location scouting for new heli tour company

[szbarn]

My friend(who is an experienced pilot) intends to start a small heli tour business and the budget will only allow for an R44 or R66.My question to you all is- Where in the world would you do it (apart from the USA) if it was your investment considering factors such as prevailing weather conditions, space for competition with other operators, demand, airspace limitations, operating costs vs. potential profitability, availability for maintenance and parts,etc. He is open to partner up with someone who is willing to invest both time and money equally and has experience in the helicopter world.
Thank you for all the constructive comments, observations and ideas!

[Sir Korsky]

Great Wall of China ?

[Ascend Charlie]

The place where there are the least number of NIMBYs.

[Bravo73]

I hear that heli-skiing in Hokkaido, Japan, has potential… :E

[SASless]

Sounds like a brilliant scheme to make a small fortune.....assuming he starts out with a large fortune.:uhoh:

But that being said.....other folks have done it in the past and some even succeeded.

For the same amount of money perhaps doing Sailing charters in Bali or some place might be a better choice.

[Agile]

Where:

People are getting richer,
There is something cool to see from the air,
The regulators stay away form your back,
Nobody is working the place already.

Thats a lot to ask, not that it makes sense for this business, but right now Vietnam has the highest wealth growth rate in the world.

[olster]

My fantasy job would be starting a helicopter business to take golfers around the top Scottish courses, St. Andrew’s, Turnberry, Muirfield et Al.Great scenery, ok, dodgy weather, great food in certain places. Probably a way to lose large amounts of money but as I said this is just a pipe dream.

[Agile]

My fantasy job would be starting a helicopter business to take golfers around the top Scottish courses, St. Andrew’s, Turnberry, Muirfield et Al.Great scenery, ok, dodgy weather, great food in certain places. Probably a way to lose large amounts of money but as I said this is just a pipe dream.
Yeah maybe that is the idea, no 20 minutes sightseeing tours, more like multiday tours for afluent VIPs, cut a deal with the hotels, make it a package.... you will need a nice machine for that S76, AW139, H160... see! found a way to loose that money already.

[Bravo73]

My fantasy job would be starting a helicopter business to take golfers around the top Scottish courses

You won’t fit many sets of clubs in an R44.

[Ascend Charlie]

In the 90s I started a tour called the Four Club Day - 4 golfers in a B 206, we provide small bags and they can only bring 4 clubs with them. It was interesting to see which clubs were chosen by players of differing handicaps, most left the putter behind and used their driver.

We also did 9 holes at one course, had lunch there, and then flew to the next course for the next 9.

Naturally I sussed out the courses from the ground first, to choose landing spots and enthusiastic club managers. It was a real hoot to fly, and the players would usually ask me to join them, mug that I am. We saw a lot of excellent courses on these tours. BUT... these days the NIMBYs would make it very difficult to repeat.

Our company also had the best money-spinner around, the pub crawl by helicopter. Launch out of Sydney, scoot along the beaches to land at Wollombi in the Hunter Valley, where the guests were treated to Dr Jurd's Jungle Juice and a selection of beers. Then fly to the Small Winemakers vineyard for wine tastings and a slap-up lunch. Back in the chopper for a gallop over the bushland to St Albans pub, an old stone building on the stage coach route to Newcastle. Some more sherbets there, then fly home. Strict instructions regarding alcohol consumption and behaviour, only had to warn one (Pommy) passenger and threaten to leave him behind.

[RMK]

Some of the replies here illustrate that being a commercial helicopter pilot and having business acumen do not go hand in hand.

Regarding the golf-related ideas; it’s a sector in decline and a (literally) dying demographic. You can barely give a golf course away for free – there is no interest in the market. The average age of a player has increased by over 12yrs older in recent years. For a couple generations, this was the default sport for men in the western world; today there is a far wider and more interesting list of hobbies/interests undertaken.

I always joke that golf is “that sport you take up before you die”. Don’t incorporate this into a prospective business model.

[olster]

Guys I am well aware of the real world and this is just a fantasy idea that could only work with crazy money in the bank. Golf, flying and (after of course) drinking in a sunny setting, what not to like….? I realise Scotland is not ideal for the sunshine but the golf courses make up for it…Just dreamin’ folks…

[MLHeliwrench]

Somewhere cruise ships stop and that you can do a tour in 15-20mins max. Dubrovnik Croatia would be a good one.

[havick]

Somewhere cruise ships stop and that you can do a tour in 15-20mins max. Dubrovnik Croatia would be a good one.

there’s already an operator there on a seasonal basis.