FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How long are gift vouchers valid for?

All gift vouchers purchased in NSW by law are valid for 3 years. If your gift voucher is older than 3 years you will never lose the original value, you will just have to pay the difference between the price paid when the voucher was purchased and the current price.

Are there any medical conditions that will prevent me from flying? Blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma, pregnancy, wheelchair, oxygen bottle.

Your ability to fly is assessed on a case-by-case basis and which flight option you are wishing to take. If you have any issues you think may affect your ability to fly, please let us know and we will discuss the options with you.

Can I get a refund?

Yes, just email or call the office and we can organise a refund for you.

What if I want to add an extra person after purchasing a gift voucher or after making a booking?

You can simply pay the extra on the day.
If the change in plans is close to your flight date, we would need to check that we have an appropriately sized helicopter available for your new booking prior to confirming that the change is OK. If we don’t have a suitable aircraft available, we may need to change the date of your flight to ensure we can accommodate all the passengers.

Why is the 1-person flight cost so expensive?

We do not operate a single passenger helicopter so have to use the same aircraft as we do to carry more passengers therefore the costs are the same as a multi person flight.

Can I film the flight?

We do not record or offer for sale videos of your flight. You are free to use your own camera or phone to record your experience as long as you follow the safety directions of your pilot.

Do you film the flight? Can I buy a film of my flight?

I say no as to instal a camera, no matter how small, requires an engineering order (which I then go on to explain what that is). I also say that we trialled it for a while but the editing takes longer than the flight!

Can I fly the plane/helicopter?

Unfortunately you cannot fly the aircraft on one of our scenic or adventure flights.
If you are interested in flying helicopters, our Fleet Helicopters Flight Training School can offer a Trial Introductory Flight where you are able actually fly the aircraft. Please contact the office for more information.

Are there age limits? Upper and lower

No there is no age limit. In our experience however, very young children (about 3 or under) do not usually enjoy the experience. We do not have specialty hearing protection for little heads and would definitely not wish to damage a child’s hearing.
If you wish to fly with a young child, please contact our office and we can discuss this with you.

How does the weather affect the flight

The effect of the weather will depend on which flight option you have chosen.
For our helicopter scenic flights, we can fly perfectly safely unless there is limited visibility due to low level cloud, fog or rain or if the wind is too strong. We normally don’t recommend a helicopter scenic flight in wind conditions over 13 knots (about 25km/hr) simply because the flight can be bumpy in the gorge country and can be little bit uncomfortable for inexperienced flyers.
If you have chosen a warbird adventure flight a low cloud basecan prevent us from climbing high enough for aerobatics. We can absolutely still go if it’s cloudy, but it will depend on how low the cloud base is as whether or not we can complete the aerobatic section of the flight.

How much notice do you need? Can I go today?

Notice will depend on aircraft and pilot availability. Usually with about a week’s notice we can generally ensure that we will have a pilot and the right helicopter available.
If you call on the day, we may well be able to take you on your adventure but we cant guarantee it.
During the Spring and Summer fire season, we conduct emergency fire fighting for the NSW Rural Fire Service and can be called out to assist the community at short notice. In periods of high fire activity you may need to be flexible with your booking.

Do I need to turn my phone/portable electronic device off?

No, it won’t affect the aircraft instruments. You are free to use your device to capture photos and video. You will however need to follow any directions given to you by the pilot regarding the use or safe stowage of your device.

What are the risks – IS IT SAFE?

Fleet Adventures values the safety of our passengers above all else. We operate to a safety-first culture across all our flight and ground operations and take great pride in the quality of our pilots, engineering services and our safety record overall.

Do you have merchandise (hats, T-shirts)?

Hats, T-shirts, hoodies and coffee mugs are available to purchase when you return from your flight if you wish.

Can I get airsick?

It is VERY RARE for passengers to get airsick. Across our adventure options we do offer the complete range from ‘Mild’ to ‘Wild’, but passenger comfort is a priority for all of our flights and our pilots are trained in flight specific flight techniques to ensure this.
In the very remote chance you do begin to feel sick please let the pilot know. If we don’t know, we can’t do anything about it.
Our pilots are trained to look out for passenger that suddenly go quiet – please don’t be offended if our flight crew ask if you are ‘feeling OK?’.

Can we land in the National Park?

Our beautiful gorge country is a World Heritage listed Wilderness Area and therefore needs to be protected. We are unable to land anywhere we like in the gorges but do have options for an on-ground experience. Please contact the office to discuss the options.

Do you take the doors off the helicopters?

We can absolutely take the doors off if you wish. It can be a bit windy but it’s absolutely exhilarating, perfectly safe and no question the best way to fly. You are required to wear a seat belt for the entire flight and due to our pilot’s passenger comfort flight techniques you will feel your bottom firmly in your seat at all times.

Will it be cold?  

This will depend on the time of year and the flight chosen. It is more likely to require warmer clothing if you are flying ‘doors off’. Armidale is at 3500 feet above sea level and does have a variable climate where we can get all 4 seasons in one day. You will definitely need warmer attire in winter and it would even pay to bring something warmer in summer, just in case.

What if I have more people than will fit in one helicopter?

If there are more people than can fit in one aircraft we can take more aircraft at the same time. We can accommodate up to 12 passengers in one helicopter but when a booking has required the use of more than one aircraft passengers find the experience even better as you can film each other in the air. It’s great fun.

Are the waterfalls running?

We are careful never to advertise our scenic adventures as ‘Waterfall Flights’. The catchment areas the feed each of the waterfalls in our beautiful gorge country is not large. After a rain event the waterfalls flow well but if there has been significant time between rain events the volume flowing over the falls does reduce quite quickly.
The Wollomombi Falls (part of the Flight of the 10 Gorges) is generally more reliable as it does have a larger catchment area.

We can’t guarantee the falls will be flowing but rest assured the gorges are spectacular even when there isn’t a lot of water – you won’t be disappointed.

I have a food allergy is that ok for your picnic flights?

We can cater to all food tastes and dietary requirements. Please let us know when you make your booking of any dietary requirements.

On the wilderness adventures and picnic flights do you drop us off and come back or does the helicopter stay with us?

The aircraft will stay with you on site but the pilot will give you plenty of privacy.  

On the wilderness adventures and picnic flights do we have mobile phone reception?

As a general rule, no.
All of our aircraft are fitted with satellite tracking technology, so we know where you are at all times and in areas where there is no mobile coverage our pilots have the ability to make all required communications via satellite.

Can i get a refund?

Gift vouchers and flight orders are not refundable or redeemable for cash. A refund will not be given for a “no show”. All other refund requests are at the discretion of Fleet Helicopters.

Refunds for purchases via third party websites, booking agents, travel agents or from other deals, must refer to the terms and conditions upon the purchase conditions with such companies from where the product was purchased.

Fleet Adventures will take you on a helicopter or jet flight experience you will never forget.

From our Warbird and Jet Adventures to our Helicopter discovery flights, there is an adventure to satisfy just about everyone.

Piloted by one of the countries most respected and experienced airmen, Lachie Onslow, feel the adrenaline rush of a L-39 Albatross fighter jet as you rocket to an altitude of over 8,000 feet, or charter a helicopter and experience some of the most breathtaking scenery Australia has to offer.

So, if you are searching for the adventure of a lifetime, come and make great memories with Fleet Adventures today.