A helicopter sightseeing tour is hands down one of the best travel experiences I had on the road. It is absolutely epic. Taking a helicopter sightseeing trip is a thing to do when you are in this part of the world. New Zealand is one of the best destinations in the world to view from the air! I was excited to undertake The Ultimate Alpine Experience with INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters during my time in Mt Cook. One of the most unique selling point about INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters is that The Ultimate Alpine Experience is that you get to try out both the Thank you for the extension of the media rate and invite from Matt. Do check them out if you are keen to do so. You will never be disappointed with getting up in the air here.
Booking Process
Besides booking direct, you can also check out Bookme, they have deals from time to time. This is a good place to compare the rates with booking directly. Thanks, Matt from INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters for arranging this. Prices start from 449 NZD. When booking, you can check all the requirements for doing a tour like this. Passengers 116kg and over will only be able to fly depending on the weights of other passengers on the day, at check-in. Scarves and loose items are not allowed. In summer, all you will need is a light sweater or jacket, sunglasses and of course, a camera. During winter you will have to get a warmer winter jacket/coat and closed-in shoes.
Do also note that tours like this are very dependent on the weather. Despite having a confirmation, be prepared that the tour or the flight get cancelled. It is always subject to cancellation if the weather isn’t suitable for flying. Check a day before or the morning before your flight. If it’s cancelled due to weather you will be fully refunded.
Arrival & Checking In
You will have to arrive at the airport around 45 mins before your flight. Just get to Mt Cook Airport. You will get there with directions from Google Maps. There is plenty of parking.
Once you enter the terminal or the building, you will be able to find the Mt Cook desk. You will check-in for the flight and have your weight taken. Do note that it includes everything on you such as shoes and jackets. After all, all of it goes onboard too.
You will then be given wristbands to determine which flight you will be going on. We spent the rest of our time at the airport checking out the helicopters.
This experience will usually include a ski plane and helicopter ride where you take one up to the glacier before exchanging to the other and returning to it. They are the only operator in the region that offers both experiences. Sadly, on the day of my flight there is an issue with the ski plane and it is under maintenance. We are only going to get the AS350. This is a helicopter that can sit 6 pax. We had a short briefing before departure. I am very lucky to only have 2 other passengers.
The Ultimate Alpine Experience
I am doing The Ultimate Alpine Experience Combo which is a 45 mins experience and this includes a glacier snow landing. You can find the route taken here. They also have other flight experience available.
We departed slightly early and took off from Mt Cook Airport. Immediately, I was already in wow of the surrounding areas. The views are amazing. I got one of the back seats for the first half of the flight. Here are some pictures! Check out my Instagram for additional pictures and videos! The flight wasn’t too fast and you can get an amazing panoramic view of the area.
Finally after about a 25 mins flight, we landed on a patch of soft white fluffy ice! I love that the pilot will shut off the engine after landing and we can get the peace of the Mt Cook area.
Right up with mother nature! We landed at an altitude of about 8000 ft and around 15 mins here. How gorgeous is this! It can get slippery at times on the ice so do wear something suitable. The pilot was a really cool guy. He immediately offers to help us with plenty of pictures. I got so many pictures here!
We were supposed to switch to the Ski Plane after the glacier landing but sadly the ski plane isn’t available due to a crack. For the second part of the flight, I got the front seat. The views are impeccable. Being in the cockpit, the views are even more expansive. Do note that you might not get it since there is a total of 6 seats onboard the aircraft and on each experience only a maximum of 2 people will get to experience it. You can of course secure it by getting a private flight. We pass by the summit of Mt Cook. Soon it was time to get back to Mt Cook Airport!
Conclusion
Don’t forget to check out Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters as well as INFLITE. I had an amazing experience. This is hands down one of the top 10 travel experiences I had on the road and I am saying this after visiting more than 145 places in the world. You can’t say that you have been to NZ South Island if you didn’t check out Mt Cook. If you are in this part of the world, I will recommend you to do so. Doing a helicopter sightseeing tour is also more affordable here than in Switzerland or something. NZ have one of the highest safety standards. If you could swing it, you will not be disappointed. I can’t wait for my next helicopter flight. Let me say that this is far better than any business class and first-class flights. Kinda hooked on helicopter sightseeing tours nowadays.
This was an invited visit on a media rate
Seeing The World In Steps 
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