Nothing beats flying in a helicopter to make you feel top of the world.

When the team here at magazine surprised me at the end of our Christmas party with a helicopter flight home with Slattery Helicopters, I was speechless that they thought I was so deserving. Okay, maybe it had more to do with me notoriously being the last to leave and this guaranteed a timely exit.

I can tell you now that there’s nothing quite so rock star feeling as having a helicopter pick you up after a good day out and drop you off in your very own backyard. It sure beat spending half an hour in a cab home, and at only around triple the cost it was money well spent. Especially as it was the boss’s money!

Private charters like the one I had are only one of the things that Slattery Helicopters do. They are the longest established helicopter company in the Hunter, and they offer a whole array of different flight experiences from tours to transfers and everything in between.

Their scenic flights go all around the Hunter and the Newcastle coastline, it’s really up to you what you want to see. They even have tours that head over the top of some of our mines. Normally I wouldn’t encourage anyone to go see their work on a day off but in this case…

You’ll fly at around 1000 feet which gives you the perfect birds eye view. It’s amazing how beautiful everything looks. On a clear day you can see right to the ocean from their home base at Cessnock Airport. You’re also low enough to have a real good sticky beak into people’s backyards if voyeurism is your thing.

Wanting to share the incredible experience, I took my daughter up for a scenic flight last weekend and she had a blast. We flew with Base Manager Jay Benson who isn’t just a great pilot, he’s also a fantastic tour guide. On scenic flights he’ll keep you entertained pointing out landmarks and giving you a rundown on history, plus some interesting tidbits about the area.

Slattery Helicopters have got a bunch of different helicopters ranging from 3 to 6 seaters. Got a bunch of friends keen to go up? Why not fly in two helicopters side by side? Last one back pays!

What’s really great about Slattery Helicopters is that you can pretty well customise any type of flight you want. Pick up and drop off can be done anywhere that has a clear landing site and landowner’s permission. They’ll take you to virtually any location in Australia.

It’s a once in a lifetime experience. Though if you’re like me and you get a taste of the high-flying lifestyle, you’ll be looking for any opportunity to get up in the sky. Next, I’ll be trying one of the food and wine tours. I mean, really, who wants to get around in a minibus with the common people?