Oz Choppers

24/08/2026

Bell 407 Rebuild behind the scenes 🚁
When a machine hits the 5,000-hour mark, it calls for a complete, zero-compromise transformation.
This Bell 407 has quite the international story. Starting its journey in Spain as EC-IZB, it later headed to Chile as CC-AED before crossing the Pacific to our shop, where it now carries the Australian registration VH-A8A.
We’ve stripped the airframe back as part of a massive, top-to-bottom overhaul. Every key component across the entire aircraft—from the tail drivetrain, gearbox, and engine to the freewheel, transmission, mast, swashplate, head assembly, blades, and servo actuators—is undergoing a complete repair/overhaul and refurbishment.
This project marks a huge milestone for our team. Once finished, she’ll be heading across the Tasman to take her place as the only registered Bell 407 in New Zealand! 🇳🇿
Completion is drawing closer every day—keep your eyes locked on our page to watch this incredible machine come back together.

03/06/2026

We are very proud to be supporting CMRI Mudgee Committee again in 2026. Such a worthwhile cause - so get out there and buy a raffle ticket :)

Mudgee from above, then Mudgee at its finest on the ground.

The High Five Flying High prize bundle is one of the standout prizes in our High Five for the Kids Raffle, and it’s all thanks to the incredible businesses who have donated so generously to support CMRI.





The winner will enjoy a helicopter ride for four over Mudgee, followed by a Lowe’s Zin Food + Wine House dining experience and a private tasting with David Lowe.

This year we’re celebrating 60 years of the CMRI Committee in Mudgee, and every ticket sold helps continue that legacy of locals backing kids and families through children’s medical research.

🎟️ Tickets are $25 each

Click the link in our bio to open our Linktree and select High Five Raffle tickets.

Can’t find the link? Message us and we’ll send it directly.

21/04/2026

Oz Choppers recently completed a successful seven-week demonstration tour across New Zealand, showcasing our Bell 407GXP VH-8Y8.

The tour was conducted in collaboration with Bell Textron and Core Aviation, the newly appointed Bell Independent Distributor for new aircraft in New Zealand.

Spanning both the North and South Islands, the tour included visits to numerous operator bases, providing the opportunity to present the aircraft to a wide range of industry professionals. Notably, there are currently no Bell 407 aircraft operating in New Zealand, making this demonstration particularly significant.

Mark conducted a large number of demonstration flights, giving prospective operators firsthand experience of the aircraft’s performance — particularly its smooth ride and 140-knot cruise capability.

The aircraft was also featured on the Textron stand at the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow, where it attracted strong interest from thousands of attendees.

The tour concluded at Core Aviation’s base with a final Bell 407 demonstration day, offering operators — including many H130 owners — a direct comparison of the aircraft’s capabilities.

Mark and Kate would like to thank everyone involved for their support and hospitality throughout the tour.

Until next time New Zealand!

10/04/2026