High tea: Mountain helicopter sets world record

The excursion provided passengers with views of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Photo / Supplied.

A helicopter has taken a record to new heights after hosting a high tea at 11,000ft above sea level.

Tourism company Mount Cook Ski Planes and Helicopters released photos on Tuesday of its record venture, dining in the cockpit of a helicopter soaring above the country’s tallest mountain.

Described as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity, the excursion provided passengers with views of Aoraki/Mt Cook as the helicopter flew over snowy mountains and scenic waterfalls.

Mount Cook Ski Planes and Helicopters released photos on Tuesday of its record venture. Photo / Supplied.

The helicopter passed landmarks including Tasman Glacier lake, the Hochstetter icefall and the Grand Plateau, all while they enjoyed refreshments and food.

The flight concluded with an alpine landing on the Tasman Glacier, following in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary who was one of the first passengers aboard the tourism helicopters back in the 1940s.

Chief executive of INFLITE Group Adam Joyce said the company was thrilled about the record-setting venture.

“We definitely took high tea to new heights!”

The tourism travel company made headlines back in 2020 after spotting a giant rock landslide on Mt Silberhorn – the country’s fifth highest peak at 3303m near Aoraki/Mt Cook in the Southern Alps.

A helicopter was on a flight when pilots noticed the slip around 1pm. A spokeswoman said rockslides were common but not as typically as large as the one spotted.

“If it happened a few days ago, we could’ve been looking at fatalities,” she said at the time.