Northern Territory-based company HM Air, formerly known as Heli-Muster NT, has sold its fleet of Robinson R22 helicopters for an undisclosed sum, as it diversifies the business.<\/p>\n
Owner Sam Chisholm said the company sold all 14 of its R22s, plus its main hangar and base at Victoria River Downs cattle station, to Ord Valley Helicopters.<\/p>\n
He said the company was still doing aerial mustering for clients, but using Cabri G2 helicopters instead.<\/p>\n
“The Cabri is a two-seater helicopter made in France, and we’ve seen really good results with them,” he said.<\/p>\n
“They’ve got an incredible safety rating, more modern technology, increased compliance, and really good support from the factory in France.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sam Chisholm says it was a big decision to sell the company’s fleet of R22s. (ABC Rural: Max Rowley)<\/p>\n
Mr Chisholm, who took over Heli-Muster NT in 2022<\/a> along with his sister, Georgie, said the sale of the R22 fleet, one of the largest in northern Australia, was a significant change.<\/p>\n “It does mean the mustering service we provide is much smaller than it used to be,” he said.<\/p>\n “The business was originally 90 per cent heli-mustering, but the business grew, became more accountable, and we’ve now got bigger aircraft and more diverse services, which has put the business in a really good place.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Heli-Muster was established in 1976 and by the 1980s became one of the first companies to use Robinson R22s for aerial mustering.<\/p>\n