Four Australian Blackhawk helicopters are due in New Zealand on Sunday to give their pilots a taste of alpine flying.
The Australian army helicopters would spend a fortnight at the air force's Dipflat camp near Blenheim and fly in and around the Southern Alps, said air force spokesman Squadron Leader Kavae Tamariki.
He said Australian pilots rarely had the chance to fly in alpine conditions.
The helicopters would arrive on an Australian C17 transport aircraft, accompanied by about 70 support personnel in a Hercules transport aircraft.
"They are here for the alpine flying but I am not sure how far they want to push it because it will probably be the first time a lot of their crews have flown in alpine conditions," he said.
