Solar & Renewables Helicopter Lifting in Queensland
A solar farm is a logistics problem with panels attached. We distribute across the array in cycles of about 4 to 6 minutes each, faster than a fleet of telehandlers on soft ground.
The problem
Why this lift is hard the conventional way
Utility-scale renewables cover square kilometres of ground that is often soft, remote and only partially formed during construction.
- Internal haul roads are the last thing built and the first thing damaged.
- Telehandler distribution across a large array is slow and weather-sensitive.
- Wind and hybrid sites sit on ridgelines with severe access constraints.
- Programme penalties make distribution delays extremely expensive.
How we do it
Aircraft, rigging, crew and duration
- Aircraft
- AS350, working maximum 800 kg on the hook
- Rigging method
- Cargo nets, pile cradles, long line with remote release
- Crew
- Pilot, loadmaster, staging pair, array receiving crews
- Typical duration
- Day-rate tasking aligned to your installation crews, about 4 to 6 minutes per cycle
- Distribution plan mapped against array rows and install sequence.
- Central staging point established with continuous load build-up.
- Receiving crews positioned at row heads with marked drop points.
- Continuous shuttle cycles, hot refuel to maximise loads per day.
Typical loads
What we lift, what it weighs, what it takes
| Item | Weight range | Aircraft | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panel pallet | 400–700 kg | AS350 | 4 min/cycle |
| Pile bundle | 400–780 kg | AS350 | 5 min/cycle |
| String inverter | 150–600 kg | AS350 | 6 min |
| Transformer skid (compact) | 500–780 kg | AS350 | 10 min |
| Battery module | 400–750 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
700 kg
Array distribution, 90 MW farm
Panel pallets distributed across 42 row heads while haul roads were still under repair, cycles under 5 minutes.
Wide Bay · AS350
760 kg
Ridgeline hybrid site
Transformer and battery modules placed on a summit with no formed access, each cycle about 10 minutes.
Rockhampton · AS350
700 kg
Remote community micro-grid
Complete generation and storage package flown in ahead of the wet, split into staged loads.
Cairns & Far North · AS350
Site requirements
What you need ready on the day
- Staging area with truck access and continuous load build-up crew.
- Marked drop points and receiving crews at each row head.
- Certified weights and slinging arrangement for all packaged loads.
- Site induction and exclusion zone management across the array.
- Approved refuelling point on or adjacent to site.
Cost factors
What moves the number
Loads per day
Distribution work is priced by flight hour; cycles per hour decide value.
Staging position
A central staging point can double the daily throughput.
Component class
Transformers and battery storage are packaged under 800 kg for the AS350.
Programme urgency
Short-notice recovery tasking carries a standby component.
Questions
Solar & renewables lifting, frequently asked
Coverage
Where we fly this work
We provide solar & renewables 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
Ready to book a lift?
Get an indicative price in about a minute, then a written quote.