Community Benefits from Business Support of Local Aerial Services
The aeroplanes and helicopters of AirAg, Aircair and Goondiwindi Helicopters provide the Goondiwindi community and farmers with a truely local flying service. This service exists due to the full support of the local businesses and farmers.

Grant Carrigan of Goondiwindi Helicopters has kindly provided the photographs displayed on the front cover of this year's Pocket Book.

Rather than obtaining flying services from far off regions, our district's farmers have been supporting the establishment of these local firms. Grant is particularly pleased with being able to attract significant amounts of local business instead of seeing it go to Toowoomba or Brisbane. This constant support from graziers and farmers ensures that these services continue to stay in the local area.

The provision of on-going services in a regular pattern can be provided so securely and easily when the aircrafts are based locally: Goondiwindi Helicopters do feral pest eradication, power line inspections, stock mustering, photography, film, spotting and surveying, dropping, surveillance, charter and sling load operations for cargo and fodder, even grocery and medical deliveries and drops of farm parts and equipment. Additionally AirAg and Aircair do aerial spraying and spreading.

The Goondiwindi Helicopters R44 and R22 (Photo: Grant Carrigan)

Timely, quick response has been the hallmark of these operations, especially when threatened with floods. The locally based helicopters are able to get straight onto the job for flood and disaster relief, as well as and much more.

The front cover photos show:
An urgently required fodder drop. Ensuring the cattle have a feed drop; especially important for these cattle marooned on an island during a flood at Dalby. Mustering a large amount of cattle from the water to drier land at Toobeah. Experienced GH staffer Jack Pearcey, taking a break before refueling a helicopter. The GH logo.

In March 2010, Goondiwindi Helicopters commenced trading with an American built R22 from Robinson Helicopters. Since then they have purchased one additional R22 and an R44; these are the workhorses for the farm and government jobs.

The recently purchased R66 Rolls Royce turbine helicopter carries a pilot and four passengers in air-conditioned luxury, with a large baggage bay, larger sling loads and is capable of cruising at higher speeds than a R44. The R66 will be a popular flying choice for passengers throughout the southwest of Queensland and into northern New South Wales.

Steady work through good weather is the mainstay of any business, but when nature throws up fires, storms and floods, Goondiwindi Helicopters puts its resources to work for the community. In the recent flood years they have provided aerial support right throughout the south eastern part of the state including Grantham and Toowoomba. In January 2013, they also provided support in the rural areas of Dalby, Condamine, Goondiwindi, Walgett, Coonamble and Narrabri Districts.

There have been various disastrous circumstances where Goondiwindi Helicopters have been able to assist; ranging from flood relief, infrastructure repairs and surveillance to general aerial work and urgent charter operations.

These times saw a large need for rescuing stranded livestock on small islands soon to be overcome by fast rising flood waters. The stock were required to be swum to much higher and safer grounds, which then demanded frequent follow up on aerial fodder drops of hay until such a time that the water had resided.

Recent years have seen record amounts of rain, thunder storms and flood waters that have passed across our local and not so local districts.

R66 Rolls Royce turbine helicopter carries a pilot and four passengers in air-conditioned luxury