Riverina Helicopters to give bird’s eye view of field days site

Riverina Helicopters, of Griffith, will once again be taking to the skies over the Henty field days site giving visitors a bird’s eye view.

With district canola crops around the field day site expected to be in full flower, the sight from the air is bound to be breathtaking.

Henty farmers wanting an aerial photograph of their farm can pre-book a flight with Riverina Helicopters at this year’s field days.

Managing director Bryce Nietvelt said the 10-minute flights in a Robinson R44 helicopter ($90 per person, minimum two passengers, maximum of three), piloted by Jaimie Cook, would operate on a walk-up basis. 

Operating bases at Griffith and Crookwell, Riverina Helicopters specialise in aerial spraying, fertiliser application, aerial surveying, crop pollination, powerline inspections, mustering, feral animal control, aerial crane, orchard stringing, aerial filming/photography, winery tours and charter work.

The Griffith business has three Robinson R44 helicopters, able to carry three passengers and equipped with Spidertracks, a real time satellite tracking always providing the location of the helicopters. A Bell 206 Jet Ranger is based at Crookwell for the aerial spraying in hill country. 

Riverina Helicopters has been operating for over 25 years and was bought by Mr Nietvelt after a career in the Australian Airforce as an engineer followed by five years flying helicopters in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land on aerial mustering, firefighting, and pest animal culling programs. 

Riverina Helicopters services the Riverina, NSW central and southern tablelands, far western and central western NSW and northern Victoria. The business employs four full-time staff plus contractors.

The helicopters are particularly visible around Henty and Mangoplah during August and September spraying the canola and cereal crops.

Pilots work with irrigated and broadacre crops including rice, cotton, wheat, barley, canola, grapes, almonds, walnuts, carrots, onions, sorghum, corn, and pasture, delivering a precise application of chemical with rotor downwash that disturbs the crop canopy allowing deep penetration of droplets for a uniform coverage.

When it comes to charter work, the business caters for Griffith winery tours, weddings, VIP transfers, property surveys, flood inspections, wildlife surveys and pipeline inspections.

“The joy flights at Henty are a great way to engage with potential new clients who may not know about our services,” Mr Nietvelt said.