Bryce Nietvelt wants to finally get his aerobatic helicopter off the ground. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
A man who owns Australia’s first ever aerobatic helicopter says he’s extremely frustrated at the national aviation regulator, whose delays and errors have prevented him from showcasing the aircraft and boosting the Riverina tourism economy.
Pilot Bryce Nietvelt purchased a specialised chopper in Arizona earlier this year that can do loops, rolls and fly upside down, and transported it by ship and truck to Griffith.
The helicopters have been a major hit at American sporting and aviation events and Mr Nietvelt planned to take his to the recent Tocumwal Airshow and Deniliquin Ute Muster, spending tens of thousands on application fees.
Instead, his prized possession has been gathering dust in a Griffith Airport hangar.
The 41-year-old contacted federal government regulator the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) as far back as 2023 for advice on the process to get his aircraft authorised.
But CASA didn’t respond for several months and then incorrectly told him he didn’t need a Special Flight Authorisation (SFA), as it was for a private flight.
After changing its tune and saying he did need an SFA, Mr Nietvelt has waited more than three months for a response to his application – causing him to miss the events in Tocumwal and Deniliquin.
“It’s just been painful,” Mr Nietvelt said.
“There’s zero compassion for what I’m going through. They had a stack of work before Christmas and they’ve put me at the end of the queue. They won’t write to me or answer my phone calls without multiple prompts.
“There’s also zero accountability. This has cost me tens of thousands of dollars and they just don’t care.”
Bryce Nietvelt is looking for a sponsor for his extremely rare aircraft. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Region asked CASA why it initially provided incorrect advice and why it had taken so long to assess the SFA application.
It refused to answer our question, instead providing a generic response.
“Safety is always our top priority – especially when evaluating requests from operators to fly aircraft that have not previously been operated in Australia,” a CASA spokesperson said.
“This process involves rigorous safety assessments and compliance checks to ensure the highest standards are met before approval and we encourage operators to contact us early for advice about what is required and the expected timeframes involved.”
Mr Nietvelt said it was not good enough for a federal agency that’s supposed to support a struggling aviation sector in Australia.
“One of CASA’s remits is to promote general aviation but they do the opposite, they stifle general aviation,” he said.
“It’s not just me specifically, but there’s a severe shortage of aircraft engineers in the country; that’s all down to CASA and the way they licence.”
Mr Nietvelt grew up in Swan Hill and joined the Air Force straight out of school as an avionics engineer, before becoming a helicopter pilot.
He moved to Griffith in 2021 when he took over Riverina Helicopters, which is based at the airport and houses the aerobatic helicopter he’s desperate to get off the ground.
“It would’ve been so good to showcase this for towns like Tocumwal and Deniliquin; it’s such a waste,” he said.
