Island & Remote Access Helicopter Lifting in Queensland
No barge, no wharf, no wait. Loads delivered to islands and roadless sites in about 20 minutes of flight time per cycle, on your schedule rather than the tide's.
The problem
Why this lift is hard the conventional way
Island logistics run on barge slots, tides and wharf capacity. Miss the window and a two-hour job waits a fortnight.
- Barge schedules are weekly and weather-dependent.
- Many islands have no wharf capable of taking heavy plant.
- Landing craft still require a beach and a vehicle at the far end.
- Remote mainland sites can be a full day's drive from the nearest depot.
How we do it
Aircraft, rigging, crew and duration
- Aircraft
- AS350, working maximum 800 kg on the hook
- Rigging method
- Long line with flotation-rated cargo nets where required
- Crew
- Pilot, loadmaster, mainland rigging pair, island receiving pair
- Typical duration
- Half to full day depending on cycle distance, about 20 minutes flight time per crossing
- Over-water route planning with flotation and survival equipment carried.
- Mainland staging established as close to the crossing as practical.
- Landowner, national park or resort approvals confirmed.
- Shuttle cycles flown continuously; loads received by island crew.
Typical loads
What we lift, what it weighs, what it takes
| Item | Weight range | Aircraft | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building materials pallet | 400–700 kg | AS350 | 6 min/cycle |
| Water tank (empty) | 200–650 kg | AS350 | 10 min |
| Generator or plant unit | 400–780 kg | AS350 | 14 min |
| ATV or small equipment | 300–650 kg | AS350 | 12 min |
| Solar and battery package | 300–700 kg | AS350 | 8 min |
Indicative only. Working payload reduces with radius, temperature and density altitude; every load is confirmed against the day's conditions.
Get your price range in a minute
Tell us the load and the site. You see an indicative range before we ask for your details. From $14,000 plus GST.
Request a liftRelated work
Lifts we have flown
740 kg
Resort plant replacement
Barge cancelled by weather. Old and new units exchanged the same afternoon, each crossing about 20 minutes.
Moreton Bay & Islands · AS350
650 kg
Whitsundays construction supply
Thirty-one cycles across two days to a site with no barge landing.
Mackay & Whitsundays · AS350
700 kg
Cape research station resupply
Fuel, water tanks and equipment delivered ahead of the wet season in staged loads.
Cairns & Far North · AS350
Site requirements
What you need ready on the day
- Cleared receiving area on the island with a marshalling contact.
- Mainland staging area with vehicle access for load build-up.
- Approvals from the landowner, resort or national parks authority.
- Loads packaged for over-water flight and secured against downwash.
- Confirmed weights per load, over-water margins are not negotiable.
Cost factors
What moves the number
Crossing distance
Cycle time over water is the dominant variable.
Total load count
Shuttle work is priced by the hour, so cycles per hour matter most.
Staging proximity
A close mainland staging point can halve the flight time.
Approvals
National park and marine park sites require additional lead time.
Questions
Island & remote access lifting, frequently asked
Coverage
Where we fly this work
We provide island & remote access 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 18 min in Brisbane to 5.8 hours in the North West.
Related services
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