Our Team
Nick Nicholson
CEO & Chief Pilot
Nick has over 20 years experience and 7200+ flying hours in helicopters. He has specialised in Heli-skiing, Search and Rescue, Aerial Fire Fighting and Commercial Precision Long-Lining.
Nick grew up in Te Anau and has spent the majority of his flying career in the mountains of Southern New Zealand and Alaska.
Nick’s love and intimate knowledge of flying in the mountains of Fiordland and the Southern Lakes region eventually led him to set up Heli Glenorchy so he could share his passion and experience with visitors to the region.
Eric Scott
Pilot
Eric is a true local. Born and bred in Glenorchy with his family having a long history with the area you can be sure to hear many stories. He also knows the best spots!
Eric has accumulated 2,500+ hours of flying in the New Zealand skies. He has been involved in a variety of work; mustering, wild animal recovery and culling, long-lining, charter and scenic work, sluicing, aerial photography and filming, fencing, frost fighting, general commercial work and heli-skiing.
Away from working as a helicopter pilot, Eric will be on the farm, hunting in the hills, tinkering with machinery and metal work, and seeing his partner Steph.
Russ Harris
Pilot
Russ has been flying helicopters for 20 years. This extensive experience has been gained here in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. He has also held the position of Base Manager in Canada. Russ boasts over 7500+ flying hours.
He has a wealth of experience in both passenger service and commercial long lining work. Russ was Heli Glenorchy’s main pilot working with the NCTIR team involved in the Coast Road rebuild following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. Much of the slips covering the road needed to be sliuced by helicopter with 100ft long-lines and fire buckets. Russ alone dropped over 15 million litres of water over his 20 months on the job as well as laying 300m long mesh with by helicopter!
When Russ is not flying he spends time with his wife Lisa and two children in Kaikoura. He also enjoys hunting and diving.
