What to Wear for a Snow Landing on a Queenstown Helicopter Flight

You booked a twenty five minute scenic flight from Queenstown. You will be outside the aircraft for perhaps five or ten minutes of it, standing on snow, and that is the part people get wrong.

The mistake is dressing for the town. Queenstown sits at around three hundred metres above sea level. An alpine landing puts you somewhere between fifteen hundred and two thousand metres, and sometimes higher. Air cools by roughly six and a half degrees for every thousand metres you climb, so the ridge you land on is usually eight to twelve degrees colder than the street you left. A mild fifteen degree morning in town is close to freezing up there.

Then add the wind. A helicopter that has just set down is still turning, and the downwash off the rotor moves a lot of very cold air across you. It is the difference between cold and painfully cold, and it is the reason people who look perfectly warm in the car park are back in the cabin after two minutes.

The three layers, and why cotton is the one to avoid

Next to the skin, merino or synthetic. Not cotton. Cotton holds moisture against you and then cools you down as it evaporates, which is exactly backwards on a cold ridge. Merino is the local answer and it is sold everywhere in Queenstown.

In the middle, something that traps air. A fleece or a light down jacket. This is the layer doing the actual warming.

On the outside, something windproof. This is the layer most visitors skip and it is the one that matters most, because the cold up there is delivered by wind rather than by air temperature. A shell does not need to be thick. It needs to stop the wind.

The parts people forget

Your feet

The snow is often knee deep and it is real snow, not a dusting. Trainers and canvas shoes soak through in the first thirty seconds and then you are standing in wet socks at altitude. Waterproof boots or shoes with some grip are the single best thing you can bring. If you do not own any, this is a reasonable thing to hire in town for the day.

Your hands and your head

Gloves and a hat, and a hat that fits properly. Loose beanies, wide brimmed hats and scarves come off in rotor wash, and chasing one across a snowfield beside a running aircraft is not a good idea. If it can blow away, leave it in the cabin.

Your eyes

This is not a comfort item. Fresh snow reflects most of the light that hits it, so you get the sun twice, once from above and once from below. New Zealand also sits under some of the strongest ultraviolet in the world, noticeably stronger than at the same latitude in Europe or North America. Sunglasses are not optional on a snow landing, and neither is sunscreen, including under your chin and nose where the reflected light lands.

What changes with the season

Winter, June to August. Cold at the top and reliable snow, but also the season with the most cancellations. Dress as though you are going skiing, because effectively you are standing where skiers stand.

Spring and autumn. The most deceptive months. Town can be genuinely warm while the tops are still frozen. This is when people arrive in shorts and regret it.

Summer, December to February. Snow landings become less certain and many flights offer an alpine landing instead, which may be on rock or tussock. It is still cold and still windy. Bring the jacket anyway.

A short packing list

Merino or synthetic base layer. Fleece or light down mid layer. Windproof outer shell. Waterproof shoes with grip. Gloves. A close fitting hat. Sunglasses. Sunscreen. And nothing loose that you would be upset to lose.

Almost none of this needs to be bought new. Queenstown rents alpine clothing on nearly every street in the centre, and a day hire costs a fraction of the flight you have already paid for.

Two practical notes

Ask what the aircraft provides. Some operators carry spare jackets and some do not, and it is not usually stated at the time of booking. It takes one question when you reconfirm.

Declare your weight honestly. Helicopters are weight limited and passengers are weighed at check in. It is not vanity, it is loading, and an inaccurate figure can cost you the flight rather than the operator.

For the flights themselves, which ones actually promise a snow landing rather than a possible one, and what each costs, see our full guide to helicopter flights from Queenstown.

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General preparation advice for alpine landings in the Queenstown region. Conditions vary by operator, aircraft and day. Always follow the safety briefing you are given on the ground.