64 | Every day is different and enjoyable Along with its Ardmore Base, Helisika Helicopters’ sister company, HeliNorth, operates from Dargaville. Richard Loader “The team have been busy maintaining tracks around Whangarei, and a lot in the Waitakere ranges and Hanua – re-metaling them, and dropping timber packs in so the tracks builders can upgrade the tracks.” RURAL SERVICES » Helisika Helicopters For the best part of thirty years, Helisika Helicopters has passionately looked after the needs of the farming and commercial community from Waikato to Northland, with customer service and safety top of mind. The business was founded by Aucklander Greg Gribble, along with some of his mates, who all happened to be good keen hunters and wanted to share their local knowledge of hard to get to hunting spots with others. Originally established in Poronui, Taupo, Helisika Helicopters delivered hunters and fishermen to prime spots in the bush, but when driving from Auckland to Taupo lost its appeal to Greg, he moved away from Poronui and hunting, to focus on agricultural operations. Based in Ardmore Airport, Papakura, Helisika Helicopters was born and Greg continued to passionately operate the business, right up until his death last year. Today, Greg’s son Jaz holds the mantle of CEO, and shares his father’s love for aviation and the family business. Along with its Ardmore Base, Helisika Helicopters’ sister company, HeliNorth, operates from Dargaville. In total, 16 staff including pilots, ground crew and office staff, are now employed by the business across the two locations. “We have an awesome crew who work here,” says Jaz. “Every day is different and enjoyable. We are an honest, professional business that refuses to cut corners in terms of price, safety or service. We’re not the cheapest operator, nor the most expensive, but we certainly try to deliver what we say we are going to deliver, or more. There are no surprises for the end user. We have completed that many different styles of jobs that we have a very good idea of what the project is going to cost.” Jaz says while the company’s clientele has evolved over the years, agriculture continues to play a large part in its operations, particularly pasture management including weed spraying and fertiliser application. “We cater to whatever requirements the farmer or customer requires. We are like a one-stop-shop. If the farmer requires aerial weed spraying we can supply all the product at a bulk buying price, supplying just what they need.” Operating a versatile fleet of three Squirrel Helicopters that range in size and capability, Helisika’s customer base now includes local councils and contractors for kauri dieback protection, walking track & trail and hut maintenance. “The team have been busy maintaining tracks around Whangarei, and a lot in the Waitakere ranges and Hanua – re-metaling them, and dropping timber packs in so the tracks builders can upgrade the tracks. We also do a lot of aerial lifting and surveys, along with remote location access and environmental preservation work. You name it we can transport it — swimming pools spa pools, gravel, timber.” The fleet of helicopters and their pilots are also kept busy during the fire season and Jaz says that he has noticed this has got increasingly busy over the last couple of years. “The season just gone was certainly the worst in terms of fires that we were called out to. The Far North fire was pretty big. Our teams were up there for a good month. There were quite a few thousand hectares of wetland that were burning. It’s work that we really enjoy doing, but when you consider that it is all funded by the tax payer you appreciate the waste that those fires cause.” Freephone: 0800 338 2436 Email: info@educhem.co.nz Web: www.educhem.co.nz Educhem is a recognized agricultural training company which specialises in delivering courses to clients to t their agricultural and agrichemical needs. We are happy to come and discuss a client’s needs and adapt training courses that are applicable to their business as well as meeting the training requirements of RMA, Worksafe and EPA. Proudly supporting Helisika Helicopters Proud to support Helisika through their journey Need support through yours, give us a call for a free consultation on how we could help you 07 376 0382 Proud to work with Helisika Helicopters
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=