About Us

Who We Are

Surf City Helicopters was founded by Darren Purnell and is based in the beautiful Gold Coast, Australia.

What We Do

From commercial services to private charters and everything in between, we pride ourselves in our flexibility and customer service, allowing us to cater to all of your aviation needs.

If you’re looking for our commercial services click here, and if you’re interested in the tours we have on offer click here!

The sky is the limit with our services and we encourage you to contact us with your individual requests so we can tailor our services and packages specifically for you.

Meet the team!

Our team of experienced pilots are polite, professional, well groomed and friendly – offering you the best customer service in the Gold Coast.

Darren Purnell – CEO HAAMC

Darren is the CEO & Founder of Surf City Helicopters.

He has been a pilot since August 1992. He began his career with his aeroplane licence, then proceeded to get his helicopter licence and finally gained his commercial helicopter licence in 2009.

He has worked for other companies as a pilot on a freelance basis.

Nathan Blackberry – Chief Pilot

Nathan is the Chief Pilot at Surf City Helicopters and has been involved in aviation for over 10 years, having held senior management, Chief Pilot and HAAMC appointments. Nathan has flown extensively throughout Australia in both charter and aerial work operations (survey, filming, lifting, incendiary). He is a qualified helicopter instructor and he also has a low level rating with a sling endorsement, so he is our dedicated pilot for precision lifting operations. Nathan is focused on delivering a professional, safe and personalized client experience.