Christchurch Helicopters
Christchurch Helicopters is a premium aviation company in Canterbury, New Zealand. Their work is diverse — offering commercial helicopter work, scenic flights, pilot training and conservation response.
Christchurch Helicopters are long-standing customers of TracPlus. Owner, Director and CEO Terry Murdoch has over 30 years of experience operating a variety of helicopters for varying purposes in a range of flying conditions. He is also an A Category Flight Instructor Rating as well as being a CAA approved Flight Examiner enabling Terry to administer PPL flight tests.
TracPlus is important for their operations — notably any contractual work they undertake, such as firefighting or rescue, as well as managing their flight training school. TracPlus helps Christchurch Helicopters to organise their growing fleet, and ensure their team, students and clients are safe and accounted for.
Why TracPlus?
Keeping staff, clients and students safe
One day is never the same for the crew, so they needed a system that was adaptable for the multitude of services and missions they undertake.
A major part of their business is the flight school which operates from their hangar.
"Keeping an eye on our staff, clients and flight students is really important to us. It’s reassuring to have the ability to track aircraft in real time, and know they’re coming home safe."
Kevin Walsh, Flight Training Manager.
Operating in remote and changeable terrain
A significant part of Christchurch Helicopter’s flight operations occur in the magnificent Southern Alps, to the west of their base. In such challenging terrain, it is important for the pilots to be able to check in anywhere and know that their check-in has been received.
The Operations Team at Christchurch Helicopters worked with the Development Team at TracPlus to implement an automatic acknowledgement message to be sent to the aircraft.
"To be seen, and known that they are seen, has been a game changer in terms of our pilot’s peace of mind."
Kevin Walsh, Flight Training Manager
TracPlus as a training tool
Apart from TracPlus being an integral part of their safety plans and procedures, Christchurch Helicopters use TracPlus as a training tool in their flight school operations.
"Unfortunately everyone makes errors. We have the odd student who busts air space or infringes where they shouldn’t be, so we use TracPlus to review flight information (post-flight) and look at where they went wrong, or how they could improve next time."
Kevin Walsh, Flight Training Manager
