| 3 GCH Aviation REGIONAL T TKelly Deeks GCH still reaching for the sky GCH Aviation is continuing to grow demand across tourism, corporate experiences, and specialist aviation work. “We’ve grown enormously over the years, but we’ve always stayed focused on safety, quality, and taking pride in looking after our communities.” More than four decades after becoming Christchurch’s first commercial helicopter operator, GCH Aviation is continuing to grow demand across tourism, corporate experiences, and specialist aviation work, reinforcing its position as one of New Zealand’s leading privately owned aviation groups. Marketing manager, Caroline Blanchfield, says the family-owned business has developed from a single helicopter operating from New Brighton Beach in 1983 into a nationwide aviation operation offering helicopter and fixed-wing services across New Zealand. Founded by John Currie, GCH Aviation now operates from bases in Christchurch, Kaikōura, Greymouth, Nelson, and Wellington, delivering scenic flights, commercial helicopter services, pilot training, rescue helicopter operations, the New Zealand Flying Doctor Service, along with a purpose-built private jet centre and a private jet charter service. The Christchurch headquarters also includes an engineering facility, where aircraft maintenance is completed in-house, supporting the strict safety standards that underpin every part of the operation. “We’ve grown enormously over the years, but we’ve always stayed focused on safety, quality, and taking pride in looking after our communities,” Caroline says. Those values were on display at a recent open day, which drew 10,000 visitors to the Grays Road base as part of celebrations marking more than 40 years of aviation in Canterbury. Tourism remains at the centre of the business, with scenic helicopter flights offering passengers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Christchurch, Banks Peninsula, Akaroa, the Southern Alps, and wider South Island landscapes from above. Caroline says the experience is about perspective as much as travel. “People often tell us they have lived here for decades, but have never seen their city like this before. The moment you lift off and see it from above, it completely changes how you understand it.” That bucket list appeal is also driving strong corporate demand, with businesses using helicopter flights for staff incentives, conferences, client hosting, winery lunches, golf days, and luxury lodge transfers. Groups from two people up to 30 can be catered for using multiple aircraft across the fleet, with tailored itineraries designed around memorable experiences rather than standard transport. “Businesses are still looking for meaningful ways to reward their people. A helicopter flight is something many have always wanted to do. It is not just an outing – it is something they remember for life,” says Caroline. The company also delivers helicopter flight training from Christchurch, giving aspiring pilots access to experienced instructors and purpose-built facilities. Commercial aviation remains a major part of the operation, with helicopters supporting lifting, inspections, surveying, firefighting, and vineyard and orchard work across demanding terrain. Caroline says the pilot team is central to the customer experience. “Our pilots know these regions intimately. They are not just moving people from A to B. They are telling the story of Banks Peninsula, the geology of the Canterbury Plains, and the landscapes that make this part of the world so unique.” Safety remains absolute, with pilots holding final authority on whether conditions are suitable to fly. “If it’s not safe, we simply do not fly. That has never changed.” While Covid 19 brought one of the most difficult periods in the company’s history, rescue helicopter operations and theNew Zealand Flying Doctor Service continued throughout, ensuring essential services remained in place. As tourism continues to recover, and demand across commercial and corporate aviation remains strong, GCH Aviation is focused on delivering the kind of bucket list experiences that show New Zealand from a perspective most people never forget.
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