Precision Helicopters Finds New Heights on the West Coast

For Matt and Tammy Newton, a shift from Taranaki to the West Coast marked the beginning of a new chapter—not just for their family, but for their business, Precision Helicopters.

Founded in the late 1990s from a shed on a North Taranaki farm, the company originally focused on agriculture and oil and gas work. But when the Government announced an end to new offshore oil and gas exploration in 2018, everything changed. With around 80% of their work tied to that industry, the Newtons had to act fast.

At the same time, Matt’s brother was taking over the family farm, and the couple saw an opportunity to relocate. In 2019, they moved the business to Hokitika—where Tammy had family roots—and took a chance on a new environment.

“Flying in the Southern Alps was totally new for us,” says Matt. “But it felt like an adventure—and it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world to fly.”

The move opened up new opportunities in tourism, particularly in scenic flights over the Southern Alps. With help from local farmers Alvin and Kay Godfrey, the Newtons secured landing rights in the remote and spectacular Whitcombe Valley.

But just as their new operation was gaining momentum, Covid-19 hit—and with it came serious setbacks.

“We’d just bought a house, taken on debt for a new aircraft, and still had 12 staff in New Plymouth,” says Matt. “Then we found out the aircraft engine wasn’t what we’d been told, and the tourists stopped coming.”

To weather the storm, they sold what they could, accessed the Government’s wage subsidy, and upskilled through training programmes. Matt and his daughter Lilly—now a qualified pilot—completed advanced mountain flying courses to build capability for the future.

“People often get emotional—it’s overwhelming for them,” Matt says of their signature $600-per-person “bucket list” tour, which departs from Hokitika Gorge and flies over six remote glaciers. “They call it the best tour in the world.”

While tourism plays a major role in the business, it’s far from the only one. Precision Helicopters also supports agriculture, conservation, firefighting, hunting, and increasingly—film and media projects.

“Filming in the gorge was intense,” says Lilly. “We had to train specifically for it and even set up scaffold landing platforms. But it was incredibly rewarding—we’d love to bring more film work to the Coast.”

Their aviation story spans generations. Matt’s father, Harold, flew fighter bombers during WWII and received the Distinguished Flying Cross from King George VI. In 1947, he famously piloted a tiny American Ercoupe 19,000km from Belgium to New Plymouth.

Now, with three of their children involved in the family business, the Newtons have firmly planted their future on the Coast.

“Tourism’s back, and for the first time, I think we’re really sustainable,” says Matt. “We’re still excited about this adventure. We’re not burned out—we’re just getting started.”