About us.
Main Divide Helicopters is run by Chris and Emily van der Salm from Springfield, Canterbury, where the plains meet the foothills of the Southern Alps.
Small Team. Serious Mountain Access.
The best parts of New Zealand tend to hide a little. Beyond the last fence line. Over the next ridgeline. Tucked into valleys, river systems and mountain ranges that most people never reach. That's what drew Chris and Emily to helicopters in the first place. Access.
Not in the practical sense, although helicopters are very good at that. Access to experiences, places and perspectives that change the way people see this part of the world.
Main Divide Helicopters grew from a training helicopter and a paddock in Springfield, a small Canterbury town sitting right where the plains run into the foothills of the Southern Alps.
It's a place where mountain forecasts become dinner-table conversation, where the weather shapes the week ahead and where a quick flight can take you into country that feels a world away from everything.
Over the years, Main Divide has evolved into a business that does a little bit of everything. Scenic flights. Helicopter safaris. Mountain weddings. Hunting access. Commercial operations. Flight training.
On paper, those services look quite different. In reality, they're all connected by the same idea. Helping people get somewhere meaningful.
Sometimes that's a mountain ridge where a couple exchange vows. Sometimes it's a remote valley a hunter has spent years wanting to explore. Sometimes it's a commercial project where the helicopter solves a problem that no vehicle can.
The destination changes.
The reason people climb into the aircraft changes.
The feeling they're chasing is remarkably similar.
Freedom. Adventure. Perspective. A story worth telling afterwards.
Main Divide remains a small owner-operated business, which means the people answering the phone are the same people making decisions, watching the weather and helping shape the experience.
Chris handles the flying. Emily keeps the moving parts moving. Between them sits a healthy respect for the mountains, an appreciation for good planning and a love for helping people experience this corner of New Zealand.
The helicopter gets most of the attention. Fair enough. They're hard to ignore.
The best part has always been what happens after the doors open and people step out into a place they never imagined they'd reach.
Chris.
Chris is the pilot in the seat and the person many clients meet on the day.
He is a commercial pilot, and B-Cat instructor with flying experience across New Zealand, Australia and Canada. His background spans training, commercial operations, remote work and mountain flying, which means he brings practical judgement to every flight.
For guests, that shows up as calm confidence. For commercial clients, it shows up as precision. For students, it shows up in the kind of instruction that teaches more than the hours in the logbook.
Emily.
Emily is across the planning, communication and moving parts that make the experience feel smooth before the helicopter starts.
She helps turn the first idea into a workable plan, keeping track of the details that matter: timing, logistics, partner communication, passenger information, gear, weather shifts and all the small pieces that make the day feel easy.
It is the kind of work that often happens behind the scenes, but you feel it when the flight runs as it should.
Three helicopters, each with a job to do.
AS350 Squirrel
A very common helicopter type in New Zealand, known for good lifting capability and being a comfortable passenger helicopter with excellent visibility from all seats.
950kg lift capability
5 passenger seats
Large cargo pod and internal storage available
MD520N Notar
Quiet and comfortable machine, great for lifting smaller, frequent loads into remote places. Known for its quietness, it’s a great machine for hunters, conservation work and flying over noise-sensitive areas.
500kg lift capability
4 passenger seats
Large cargo pod and internal storage available
Hughes300
An excellent training helicopter and works great for jobs such as mustering, pest control, or small lifting jobs.
200kg lift capability
Each aircraft suits a different kind of flying, from scenic experiences and alpine landings to hunting and fishing access, commercial operations and flight training. Having the right mix means the machine can be matched to the people, the gear, the terrain and the job in front of it.
A lot happens before the helicopter lifts.
The weather is watched. The route is thought through. The aircraft is kept clean. The gear is checked. The people are understood. The landing options are weighed up. The right call is made, even when it means changing the plan.
That is how Main Divide Helicopters works. Fast when it needs to be. Careful where it counts. Honest about conditions. Not precious, not corporate, not trying to turn every flight into a script.
Just a tight operation with good instincts and high standards.
Memories From The Mountains
