86 | RURAL SERVICES » Heliops Southland Helping grow the country Phone 0800 10 22 76 store.pggwrightson.co.nz We have a wide range of reputable agrichemical products, backed by technical support and expertise. Talk to the team at PGGWrightson for all your agrichemical requirements. Russell Fredric The Airbus AS350 ‘Squirrel’, with it’s 1000kg/800 litre capacity, allows for the ef cient spraying of large areas. “A lot of farmers like to get a truck in for the at areas and when it gets too wet or steep we just change it over to the helicopters.” Land or air, Heliops has it all covered The synergy of a ground-based and aerial spraying business operating within one company made a lot of sense to HeliOps Southland owners Roger and Kirsty Preston. The couple, who also own a sheep, beef and deer farm in Central Southland, purchased BoothAg, a well-known and respected ground-based agricultural spraying and sheep dipping business based in Otautau, Western Southland, in 2008. BoothAg previously worked in collaboration with a helicopter company and its owner, following the BoothAg purchase, approached Roger and Kirsty in 2010 about buying his business. The bene ts of having the two businesses under one umbrella were obvious and it is extremely convenient for their clients to make one call to do it all, Roger says. “A lot of farmers like to get a truck in for the at areas and when it gets too wet or steep we just change it over to the helicopters.” Heliops bought the business with two Robinson R44 helicopters with a payload capacity of 200 litres or 200 kilograms. “We got busier every year.” The purchase of an R66 doubled this capacity and reduced the reloading time over each job, but this and a Bell Longranger that was eventually purchased have now been replaced. Today, HeliOps’ eet comprises two R44’s, A Bell Jetranger and an Airbus AS350 ‘Squirrel’ which was purchased about six months ago. This provides considerable exibility for the types of operations that can be covered, with the nimble R44 ideal for smaller jobs, to the Squirrel with it’s 1000kg/800 litre capacity suited to heavy lifting or ef ciently spraying large areas. To ensure continuity of service, Heliops has an R44 as a spare helicopter to cover for periods when others are undergoing routine maintenance. The business employs Nathan Gibson as its chief pilot while another pilot, Jamie Pay, is currently building up his agricultural rating hours. One of Roger’s son’s is a loader driver, but is aiming to get his pilot’s licence. With 6000 hours to his credit, Nathan has a extensive experience working in Canada and Australia including spraying, power line construction and exploration drilling operations. “It’s de nitely good to be able to call on past experience,” Nathan says. HeliOps is the only dedicated agricultural helicopter company in Southland, Roger says. The company covers a wide area from Te Anau to Eastern Southland and beyond to coastal areas with work including spreading solid fertilisers and aerial spraying for agriculture and forestry in addition to work for the Department of Conservation, Environment Southland and corporates. “Our pilots’ safety records and consistency of care mean that you can feel con dent that we consider all factors when providing a service to our clients.” During busy periods and when the weather has affected operations Heliops can second pilots from elsewhere to clear any backlog to ensure a good standard of service is maintained. As farmers themselves, Roger and Kirsty are acutely aware that the success of the business hinges on the level of service provided. “Knowing the farmers business it’s easier to understand what they want and that we can help them achieve that.”
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