Antarctic science and field camp helicopter support

SkyMatch can coordinate requests from institutions, universities and expedition organisers. National programmes usually run their own logistics; any work is confirmed with the programme and the licensed operator.

Field site coordinates, team size, total equipment weight and dimensions, dates, number of rotations and the permits already held.

Price on request. Helicopter missions are priced per aircraft and per mission, never per seat, and the drivers are aircraft category, total flight time including positioning, crew, configuration, waiting or standby, landing and handling, permits, fuel logistics and season. SkyMatch does not generate indicative figures from generic hourly rates. Antarctic work is priced as a logistics project — season, vessel or base arrangements, permits, positioning, fuel and standby — and is not comparable to charter pricing anywhere else.

Exact origin and exact destination or coordinates, date and time, passenger count and — where payload matters — passenger weights, luggage, any cargo dimensions and weights, mission type, how many rotations are needed, what is known about the landing sites, how flexible the timing is, any security or permit requirements, and whether ground transfers are needed. Incomplete requests are still welcome; they simply take a review round longer.

No — and neither can anyone who is not the operating company. What SkyMatch can do is establish, mission by mission, which licensed operators are realistically able to fly it, what the constraints are, and what the commercial terms would be. Aircraft, price, availability, landing permission and feasibility are confirmed by the performing operator and the relevant authorities, and appear in a written proposal before anything is confirmed.

No. SkyMatch Group is an independent broker and human-managed concierge. It does not operate aircraft, hold an AOC, own aircraft or insure flights. Every mission is reviewed by David and the SkyMatch team before suitable licensed operators are approached, and the licensed operator that performs the flight retains responsibility for aircraft, crew, insurance, permits, weather assessment, operational approval and the final go/no-go decision.