Before you go
What to wear on an alpine helicopter flight
You will be standing on snow at altitude in whatever you walked out of the hotel in. In January that catches a lot of people out, because Queenstown at twenty-five degrees and a landing site at two degrees are the same afternoon.
Quick answer
Closed shoes, a warm layer you can carry, and sunglasses. That is the whole list. Everything else is comfort. The temperature at a landing site is roughly six or seven degrees lower for every thousand metres of climb, so a warm town and a cold landing are entirely normal.
The kit, at a glance
- Shoes
- Closedtrainers are fine, sandals are not
- Warm layer
- Carry onea jacket in your lap, not in the car
- Sunglasses
- Yessnow above the cloud is very bright
- Temperature drop
- About 6–7 °Cper 1,000 m of climb
- Gloves
- Winter onlyMay to August, if you want photographs
- Hat
- Only if it stays onnothing loose near a running rotor
- Bags
- Small onesthe cabin is shared and space is tight
- Camera strap
- Recommendedsoft snow swallows a dropped phone
- Bright clothing
- Helps photosagainst white snow and grey rock
- Heels
- Nothe ground is snow or gravel
What to wear
Five things, in order of how often people get them wrong
None of this is specialist kit. It is the ordinary stuff people leave in the hotel.
- Closed shoes
Trainers, walking shoes, anything that covers your foot. You will stand on snow for five to ten minutes. Sandals and flip-flops are the single most common mistake in summer.
- A jacket you are carrying, not one you left behind
It can be twenty-five degrees in Queenstown and near freezing on the landing site. Bring the layer into the aircraft with you.
- Sunglasses
Landing sites are often above the cloud, and fresh snow throws back a great deal of light. This matters even on a grey morning in town.
- Long trousers rather than shorts
Not a rule — just far more comfortable in the few minutes on the ground.
- Nothing loose on your head
Scarves, wide hats and hoods have to be held or left in the cabin near a running rotor.
What not to bring
Three things that cause problems
Small bag, no drone, and a strap on anything you would hate to lose.
A large bag. Cabins are small and shared. A day pack is usually fine and goes on your lap or in the boot; a suitcase-sized bag is not. If you are flying between towns, ask the operator before you arrive.
A drone. Every operator on this page will refuse to carry one into the aircraft cabin, and the landing sites are inside controlled airspace.
Anything you would be upset to drop. Phones and lens caps disappear into soft snow instantly. A wrist loop or a strap solves it.
Weight is asked at booking on most flights, and it is asked for balance rather than for any other reason — give the real figure and the operator will seat the machine properly.
The landing itself — how long, what the ground is like, how far you can walk.
What a snow landing is like→Common questions
Clothing, answered
What should I wear on a helicopter flight in New Zealand?
Closed shoes, a warm layer you carry with you, and sunglasses. Everything else is comfort.
How cold is it at the landing site?
Roughly six or seven degrees colder for every thousand metres of climb, so far colder than the town you left, in any month.
Can I wear sandals?
No. You will stand on snow for several minutes; closed shoes are needed.
Do I need gloves?
In winter, yes, if you want to take photographs on the snow. In summer most people manage without.
Why do they ask my weight?
For balance and seating. Give the real figure — it changes where you sit, not whether you fly.
Can I bring a bag?
A small one. Cabins are shared and tight; ask the operator first about anything larger than a day pack.
Go deeper
More on flying over New Zealand
What it costs
From $167 to $687, and what a minute in the air is worth.
The verdictWhich flight is best
One recommendation for each town, and why.
The glaciersThe glacier flights
Rainforest to blue ice in ninety seconds, from $196.
AorakiFlights at Aoraki
Under the highest mountain in New Zealand, from $207.
QueenstownFlights from Queenstown
Four flights, from the cheapest here to Milford Sound.
FiordlandMilford Sound by air
Ninety minutes that replaces a ten-hour drive.
