# Helicopters (NZ)

Helicopters New Zealand or HNZ was a New Zealand–based helicopter operator serving the oil and gas, EMS and government markets. Operating a mix of light and medium turbine-engined helicopters, it performed helicopter transport and air work for a number of private and government clients across Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and Antarctica.

## History

Founded in 1955 in Timaru, New Zealand, Helicopters New Zealand commenced operations with a Bell 47, conducting agricultural operations on the New Zealand South Island. The company grew and started providing helicopter air work services for the Government of New Zealand and oil and gas clients in the 1960s.
In 1992, Helicopters New Zealand bought West Coast Helicopters renaming it Helicopters (Australia) Pty Ltd and obtained a foothold in the Australian Helicopter market.
In 2011, HNZ was purchased by Canadian Helicopters. In 2012, Canadian Helicopters Group Inc., the parent company for Canadian Helicopters and HNZ, changed its name to HNZ Group Inc.
HNZ Group Inc's operations in the Pacific were sold to Petroleum Helicopters International in October 2017. The remainder of HNZ Group Inc. was taken private and continued operations as Canadian Helicopters Limited.

## Clients

HNZ operated on behalf of the following organisations:
* Shell-Todd Oil (Oil & Gas)
* Rio Tinto (Pilot Transfers)
* FESA WA (Firebombing)
* Origin Energy (Oil & Gas)
* Esso (Oil & Gas)

## Fleet
### Helicopters (NZ) fleet 1955 to 2006

| Aircraft | Introduced | Retard | Notes |
| Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama | 1971 | 1996 | Six helicopters |
| Aerospatiale SA 318C Alouette II Astazou | 1975 | 1977 | One helicopter |
| Aerospatiale SE 3160, SA 316A Alouette III | 1969 | 1971 | Two helicopters |
| Aerospatiale SA 316C Alouette III | 1975 | 1978 | Three helicopters |
| Bell 47D | 1957 | 1963 | Two helicopters |
| Bell 47D-1 | 1957 | 1965 | Three helicopters |
| Bell 47G | 1963 | 1968 | One helicopter |
| Bell 47G-2 | 1965 | 1968 | One helicopter |
| Bell 47G-3B | 1965 | 1970 | Three helicopters |
| Bell 47G-3B1 | 1969 | 1981 | Six helicopters |
| Bell 47G-4 | 1965 | 1980 | Five helicopters |
| Bell 47G-4A | 1969 | 1981 | Five helicopters |
| Bell 47J-2 Ranger | 1968 | 1985 | Three helicopters |
| Bell 47J-2A Ranger | 1964 | 1965 | One helicopter |
| Bell 205A Huey | 1968 | 1969 | One helicopter |
| Bell 206A JetRanger | 1968 | 1969 | One helicopter |
| Bell 206B JetRanger | 1974 | 1994 | Six helicopters |
| Bell 206B-2 JetRanger | 1985 | Current | Four helicopters. Three Bell 206B-2 jetRangers were still in service in 2006. |
| Bell 206B-3 JetRanger | 1982 | Current | Three helicopters. Three Bell 206B-3 JetRangers were still in service in 2006. |
| Bell 212 | 1975 | Current | Seven helicopters. One Bell 212 was still in service in 2006. |
| Bell 412 | 2002 | Current | One helicopter |
| Bell 412EP | 2004 | Current | One helicopter |
| Bell 412SP | 1999 | Current | One helicopter |
| Cessna 208B Grand Caravan | 2003 | 2004 | One aircraft |
| Eurocopter AS 350B Squirrel | 1982 | Current | 12 helicopters. Two were in service in 2006. |
| Eurocopter AS 350B1 Squirrel | 1998 | 1998 | One helicopter |
| Eurocopter AS 350B2 Squirrel | 1991 | Current | 18 helicopters. 11 were still in service in 2006. |
| Eurocopter AS 350B3 Squirrel | 1988 | Current | Eight helicopters. Four were still in service in 2006 |
| Eurocopter AS 350BA Squirrel | 1980 | Current | 15 helicopters. Eight were still in service in 2006. |
| Eurocopter AS 350D Squirrel | 1994 | Current | Four helicopters. Two were still in service in 2006. |
| Eurocopter AS 350D(BA) Squirrel | 1998 | Current | Two helicopters. Eight were still in service in 2006. |
| Eurocopter EC 120 Colibri | 2003 | 2004 | One helicopter |
| Hughes 396, 500C | 1978 | 1981 | One helicopter |
| Hughes 369HS, 500C | 1975 | 1976 | One helicopter |
| Hughes 369D, 500D | 1977 | 2004 | Nine helicopters |
| Hughes 369E | 2002 | 2004 | One helicopter |
| Piper PA-23 Aztec | 1976 | 1982 | One aircraft |
| Robinson R.44 II | 2004 | 2005 | One aircraft |
| Sikorsky S-55B | 1962 | 1963 | One helicopter. It crashed near Patea on 13 March 1963. |
| Sikorsky S-58ET | 1974 | 1984 | Two leased helicopters. The first S-58ET was leased form Cordan International. It was in service from 1974 to 1979. The second S-58ET was in service from 1983 to 1984. |
| Sikorsky S-61N | 1976 | 1984 | Two leased helicopters. The first S-61N was leased from Okanaga Helicopters, Vancouver. It was in service from 1976 to 1978. The second S-61N was in service from 1983 to 1984. |
| Sikorsky S-76A+ Spirit | | | Two helicopters |
As of April 2012, the HNZ fleet consisted of over 45 aircraft:
* 15 x Eurocopter AS350 Series
* 2 x Eurocopter EC135 Series
* 1 x Eurocopter EC130 Series
* 3 x Eurocopter EC145 Series
* 3 x AgustaWestland AW139 Series
* 4 x Bell 412 Series
* 3 x AW109SP