Blackcomb Helicopters

Name

Blackcomb Helicopters

Legal name

Blackcomb Helicopters

Website

https://blackcombhelicopters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Blackcomb Helicopters is a Whistler, BC-based helicopter tourism and charter operator with a 36-year history, now part of Summit Helicopters Group, serving adventure tourists, destination-wedding couples, premium travelers, and BC emergency-services agencies with scenic flights, heli-weddings, charters, and SAR/Medevac/wildfire support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Helicopter Tourism and Aviation Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Helicopter Sightseeing & Scenic Tours (TLAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing (TLAFABAH), Scenic & Sightseeing Helicopter Tours (THABAGAE), On-Demand Helicopter Charter (Private/Corporate) (TLAFACAB), Helicopter Airport Transfers & Ground-Connection Shuttles (TLAFACAE)

Keywords

• Helicopter tourism
• Scenic sightseeing flights
• Heli wedding packages
• Helicopter charter services
• Emergency helicopter services

Headquarters

HQ city

Whistler

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Scenic Sightseeing Tours: Short-duration helicopter tours (14-25 minutes) over Whistler and the Coast Mountains, sold as per-person or private group bookings. Revenue is per-flight, one-time, with minimum passenger requirements for public tours.
2. Heli Weddings & Elopements: Wedding and elopement packages (Silver Band, Gold Band, Multi-Flight) with flight time and mountain landing durations, sold as one-time packages for up to 5 passengers. Vendors (photographers, officiants) are booked separately by customers.
3. Charter Services: Private charter flights including Whistler/Vancouver airport transfers ($5,850 + GST one-way for up to 5 passengers in AS350), sold as per-flight one-time bookings.
4. Emergency Services: Contracted or on-demand emergency services including wildfire firefighting, Medevac, and Search and Rescue missions, operating in partnership with Whistler-Blackcomb and Sea to Sky SAR teams.
5. Heli-Golf: Specialty experience combining a 20-minute scenic flight with 30 minutes of golf at BC's highest tee on Mt. Currie, using eco-friendly golf balls. Sold as a package for up to 5 passengers.
6. Heli Picnic: Private 12-minute helicopter flight to an alpine lake with a 45-minute gourmet charcuterie lunch from Picnic Whistler & Deli. Offered July-September, sold as a private group package.
7. Fort Berens Winery Experience: Helicopter tour from Whistler to Lillooet with 2 x 35-minute flights and exclusive wine tasting at Fort Berens Estate Winery (5 reserve wines + charcuterie board). Tiered pricing per passenger based on group size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Blackcomb Helicopters operates a fleet of AS350 helicopters out of the Whistler Municipal Heliport to provide year-round scenic sightseeing flights, heli-wedding and elopement packages, specialty experiences (heli-golf, heli-picnic, winery tours), private charters including Whistler-Vancouver airport transfers, and contracted emergency services (wildfire firefighting, Medevac, and Search and Rescue). The company sells both per-person public tours and per-group private flights, plus government and corporate emergency response contracts.

Product overview

Blackcomb Helicopters operates as a premier helicopter tourism provider in the Pacific Northwest, offering scenic sightseeing flights and private helicopter experiences. The core product portfolio includes six distinct sightseeing tours (Whistler Explorer, Coast Ranger, Coast Mountain Adventure, Heli Picnic, Heli Golf, and Fort Berens Winery Experience), helicopter wedding packages (Silver Band, Gold Band, and Multi Flight), charter services including Whistler/Vancouver transfers, emergency services (wildfire, medevac, SAR), and custom special event packages. The company, now part of the Summit Helicopters Group with over 36 years of experience, operates from Whistler Heliport and utilizes AS350 aircraft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whistler Explorer A 14-minute helicopter tour offering aerial views of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, the village, and glacier-fed alpine lakes, available as a public per-person tour or a private group tour for up to 5 passengers.
• Coast Ranger A 25-minute helicopter tour over Garibaldi Provincial Park featuring views of Cheakamus Glacier, Garibaldi Lake, and Black Tusk, sold as a per-person public tour or a private group tour for up to 5 passengers.
• Coast Mountain Adventure A 25-minute helicopter tour with a 20-minute alpine landing at a remote location, allowing ground exploration in addition to aerial views of Whistler's mountains.
• Heli Picnic A private 12-minute helicopter flight to an alpine lake paired with a 45-minute gourmet charcuterie lunch from Picnic Whistler & Deli, offered July through September.
• Heli Golf A 20-minute helicopter flight combined with 30 minutes of golf at BC's highest tee on Mt. Currie summit, using eco-friendly biodegradable PVA golf balls certified by the US Coast Guard.
• Fort Berens Winery Experience A helicopter tour from Whistler to Lillooet featuring two 35-minute flights, an exclusive 45-minute to 1-hour wine tasting at Fort Berens Estate Winery with five reserve wines and a charcuterie board, and complimentary shuttle from Whistler Village hotels.
• Heli Wedding Packages (Silver Band and Gold Band) Helicopter wedding and elopement packages that fly couples and up to 5 passengers to a remote mountain landing for a 45-minute ceremony, available as Silver Band (12-minute flight) or Gold Band (25-minute flight) options.
• Multi-Flight Wedding Package An extended multi-flight wedding package for larger groups of 6-9 passengers with additional helicopter flight time and a mountain landing.
• Whistler/Vancouver Helicopter Transfers A 45-minute private helicopter transfer between Vancouver airports/FBOs and the Whistler Heliport in an AS350 aircraft, accommodating up to 5 passengers, with complimentary shuttle to Whistler Village.
• Charter Services Custom helicopter charter flights to various destinations, with bespoke itineraries bookable via phone or email enquiry through the reservations team.
• Emergency Services Contracted and on-demand emergency helicopter services including wildfire firefighting (water bucketing, Bird Dog, equipment transport), Medevac operations, and Search and Rescue missions (HETs, Hoist response), delivered in partnership with Whistler-Blackcomb and Sea to Sky SAR teams.
• Special Events Custom helicopter packages designed for special occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, proposals, and corporate events, with bespoke itineraries and pricing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 Search and Rescue calls assisted
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Summit Helicopters GroupcoreOthersBlackcomb Helicopters is now part of the Summit Helicopters Group, a larger helicopter aviation company headquartered in Kamloops, BC (2975 Airport Rd, Kamloops, BC V2B 7W8). Summit Helicopters Group operates Blackcomb as its Whistler-based subsidiary, expanding its operational footprint across BC.
• Whistler-BlackcombcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlackcomb Helicopters provides year-round Medevac assistance to its partner Whistler-Blackcomb resort, responding to medical emergencies on the mountain with skilled pilots trained in the most up-to-date rescue techniques.
• Sea to Sky SAR (Search and Rescue) TeamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlackcomb Helicopters works with local Sea to Sky SAR teams, having assisted in over 1,000 SAR calls using Medevac, transport, HETs (Helicopter External Transport), and Hoist response capabilities across BC's demanding terrain.
• Fort Berens Estate WineryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlackcomb Helicopters partners with Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, BC to offer a combined helicopter tour and private lounge wine tasting experience. The winery provides the tasting venue, private member's lounge, five reserve wines, and a charcuterie board featuring locally sourced BC products.
• Picnic Whistler & DeliminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlackcomb Helicopters partners with Picnic Whistler & Deli to provide gourmet charcuterie lunch for the Heli Picnic experience. The deli supplies the food that is enjoyed during the 45-minute alpine lake landing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HeliCat Canada: Whistler-based helicopter operator offering heli-skiing, sightseeing, and backcountry tours. Directly competes with Blackcomb in the same Whistler tourism market for scenic and charter customers.
• Pacific Helicopter Tours: Whistler-based helicopter sightseeing and charter operator offering similar tour experiences and Whistler/Vancouver transfers. Most direct competitor in the same catchment area.
• Helijet International: Vancouver-based helicopter operator with scheduled helicopter services, charter, and Medevac. Comparable helicopter passenger services, charter and emergency offerings in the same Lower Mainland/BC market.
• Summit Helicopters Group: Parent company of Blackcomb Helicopters, operating a parallel helicopter tourism and charter base in Kamloops, BC. Same AS350 fleet, same Pacific Northwest operator profile, same leadership under Ledcor.

Broad incumbents

• VIH Helicopters: One of the largest helicopter operators in BC, offering tourism, charter, wildfire, and Medevac services. Broader footprint and scale than Blackcomb but overlapping service portfolio.

Regional players

• North Shore Helicopters (North Vancouver): Lower Mainland helicopter operator offering sightseeing and charter flights, including transfers to Whistler. Comparable service offerings in the same regional tourism market.
• Highland Helicopters: BC helicopter operator providing charter, sightseeing, and emergency services across the Pacific Northwest. Comparable service portfolio and fleet type to Blackcomb.
• Alpine Helicopters: BC-based helicopter operator with sightseeing, charter, and utility services across the Pacific Northwest. Comparable helicopter tourism and charter offerings with overlapping geography.
• Yellowhead Helicopters: BC-based helicopter operator with tourism, charter, wildfire, and SAR capabilities. Directly comparable in emergency services and tourism offerings.
• Wilderness Helicopters: BC interior helicopter operator offering sightseeing, charter, and specialty experiences. Comparable aviation tourism model with similar premium positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackcomb-helicopters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blackcomb Helicopters