helicopters in natonal parks

the air force base cant be very far up the branch if its there, the road doesnt go that far and its a narrow and steep valley, but its wide near the start

I love flying in helicopters and have used them to access the hills for both tramping, hunting, and skiing in the past. I don't have a problem with them flying about at all.

@militaris Do you have any further info on the movement of the RNZAF training base? I can't seem to find any info and people I have talked to reckon they upgraded the facilities at Dip Flat recently and feel it would be unusal for them to have moved (but don't know for certain of course).

lease might have not been renewed http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/9920110/Training-base-to-close

Thanks Waynowski

Helicopters - maybe 20 - 30+ sightings in one day?! Some very close and personal and exciting, to put it mildly! Just our luck to be doing the Old Ghost Road in the middle of an armed forces training exercise and on the day all the workers changed over and all the supplies needed airlifting in. Small machines buzzing everywhere but the main distraction was at least 4 of the new Iroquois replacements hovering around winching people up and down in the bush. (We were told by a soldier this at $27,000 per hour!!!!!!) Then we had the thrill of arriving at a broken down digger just as one of these monsters came in to drop off another man with (perhaps?) the 15 mm spanner they had forgotten! Bits of branches flying everywhere - it was full on! (I will try and put 2 pics up but am not convinced I can do it.) https://www.dropbox.com/l/s/VKnmkIP9LvW3xqm9K6vZfs https://www.dropbox.com/l/s/SbWKteyolGQZr49pCT5Bcu

the new air force helicopters completely eclipse the old ones for size and noise...