Chiller replacement, 22-storey tower
Crane quote required a two-day lane closure. Flown in a 90-minute Sunday window instead.
BrisbaneH125
Helicopter Lifting · Parker Aero
HVAC & Rooftop Plant Lifting in Queensland
Old unit out, new unit in, same morning. Rooftop plant replacement without closing a lane of traffic or standing a 200-tonne crane in the loading dock.
02
The problem
Why this lift is hard the conventional way
Rooftop plant sits at the worst possible place for a crane: high, set back from the parapet, and above a street you cannot close.
- Boom reach over a parapet demands a very large, very expensive crane.
- CBD standing space requires lane closures, traffic management and police.
- Tenants and retail below cannot be disrupted during business hours.
- A failed chiller is an emergency; a crane booking is not.
03
How we do it
Aircraft, rigging, crew and duration
- Aircraft
- Airbus H125 for units to 1,000 kg; Black Hawk beyond
- Rigging method
- 40 m long line, remote release hook, four-leg sling set
- Crew
- Pilot, loadmaster, rooftop rigging pair, street-level controller
- Typical duration
- 60–120 minutes on task for a swap-out
- 01Structural check of the roof landing point and crane-free route to plinth.
- 02Old unit isolated, disconnected and pre-rigged by your mechanical contractor.
- 03Exclusion zone over the street or forecourt, held by marshals.
- 04Removal flight, then placement flight; unit landed onto anti-vibration mounts.
04
Typical loads
What we lift, what it weighs, what it takes
| Item | Weight range | Aircraft | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split system condenser | 80–260 kg | H125 | 3 min/cycle |
| Air handling unit | 400–900 kg | H125 | 10 min |
| Packaged chiller | 900–2,400 kg | H125 / Black Hawk | 14 min |
| Cooling tower | 1,200–3,000 kg | Black Hawk | 18 min |
| Exhaust fan array | 150–500 kg | H125 | 5 min/cycle |
Indicative only. Working payload reduces with radius, temperature and density altitude; every load is confirmed against the day's conditions.
05
The Lift Envelope
Check a hvac & rooftop plant lifting job in 60 seconds
Lift calculator
05 questions · ~30 sec · no contact detailsAnswer 5 questions. Find out if your lift flies — and what it costs.
Enter the load, the weight, the region and the site access. The instruments on the right update live, and you get a written estimate you can download.
- 01Can it be flownfeasibility verdict
- 02Which aircrafthook capacity match
- 03What it costsindicative $ range
Question 02 of 05— How heavy?
40% completeQuestion 2 of 5: How heavy?
How heavy?
1,180kg
HVAC or rooftop plant — hook capacity across the fleet runs to 4,000 kg.
Payload vs hook
AT 20 mAirbus H125EXCEEDS HOOK
1,180 kg / 863 kgBlack Hawk32% OF HOOK
1,180 kg / 3,699 kgLoad chart — payload / radius
1,180 kg @ 20 m
Airbus H125
Hook 1,000 kg
EXCEEDS HOOK
118% of hook
Black Hawk
Hook 4,000 kg
GO
30% of hookRecommended
Load chart — payload / radius
1,180 kg @ 20 m
Airbus H125
Hook 1,000 kg
EXCEEDS HOOK
118% of hook
Black Hawk
Hook 4,000 kg
GO
30% of hookRecommended
Your result — pending
- Feasibility— — —
- Recommended aircraft— — —
- Indicative price range— — —
Answer all 05 questions to release the readout.
06
Related work
Lifts we have flown
Hospital AHU array
Six units exchanged over a live emergency department with zero ground disruption.
TownsvilleH125
Shopping centre cooling towers
Two towers replaced before trading hours; car park reopened by 09:00.
Gold CoastBlack Hawk
07
Site requirements
What you need ready on the day
01Structural sign-off for the roof landing and plinth positions.
02Plant isolated, drained and disconnected before the window.
03Certified lifting lugs or an approved sling arrangement on each unit.
04Ground-level exclusion zone with marshals and building notification.
05Roof access for our rigging pair and a safe working platform at the plinth.
08
Cost factors
What moves the number
Unit weight
Crossing 1,000 kg moves the task to the Black Hawk.
Number of units
Batching swaps into one mobilisation is the single biggest saving.
Building height and setback
Longer lines and tighter parapets add cycle time.
Window timing
Out-of-hours windows attract standby, not premium flight rates.
09
Questions
HVAC & rooftop plant lifting — frequently asked
10
Coverage
We provide hvac & rooftop plant lifting across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba & Darling Downs, Wide Bay, Rockhampton & Capricorn Coast, Mackay & Whitsundays, Townsville, Cairns & Far North Queensland, Mount Isa & North West Queensland, Moreton Bay & Islands and everywhere else in Queensland — mobilising from 0.3 hours in Brisbane to 5.8 hours in the North West.