Pilot History

Lindsay Snell

Chief Pilot: Lindsay Snell

With over 30 years and 13,500 plus hours flying experience, Austcopters’ Chief Pilot and Managing Director, Lindsay Snell has mastered flying a diversity of helicopters, gained enviable qualifications and is adept and experienced in almost all helicopter flight operations.

From being appointed the Australian demonstration pilot for the NOTAR MD520N, fire bombing raging Sydney bush-fires, through to the coordination of heavy and difficult lift operations, Lindsay’s innate command of the helicopter brings a professional and polished performance every time.

His helicopter career has strong foundations in the outback where he worked as a full time helicopter mustering pilot on properties in both Queensland and the Northern Territory.  His career has since seen him employed as a Helicopter Flying Instructor, Chief Flying Instructor/General Manager for the Hamilton Island based Helijet Group of companies and Chief Helicopter Pilot for Eastern Pacific Airlines.

His greatest achievement to date, however, is the establishment of Austcopters and its quick rise as a strong and accomplished company boasting an equally strong and multi-talented team.

Licences and Certificates

Airline Transport Pilot Helicopter/Commercial Fixed-wing Pilot's Licence No.177376.

Some of the many types of helicopters that Lindsay Snell is endorsed to pilot include the following:

  • Bell 47,
  • Bell 206 Jetranger/Longranger,
  • Bell 427,
  • Robinson R.22,
  • Robinson R.44,
  • Eurocopter AS350/AS355,
  • EC120B,
  • Agusta A109,
  • Agusta A109S Grand,
  • BK 117,
  • Schweizer/Hughes 300 Series,
  • McDonnell Douglas 500 Series,
  • MD520N,
  • MD600N,
  • Sikorsky S76.

Ratings held

With over 13,500+ hours total aeronautical experience as at 01/09/12, Lindsay Snell holds an impressive array of helicopter & instructor ratings

  • Grade One Flight Instructor,
  • Authorised Testing Officer (ATO) for CASA,
  • Multi-Engine Training Approval (META),
  • Command Multi-Engine Instrument Rating,
  • Night VFR,
  • Night VFR Training/Testing Approval,
  • Sling Operations,
  • Float/Water Operation,
  • Winching/Rappelling,
  • Low Level,
  • Mustering Training/Testing Approval.

Day/Night Shipboard landing experience, Geological Survey, Tourism, Flight Training, Longline, Rig build-up and general sling-loading, general charter, aerial photography (video/stills), Corporate Flying, Electronic News Gathering (ENG), helideck and fire-bombing experience.

Areas of Expertise

  • Qualified Fixed-Wing and Helicopter Pilot.
  • Chief Pilot & Chief Flying Instructor Approval.
  • Authorised Testing Officer (ATO) for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
  • Multi-engine Helicopter Check & Training Approval (META).
  • Significant experience operating New Generation helicopters.
  • President - Archerfield Airport Chamber of Commerce.
  • Demonstration Pilot Agusta A109 Series Helicopter.
  • Demonstration Pilot McDonnell Douglas 520N and 600N 'NOTAR' Helicopters.