Glacier Country Helicopters · Franz Josef village
A family-run helicopter company flies you 25 minutes over Franz Josef Glacier and lands for about 10 minutes high in the Southern Alps. Read the small print first: in summer the landing site can be bare rock rather than snow.
Glacier Country Helicopters was started in 2014 by two commercial pilots, Poppy and Gus Gordon, and flies from Franz Josef township. The Glacier Explorer is its shortest landing flight: 25 minutes over the crevasses of Franz Josef Glacier, with a view of Mount Elie de Beaumont, and about 10 minutes on the ground in the Southern Alps. Check in 30 minutes early at 10 Main Road and allow about 70 minutes for the whole thing.
The catch, in the listing's own words: "In summer the alpine landing site may have no snow & be a rocky mountain side." The operator also says this flight has the highest cancellation rate of its range, because it has one route and one landing site with no backup. Guests on bad days have been offered a flight without the landing, an upgrade to the 35-minute flight with a snow landing elsewhere, or a full refund. If weather stops the landing, the listing refunds the $30 landing fee and shortens the flight.
Otherwise it's the same deal as the Glacier Helicopters flight: about 10 minutes out of the helicopter and no hiking. Guests rate the pilots' commentary highly. Passengers of 120 kg and over must buy a comfort seat at half price, and there are two high, ladder-style steps into the helicopter, so mention any mobility issue when you book.
Glacier Country Helicopters' office in Franz Josef. Briefing first; guests report a short drive to the helipad.
Up the valley, over the icefall and its crevasses, toward Mount Elie de Beaumont.
Snow when the season allows; in summer it may be rock.
Fly down and head back to the office. Allow about 70 minutes in all.
★★★★★We had booked to fly in the morning but unfortunately the weather conditions were not ideal and the staff at Glacier Country Helicopters rescheduled our flight to late afternoon when the weather was better. [...] Our helicopter pilot Mark has a wonderful sense of humour, keeping his commentary informative and light hearted.
★★★★★We originally booked for the 25min flight but upgraded to the 35min on the day due to cloud cover. Staff were extremely lovely and very accommodating. They communicated the issue early and offered multiple options including a full refund if we didn't want to upgrade.
★★★★★We felt very safe in the capable hands of Mark our pilot and we were impressed by the stunning views. We were very lucky with the weather and able to land on the glacier, after a couple of days with poor weather conditions.
★★★★★It was amazing to do heli landing on the glacier. The pilot Mark is great! He brought us around before landing on the Franz Joseph glacier.
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Not always. The listing says snow on this flight is seasonal, and in summer the site may be a rocky mountainside. For guaranteed snow, the operator points you to a longer flight.
If weather stops the landing, the listing refunds the $30 landing fee and the flight is shortened by the landing time. Guests have also been offered an upgrade or a full refund.
Passengers of 120 kg and over, weighed at check-in, must buy a comfort seat at half the flight price. Tell the office about limited mobility too: there are two high steps into the helicopter.
Both last 25 minutes with about 10 minutes on the ground. The Glacier Helicopters flight sells it as a snow landing; the Glacier Explorer warns of a rock landing in summer. Outside summer, pick on price and time slots.
Ready to book
A 25-minute flight over Franz Josef Glacier with a landing high in the mountains.
25-Minute Glacier Flight with Snow Landing25 minutes over the Franz Josef icefall with about 10 minutes on the snow. No hiking, fine for kids from 4.★ 4.9 · 25 minutes · from $236
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