From Safety to Scenery: Key Facts and Questions About Your Helicopter Travel

Weather is one of the biggest factors in deciding whether your flight goes ahead. Your safety, our crew’s safety, and CASA-certified standards always come first when we look at conditions for helicopter tours Melbourne and helicopter flights Victoria.

We look at four key things:

– Wind speed
– Visibility (including rain and fog)
– Thunderstorms
– Cloud height

The type of flight you’ve booked (scenic tour, winery experience, aerial photography, or custom charter) also helps us decide if it’s safe to fly.

If we ever have concerns about the weather forecast, we’ll get in touch with you as early as we can to talk through options.

If you’re unsure about the weather, please reach out before your flight.

Call us on (03) 7302 8806 or email fly@leisuretours.com.au and we’ll happily walk you through what to expect on the day.

Remember: the pilot on the day always has the final say on helicopter operations and helicopter travel. Their decision keeps everyone safe and ensures we stay and within CASA-certified guidelines.

We welcome guests of all ages on our helicopter tours Melbourne and helicopter flights Victoria, as long as they’re “fit to fly.” That simply means their general health and physical condition allow them to fly safely and comfortably.

Children of all ages are welcome to fly.

– Children under 3 years (infants) must sit on the lap of an adult for the entire flight and travel free of charge.
– In some situations, two children may share one seat, depending on their combined weight.

Leisure Heli Tours, together with the Pilot and/or Head of Flying Operations, will make these decisions at their discretion so that everyone flies safely and comfortably.

1. The number of seats available depends on which helicopter you’ll be flying in.
2. The amount of fuel we need to carry and the total weight of all passengers help determine which helicopter we use, and whether it can safely take off and land.

We operate several helicopter types with different seating layouts. You can see the options on our fleet page so you know what to expect before your helicopter travel experience.

In most helicopters, there’s one passenger seat beside the pilot and the remaining seats are behind the front row. Every seat offers great views for sightseeing and aerial photography.

We allocate seating using each passenger’s weight, which we ask for when you book. This helps us balance the helicopter correctly for safe helicopter operations and a smooth flight.

If we ask to weigh everyone before departure, please don’t be offended—it’s simply part of flying safely and staying within CASA-certified limits.

You can wear any comfortable clothing and footwear. If you’re planning on lots of photos or aerial photography, dark clothing is best, as bright colours can reflect in the windows and show up in your photos.

Please avoid wearing hats or bringing other loose items outside the helicopter. Rotor downwash can easily blow them away and create a safety risk.

Don’t forget sunglasses—they make a big difference in reducing glare and helping you enjoy the views.

Yes, you can absolutely use your phone or camera—and we encourage you to capture every moment of your helicopter tour!

Unlike commercial airlines, we don’t require flight mode while you’re flying with us. Feel free to use your phone or other devices to take photos, record video, and share your helicopter tours Melbourne experience—just follow your pilot’s safety instructions.

Reviews are a huge help to us and to future guests. They let us know how we’re doing and give your friends and family a glimpse of your helicopter flights Victoria adventure.

You’ll find links to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google Reviews at the bottom of our site—we’d love to hear about your experience.

Cancellation Fees: We apply cancellation fees to all bookings, and any credit card fees incurred by Leisure Heli Tours will be passed on to the passenger for all cancellations.

If you need to cancel:

– 24 hours’ notice or more: 100% refund
– Less than 24 hours before departure: 75% refund, at the absolute discretion of Leisure Heli Tours

We always aim to be fair and understanding while still keeping seats and schedules workable for all guests.

If we cancel your flight: Sometimes we need to cancel flights due to weather, pilot illness, mechanical issues, or other factors that affect safe helicopter operations.

If we do need to cancel your flight, you’ll always have two clear options:

1. Reschedule your flight, if timing works for you.

2. Receive a full refund, including any bank fees.

Partial Flights: It’s rare that we have to modify or cut short a flight once you’re in the air. However, weather, mechanical issues, or air traffic control requirements can sometimes affect safe helicopter operations.

If your experience changes and we can’t deliver what was originally planned, our team will look after you as best as possible and Leisure Heli Tours will refund the difference in value where appropriate.

Refunds: We know life happens, and family and health always come first. That’s why we offer refunds in line with the cancellation policy above, so you know exactly where you stand.

Once a refund is approved, we process it as quickly as possible on our end. Please be aware that your bank may take extra time to complete the refund.

Square advises that refunds can take up to 7 business days to appear in your account.

National Australia Bank (our preferred financial institution) usually processes refunds much faster, but the exact timing will depend on your own bank.

All refunds are returned to the same method of payment you used for your original booking.

We don’t pass credit card fees on to you. From 1 October 2026, it will also be illegal for us to pass on these bank fees, and we are committed to staying fully compliant.

We do prefer bank transfer where possible, as it helps reduce the impact of fees on our business and allows us to keep our pricing as sharp as we can.

We treat your personal information with care. We don’t share your data with any third parties, except when required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

We must keep passenger manifests, flight records, and helicopter data, and provide them to CASA during inspections when requested.

Sharing this information with CASA helps us meet all CASA-certified regulations for both Leisure Heli Tours and the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) holder, so you can fly knowing everything is properly documented and compliant.

To land at any new location—whether it’s a council park, a winery, or a private property—we first need permission from the landowner or authority, and we must be confident it supports safe helicopter operations and helicopter travel.

The landing area also needs to be safe and suitable for the helicopter type we’re using. If you have a location in mind for a special pick-up or drop-off, please call or email us so we can confirm whether it’s workable.

One of the most important facts to know: the operator of your flight is Adaptive Vision, operating under CASA.AOC.0622 and CASA 138AWK.0550.

Adaptive Vision’s AOC covers both Air Transport and Air Work, which means your helicopter tours Melbourne experience is conducted under strict CASA-certified standards.

Leisure Heli Tours is registered with CASA under its Aviation Reference Number (ARN), so every one of our helicopter flights Victoria is operated within Australia’s civil aviation safety rules.

Our helicopters operate strictly under CASA regulations. For flights over water, we must always remain within gliding distance of land unless we meet extra safety requirements.

Helicopters that fly over water or land on water helipads must either be twin-engine aircraft or be fitted with floats, depending on the type of operation.

All guests on over-water flights must wear Personal Flotation Devices. Because floats add weight and reduce the helicopter’s carrying capacity, we often prefer to offer complimentary ground pick-up and drop-off services rather than overload the aircraft.

Night flying is possible under the right conditions. The pilot must hold the correct night rating and the helicopter itself must be certified for night operations.

When we carry passengers at night, we must use a twin-engine helicopter and suitably qualified pilots, ensuring safe helicopter operations and helicopter travel at all times.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION – PLEASE READ so you understand these key facts and questions before you fly.

BY BOOKING ONLINE OR CONFIRMING A BOOKING BY EMAIL, YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE:

‘Shared’ & ‘Private’ Flights: All our flights are treated as Private Flights unless clearly stated otherwise.

‘Private’ flights are reserved just for you and your group—you won’t share the helicopter with passengers from another booking.

Weight Restrictions: We base all flights on the passenger weights you provide when booking. If actual weights differ, it may affect the quoted price or the way we configure the helicopter.

We may weigh passengers on arrival. Please let us know each person’s weight at the time of booking so we can plan safe helicopter operations and seat loading.

Minimum Passenger Numbers: We don’t require a minimum number of passengers. If you’d like to fly solo, that’s absolutely fine.

Payment: Full payment is required before your flight departs. Your booking is not secured until we receive full or partial payment, with a minimum deposit of 20% of the total amount.

Weather: Leisure Heli Tours may vary flights or itineraries when weather or operational factors require it. If we decide the flight needs to be postponed due to weather, we’ll work with you to find a new date and time.

If we can’t agree on a new time and your flight is cancelled more than 24 hours before departure, you’ll receive a full refund of any payment made. We’re not able to cover additional costs you may incur due to delays or cancellations caused by these conditions.

Quoted Prices: Our quotes are valid for 30 days from the date they’re issued. If the price doesn’t quite fit your budget, talk to us—we’re happy to explore alternative options where possible.

Consumption of Alcohol: Many of our experiences include or sit alongside wine tastings and special occasions, and we understand guests may drink alcohol.

However, if a guest appears impaired to the point that it may affect safety—for example, following directions or exiting the helicopter—the pilot may refuse carriage. This supports safe helicopter operations and helicopter travel for everyone on board.

Drug Impairment: We may refuse to carry any guest who appears to be under the influence of illicit drugs or prescription medication in a way that could impact their safety or the safety of others.

This is important because, in an emergency, you may need to help yourself and others by doing simple things like removing your seatbelt, opening the door, and moving quickly away from the helicopter.

Surcharges: Fuel, Landing Fees & Rerouting Costs

We aim to make our pricing as clear and inclusive as possible, with standard fuel and landing fees built into your quote. In some situations, though, extra costs may apply.

Fuel:
The cost of fuel is included in your quoted price. In rare cases of significant fuel price increases caused by local or global events, we may need to apply a fuel surcharge.

Landing Fees:
Standard landing fees at our planned destinations are included in your flight cost. If your flight is redirected to a different airport or landing site, any additional fees charged by that location may be passed on to you.

Rerouting Costs:
If you request changes to the route or landing locations, extra flying time, fuel, and fees may result in additional charges. We’ll always discuss these with you in advance wherever possible, and rerouting will only take place in a way that supports safe helicopter operations.