limitations placed upon operators and the assumption is a helicopter can land anywhere. Physically, it can. But when it comes to public land DOC frequently have designated landing zones and few pilots are likely to risk losing their concession by landing someplace else just because another hunting party has parked themselves close to the place they're mandated to land. I'm not saying this IS the case but maybe it's worth keeping an open mind on the subject.

Another consideration - WhIle clients often rely on pilots to put them into "the best spot", some level of responsibility lies with the client. You hired the machine...nothing stopping you from asking to be put elsewhere instead of on top of another party. Sure it might cost you more, but the pilot is unlikely to reject your request to go elsewhere without good reason. They have an interest in keeping their client happy and they're often hunters themselves so have no desire to upset other hunters, especially if it's going to result in bad press.

Many other scenarios exist and there are always one or two pilots who just don't give a shit but by my experience they're few and far between and usually those types don't last long before getting the boot. But of all the work operators do each year; lifting, rescue, spraying... keeping hunters happy is by far THE most difficult job of all. We as hunters could do a lot to improve that situation.
@R93 - am I off the mark here?

Originally Posted by planenutz

There are always two sides to every story and we've only seen one.

Generally speaking many people don't appreciate the limitations placed upon operators and the assumption is a helicopter can land anywhere. Physically, it can. But when it comes to public land DOC frequently have designated landing zones and few pilots are likely to risk losing their concession by landing someplace else just because another hunting party has parked themselves close to the place they're mandated to land. I'm not saying this IS the case but maybe it's worth keeping an open mind on the subject.

Another consideration - WhIle clients often rely on pilots to put them into "the best spot", some level of responsibility lies with the client. You hired the machine...nothing stopping you from asking to be put elsewhere instead of on top of another party. Sure it might cost you more, but the pilot is unlikely to reject your request to go elsewhere without good reason. They have an interest in keeping their client happy and they're often hunters themselves so have no desire to upset other hunters, especially if it's going to result in bad press.

Many other scenarios exist and there are always one or two pilots who just don't give a shit but by my experience they're few and far between and usually those types don't last long before getting the boot. But of all the work operators do each year; lifting, rescue, spraying... keeping hunters happy is by far THE most difficult job of all. We as hunters could do a lot to improve that situation.
@R93 - am I off the mark here?

Spot on mate.

I will be honest, apart from some regulars I hated flying hunters into the hills. Whinge about anything and everything and they're all expert pilots without the ability to steer a machine.
So and so flew us in somewhere and took an even bigger load than what's here etc.

If we were flying a party into the open blocks and there were already people there or close to where they wanted to go we did our best to find somewhere and usually free of charge.


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Did you ever think of moving camp? I know it might be a pain in the Ahole but that's what I would have done