Partners

Meet our wonderful partners

Uplift In Kind would not exist if it weren’t for the love and support of our aviation partners, generously giving us access to their aircraft and other activities. This allows us to take you under our wing. We like to think – that it’s our family, lovingly taking care of your family.

GCH Aviation

– Christchurch, Kaikoura, Greymouth, Nelson, Wellington

Garden City Helicopters is respected as one of New Zealand’s premiere aviation operators. Offering scenic and charter flights and providing air ambulance and rescue helicopter services throughout New Zealand. A family owned business, all about giving back to their community. GCH are experts at what they do and will treat you to an amazing flight.

Air Milford

– Queenstown

Air Milford is a first class team that have been serving New Zealander’s and tourists from all over the world since 1993. A committed family run business providing spectacular scenic flights in their modern fleet of aircraft from its Queenstown Airport base. Experts in showcasing the amazing Wakatipu Basin, Milford Sound, Fiordland and the lower South Island, you’re going to have an absolutely amazing flight with these guys.

iFly

– Queenstown

Meet your friendly iFLY crew. They are going to treat you to their amazing iFLY experience.
Indoor skydiving is the simulation of true free-fall conditions in a vertical wind tunnel. It’s where the dream of flight becomes a reality and every flyer has a chance to earn their ‘Wings’.
We are delighted to partner with iFLY Queenstown.

Mainland Air

– Dunedin

Mainland Air is a family owned business that is very well known in New Zealand aviation. From scenic and charter flights, flight training and regularly flying doctors to clinics around the region. Phil, his wife Shirley and their son – Jordan love giving back to their community and can’t wait to take you for a memorable flight over Dunedin.

Heli Glenorchy

– Glenorchy

Nick Nicholson – the owner of Heli Glenorchy is a highly experienced helicopter pilot and is known as a “ great Kiwi bloke”. His company are renowned experts in a wide range of helicopter operations between Glenorchy, Queenstown, Fiordland and Milford Sound and Nick and his team can’t wait to treat you to world class scenery on a world class helicopter flight.

Heliworks

– Queenstown

Thanks to this great Queenstown based company our families now have access to incredible scenic helicopter flights and experiences in and around the Queenstown area. Heliworks also provide valuable services to search and rescue, medical, filming and commercial operations. Heliworks are community focused and can’t wait to give you a birds eye view of the region they love to call home.

Mt. Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters

– Mount Cook

Come for the flight of a lifetime with the team at Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters. The most spectacular way to see the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is from above, in your Ski Plane or Helicopter. Soak up stunning views and enjoy the unique thrill of landing on either the Tasman, Fox or Franz Josef Glaciers, with the Tasman Glacier being New Zealand’s largest glacier. These guys love where they live and love giving back so do join them for what will truly be – the trip of a lifetime.

Skydive Franz Josef & Fox Glacier

– Franz Josef

These guys will be super excited to meet you and prepare you for skydiver mode. Soon it’ll be time to don your jumpsuit, harness, hat and goggles. From here you and your tandem master will board your skydive aeroplane. On climb the excitement kicks in and you’ll get to take in breathtaking sights of Aoraki/Mount Cook, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and the vast Tasman Sea. The team at Skydive Franz Josef & Fox Glacier are passionate about what they do and are looking forward to taking you 200 Kph in free-fall. You’ll be buzzing for days after this cool experience!

Skydive Mt. Cook

– Twizel

Wow! – of all the places you could Skydive. With New Zealand’s tallest mountain as your back drop, Skydive Mount Cook offers some of the country’s most epic scenery – Snow capped mountains, Glaciers, Lakes and Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. 14 year old Rebecca and her 18 year old sister said, “It was the first time skydiving for both of us and we absolutely loved it.” So come and meet the wonderful team at Skydive Mount Cook for the ultimate skydive experience.

Heletranz Helicopters

– Auckland

Established over 28 years ago, Heletranz is famous for pioneering Heli-Fishing. These guys are Auckland’s helicopter specialists and their professional pilots possess a wealth of experience and will show you there is no better view of Auckland than from above. Creators of unique helicopter experiences, we know you will love flying with our Heletranz partners. It is their commitment to quality, with a personal touch, that brings people back time and time again.

Skydive Abel Tasman

– Motueka

You’ll feel blessed when you meet this awesome crew. Their love of skydiving and the Abel Tasman National Park shines through in their passion for what they do. With 25 years of skydiving under their belt, they’ve shared this unforgettable experience over the Abel Tasman with nearly 100,000 customers. They are very proud of their worldwide reputation as an epic place to skydive. Let us introduce you to this amazing bunch of people.

Viva Expeditions

– Auckland

Viva expeditions have joined our family to bring once in a life time opportunities to our Kids. How about an Aurora hunting mission lead by astrophysicist Dr Ian Griffin. The Kids fly south into the night over the Southern Ocean towards Antarctica onboard an Air New Zealand Dreamliner to see a magical and unforgettable display of the Southern Lights. Constellations, stars, and planets also feature thanks to the huge generosity of our family member Viva Expeditions.

PHI International

– New Plymouth

PHI International is a large family that have joined ours. A global leader in helicopter transportation across New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Ghana, Cyprus and Saudi Arabia. Servicing the oil and gas industry, marine pilot transfers, and search and rescue operations. Their people are technical experts who have an unwavering commitment to safety, with every single flight being guided by their core values of Safety, Quality, Efficiency and Customer Service. With 70 years of business under their belt and over 900,000 passengers transported around the world annually, we know you’re in great hands with these guys.

Air Chathams

– New Zealand

Owned by Craig and Marion Emeny, Air Chathams was established in 1984 to create a safe and reliable airline that would support the transportation of people and freight between the Chatham Islands and New Zealand. Having grown into a New Zealand airline, offering routes between Auckland, Whakatane, Whanganui, Kapiti Coast, Chatham Islands, Wellington, Christchurch and Norfolk Island, Air Chathams has established itself as an airline for the community and it made total sense to join the Uplift In Kind family to continue this tradition.

South Pacific Helicopters

– Kaikōura

Daniel and wife Monique are the owners of South Pacific Helicopters and its subsidiary Wings Over Whales. Daniel was born and bred on a large farm in southern New Zealand and Monique grew up just up the road in Blenheim. When the opportunity arose to start a tourism business in Kaikōura, they leapt at it. Hugely passionate about the area, their goal is to share the beauty of Kaikōura, as well as the local marine life. They love being part of the community, where they are raising their two young boys Tommy and Johnno. A perfect fit for our Uplift In Kind family.

Wings Over Whales

– Kaikōura

Wings Over Whales has been operating for 30 years, specialising in whale watching & scenic flights in Kaikōura. Locally owned and operated by the Stevenson family, they are rated Qualmark Gold and offer a unique experience to view the resident sperm whales. These amazing animals are 20 metres in length from tale to tip and you can see their enormity from the air, without having any impact on them. The team love showing off their back yard, where you can also see dusky dolphins, other marine life and food source that reside in the Kaikōura canyon. Wings Over Whales are part of our family and can’t wait to treat you to an amazing flight over the whales.

Helicopters Nelson

– New Zealand

Helicopters Nelson is run by the Darlings. A family owned business offering premium helicopter transfers, charters, scenic flights and helicopter adventures across the top of New Zealand’s South Island. Operating from their Nelson Airport base, their professional and experienced pilots have a wealth of local knowledge to ensure the flight of a lifetime. From the Marlborough Sounds to Farewell Spit, Helicopters Nelson pride themselves on creating unique and bespoke tours to some of the most remote and breathtaking places that prove New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Above all else, they can’t wait to take your family on an Uplift In Kind.

Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust

– Auckland

Not only saving lives, also enriching those of our special Uplift In Kind whanau, the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter is one of New Zealand’s most trusted charities and has been around for more than 50 years. They operate three fully-dedicated Westpac Rescue Helicopters (two state-of-the-art Leonardo AW-169 helicopters and a BK-117) Flight crews consist of highly skilled Pilots, Air Crew Officers, Critical Care Paramedics and Pre-Hospital and Retrieval Medicine Doctors. They have already undertaken over 25,000 missions. We are delighted to partner with this wonderful community service to further enhance the lives of those in need of an Uplift In Kind.

Aspiring Helicopters

– Wanaka

Aspiring Helicopters was formed in 1995 by High Country Farmer Charlie Ewing and is now run by his daughter Alex and partner James Ford. Aspiring Helicopters have a wonderful team of skilled Kiwi pilots, ensuring our Uplift In Kind whānau are in great hands as they enjoy scenic helicopter flights to the stunning Southern Alps and beyond. All their scenic helicopter tours include high altitude landings, for photos and memories that will last a lifetime. We are thrilled to partner with Aspiring Helicopters, we know our special Uplift In Kind passengers will have no problem making awesome memories and cheeky smiles with this great team.

Volta Aviation

– Auckland

Volta Aviation go above and beyond, that’s just what they do. It’s also the reason why we are so excited to announce partnering with them. They have offered to bring joy to families in need by offering scenic helicopter flights around Auckland. These flights provide an escape from daily struggles and a chance to experience Auckland city’s beauty from above. Volta Aviation shares our commitment to positively impacting children’s and families lives. Their generosity will create unforgettable memories and pure joy for those who need it most. We can’t wait to see the smiles and hear the laughter. Thank you, Volta Aviation, for helping us spread joy from above!

Wanaka Helicopters

– Wanaka

Wanaka Helicopters is a family-owned and operated commercial helicopter operator and flight training school based in Wanaka. Founded in 1980 by Simon and Carolyn Spencer-Bower, they have grown into a premier flight training school and commercial operator at Wanaka Airport. Now led by Pete and Chris Spencer-Bower, the company’s strong family values shine through in every flight. Their team of highly trained pilots delivers top-tier aviation services, with safety at the core of everything they do. We’re thrilled to welcome Wanaka Helicopters to Uplift In Kind, helping us bring the joy of flight to their local community in the stunning Southern Lakes region!

Fly DC3

– Auckland

The FLY DC3 crew are committed to showing you a spectacular and memorable time in their DC3. They have operated their lovingly named “ Betsy” in New Zealand for over 30 years. From scenic flights, flying to concerts, events and airshows, display flights, parachute jumps, filming and so much more. Betsy and the crew at Fly DC3 can’t wait to welcome you on board for your trip down memory lane.