ABOUT MELBOURNE HELI
Welcome to the MH family. Our primary operation here is helicopter flight training, flying out of Essendon Fields in Melbourne, Victoria. Our pilots have varied backgrounds and industry experience, though all share the same love of flying and teaching. Our goal is to create unique experiences for those looking to learn with us.
Our fleet of helicopters consists of three Guimbal Cabri G2's, two Robinson R44's (Raven I) and a Robinson 66 (R66). We offer flight training for Commercial, Private and Recreational Pilots Licences. Advanced training is also available.
CHRIS WAKEFIELD
Chief Pilot
Chris was always going to be a pilot or a rock-star, he’s still working on it. He's the Chief Pilot here at Melbourne Heli.
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Flight Instructor, Grade 1
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ALEX POOLE
Chief Instructor
Alex’s interest in flying started when he accompanied a friend to take aerial photos for a real estate agent in northern Tasmania. He started taking flying lessons at the young age of 13 and passed the ultralight pilot licence test after turning 15. Aged 17, he went to Queensland to start his aeroplane and helicopter licence training. After turning 18 his first job in the industry was flying Bell and Eurocopter helicopters at the 12 Apostles in south-west Victoria. He returned north to work as a flight instructor and pilot at half-a-dozen locations between Byron Bay and Mackay, before heading back to Victoria to pilot helicopters with one of the worlds largest aerial media companies. Besides instructing pilots for private and commercial licences, Alex has over 2500 hours of instructing experience includes providing training for instrument, night, low level, sling and instructor ratings. These days Alex enjoys passing on over 20 years and 7000 hours experience to friends at Melbourne Heli.
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Flight Instructor, Grade 1
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GRAY HUMAN
Head of Aircraft Maintenance
Gray began his journey as one of the very first students at Melbourne Heli, after which he was employed to fly scenic tours around Melbourne and further afield to the many wineries and event locations that surround the area. Later, he added aerial photography and videography work to his skillset before obtaining his instructor rating. During this time he learned to fly the R22, R44, R66, AS350 and his personal favourite, the Guimbal Cabri G2.
As our HAAMC, Gray monitors the maintenance scheduling and keeps track of the well being of our machines.
"What I love about instruction? Watching someone's face turn from frustrated, to understanding, to enjoyment as I help them understand and master each step", he says.
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Flight Instructor, Grade 1
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GLENN DAVIDSON
Head of Flying Operations
Glenn has studied in both Australia and New Zealand, gaining his Instructor rating in NZ. He ran the Falls Creek operations at Mount Hotham whilst setting up a flight school in the North West region of Victoria. Glenn has operated as an instructor for many years, and has served as a quality and safety manager.
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Flight Instructor, Grade 1
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WING CHAN
Flight Instructor
Wing came on board with Melbourne Heli in 2019 as a part-time flight instructor. Wing began her aviation journey with a gliders licence, being up in the air even before she could drive a car. She completed her flight training in New Zealand before coming back to Australia to fly in the Whitsundays and at Phillip Island. In addition to being a skilled pilot she has completed her PhD in genetics/marine science at the University of Melbourne with a focus on coral reef regeneration and conservation, so now the doctor on board is also the pilot. Wing has recently achieved an epic milestone of a thousand flight hours.
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Flight Instructor, Grade 2
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ROB MURPHY
Flight Instructor
Rob did his flight training in Ireland and has over a thousand rotary hours and more than 600 hours of instructing experience under his belt.
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Flight Instructor, Grade 2
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JASON O'DOHERTY
Scenic Pilot
Jason originally learned to fly in the USA. He came to us to convert his licence to CASA and he was so good that we just had to have him.
He can also juggle!
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THISTLE
Customer Relations
Thistle has taken on a range of responsibilities here at Melbourne Heli including guarding the door, monitoring nap time, and regulating the appropriate squeak levels of chew toys.
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