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Meet the team

Poppy

CEO / Pilot / Owner

Poppy is a line pilot and our CEO. She is from a local family of helicopter pilots and was brought up in the helicopter industry here in Glacier Country. The last thing she wanted to be growing up was a pilot but eventually the call was too strong, and she qualified as a commercial pilot in 2008. Combined with her passion to travel, Poppy's aviation career has seen her working overseas in Australia and New Zealand. These days we keep Poppy (aka Super Mum / Wonder Woman) pretty busy between her roles in the company and raising her and Gus's two daughters!

"If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life"

Gus

Operations Manager / Pilot / Owner

Gus was brought up in the Wanaka and West Coast aviation industries and is from a family lineage of aviators, dating back to when his grandfather Lieutenant Frederick Stanley Gordon began flying as a pilot in 1917. He has nearly 30 years of experience working in various parts of the industry and a wealth of skills he brings to the table as our lead pilot. Gus is our backcountry expert, and he'd happily spend his days on "Gus Adventures" as fondly referred to by many of our customers who have opted to sign up for a custom charter experience with him!

Megan

Business Development Manager

Megan is originally from the West Coast but only moved down to Glacier Country in 2019 after returning from her OE. She brought with her over 15 years of small business management experience, largely in the tourism industry both domestically and internationally. She keeps the wheels turning behind the scenes for GCH and the Gordon Family and you'll find her on the front desk for a chat on a pretty regular basis.

"If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room"

Mike

Line Pilot

Mike is a local South Westland lad. He gained his Commerical Pilots licence in 2009 and with his extensive ground crew experience is a key person in training any new ground crew. Mike moved back here full time in 2022 after spending 15 years splitting his time as a professional rugby referee in New Zealand and the United States of America. Mike has a passion for flying fishing and is fondly known as our CMO (Chief Morale Officer) with a never-ending line up of dad jokes!

    Fred

    GCC (Ground Crew Captain)

    Fred is a jack of all trades, and you’ll find him driving the van, loading the helicopters, manning the office, in the fuel truck and repairing an array of items. His background includes a wide range of experience in the agricultural, civil and computer/IT industries which makes him the perfect main man on the ground for us at GCH!

      Olly

      Line Pilot / Ground Crew

      Olly spent most of his life on a back country station so has a wide range of stock and contracting experience. He was a competitive skeet shooter, qualified as a commercial pilot and headed into agricultural aviation. Olly joined us for a season to gain some experience ground crewing in the tourism industry but fitted in so well he stayed on with us as permanent pilot. He works closely with Gus in the commercial side of our business and backs up our scenic flights where required.

        Bri

        Team Leader

        Bri grew up in Northland and lived in Queenstown for five years studying hospitality management and managed thirty staff before moving to Franz Josef in 2023. She loves the West Coast lifestyle and sharing its secrets with customers. Bri is often the first point of contact for our clients and leads the office ground crew while supporting Megan and Poppy with administration on a day-to-day basis.

        Rachel

        Line Pilot

        Rachel splits her time between her deer farm (raising velvet and venison) and flying helicopters in both Canterbury and for us in Franz Josef. An experienced pilot, with over 10 years flying and a back ground in aviation, which includes some international contracts as an agricultural pilot in Canada.

          Edine

          Line Pilot

          Eddie is originally from the Netherlands and first came to New Zealand on her OE as a backpacker then tour leader. She fell in love with the country and moved here permentally fifteen years ago to train as a pilot. Eddie splits her time between Franz Josef & her home in the North Island.

            Dave

            Ground Crew

            Dave has been a local icon in the South Westland region for many years. He’s volunteered in a huge variety of our local community groups for many decades! A couple of years ago he sold up his farm, retired from all his roles to enjoy the good life but soon got itchy feet. A random conversation at the Whataroa Shop over a coffee & pie resulted in him joining the team as casual ground crew & van driver where he is an absolute asset to our team!

              John

              Deputy Operations Manager

              John Funnell is our company ‘godfather’ with over 40+ years of mountain flying experience in the aviation industry. He was one of New Zealand's longest serving rescue helicopter pilots and when he retired in 2016, he published some of his stories in his book Rescue Pilot - which is well worth a read!

                Jonty the Cat

                Security / Pest Control

                Jonty was adopted from the SPCA as a kitten in 2017 and is head security officer at the hangar. He keeps a sharp eye on everything happening and doesn’t hesitate for a pat down with visitors. He’s also known to check out new vehicles in the car park and has accidentally hitched a ride into town previously! His instincts always see him come home safely, where pest control is one of his favourite hobbies.