DESCRIPTION

WARNING: Franz Joseph is THE BUSIEST Heliport in the southern hemisphere. DO NOT FLY unless you follow the rules below. Fly above the glacier if there is no wind but beware of the catabatic wind (down the glacier). Best is to climb in the afternoon, try to fly in the evening after the helicopters have finished or camp overnight up there and take off in the morning. You must have an airband radio on the helicopter frequency.

ACTIVITIES

- paragliding
- hanggliding
- hike
- thermals

weather

beware of the catabatic wind (down the glacier).

access

Go to the top of Alex Knob (see NZ DoC information, it's very well indicated) 1000m of going up hill.

regulation

This site is in a mandatory broadcast zone. This means you have to have and use and airband radio on freq 118.6 MHz to broadcast your position and altitude before launch and every 15 mins during the flight. It is a very busy airspace so it is not only illegal but dangerous to fly here umless you follow these rules.