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Zane Smith, a sixth generation Stewart Islander, was a Commercial Paua Diver and Crayfisherman with a dream. A dream to provide a safe efficient and local helicopter operation based on Stewart Island. By February 2008 ‘Fern Gully Heliport’ on Stewart Island was under construction and Rakiura Helicopters Stewart Island was born with the first commercial flight conducted in May 2008. Originally under the name Rakiura Helicopters Ltd the company started from small beginnings with one Hughes 500 and two staff conducting mostly Department of Conservation contract work and a few hunting parties from Halfmoon Bay.
Rakiura Helicopters today...
In March 2011 Rakiura Helicopters Ltd purchased Stewart Island Helicopters which merged to form Rakiura Helicopters Stewart Island. Now with a base on each side of Foveaux Strait, Rakiura Helicopters is a 24 hour 7 day-a-week operation. The company operates the AS350 Squirrel helicopter conducting flight services of all types from Scenic flying and Hunters to Precision Lifting and Department of Conservation contract work.
The team at Rakiura Helicopters are on call 24 hours a day to meet your demands at the highest level. Our qualified, knowledgeable and friendly team are experienced on local and international operations, with a diverse range of backgrounds we endeavour to meet your every request. All of our staff take pride in the work they carry out and ensure that safety is paramount!
The Team
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Zane Smith - Chief Executive/Pilot
Zane Smith of Rakiura (Stewart Island) in New
Zealand's deep south is passionate about two things - helicopters and
the island he has always called home.
Zane is a sixth generation Stewart
Islander and thanks to his hard work and dedication, he brings the
two together in his company, Rakiura Helicopters Stewart Island. After spending twelve years working as a crayfisherman and paua diver
around Stewart Island and Fiordland he sold his boat to follow
his dream. After gaining his private and commercial helicopter licences –
training under world renowned helicopter instructor, Simon
Spencer-Bower in Wanaka – he spent two years working as a heli-musterer
in Australia’s Northern Territories.
Now back on Stewart Island and based in his new hangar in Fern
Gully, Zane is operating a safe helicopter service for tourist, hunters,
fishermen, trampers, photographers and muttonbirders. He can get to
anywhere on the island in twenty-five minutes or less; and there isn’t
an inch of Rakiura that he doesn’t know.
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Peter Innes - Operations Manager Peter is a very experienced helicopter and fixed wing pilot. He lives on Stewart Island and has flown for many years in the south of New Zealand, including Queenstown.
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Dave Kershaw
Bringing the renowned skills of kiwi pilots to the technically difficult job of high altitude exploration heli flying, Dave is a pilot of more than 20 000 hours flying experience. His flying career began in 1975 where he worked in venison recovery with the Alpine Deer Group. In 1985 Dave started Southern Lakes Helicopters Ltd based in Queenstown. This business specialised in tourism, aerial filming and geophysical surveys. Dave has flown the Sub Antarctic Islands throughout the Indian Ocean and the coast lines of the Antarctic while conducting Antarctic pilot ice training for Helicopters NZ.
He spent 5 years as Chief Pilot with Helicopter company based in Papua New Guinea, specialising in flying helicopters in challenging environments. In this role he supported the oil industry and humanitarian aid projects with the UN, World Food Program and Oxfam. Dave earned a New Zealand service medal for his involvement in the Banda Aceh Tsunami.
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