Sheri Wright, of Haast, who was one of 12 women who made a fund-raising nude calendar to help with the father and son's legal expenses, said last night she was "absolutely stoked" with the news.
Haast residents were encouraged the Court of Appeal had not imposed overly onerous bail conditions on the helicopter pilots and that they would be allowed to continue to do search and rescue work, Mrs Wright said.
Haast locals were pleased to learn the court judgement said sentencing issues would "effectively be redundant" by the time the appeal could be heard.
In February, David Saxton (62) was sentenced to two years nine months' jail and Morgan Saxton (30) to two years six months.
They were found guilty of stealing Ngai Tahu greenstone (pounamu) from South Westland's Cascade Plateau.
They were also required to pay the South Island's largest iwi $300,000 in compensation, a figure Ngai Tahu claimed bore no reflection of the actual value of the loss.
Their bail conditions include that they.
• Reside in Haast at all times.
• Not be involved in any way with mining or trading greenstone.
• Not fly over or enter the Cascade Plateau.
They not fly any aircraft between dusk and dawn unless required to do so by police for search and rescue duties.
Wanaka pilot Toby Wallis said he had spoken to Morgan Saxton on the phone yesterday and hoped to see him in the next few days.
He was looking forward to Saxton collecting his helicopter from Wanaka and getting back to work.
The Saxtons seemed "pretty happy" but they were dumbfounded, Mr Wallis said.
Members of the Saxton family and Saxton Appeal Trust chairman Mike Smith, of Christchurch, could not be contacted last night.
The trust was set up to protest against the severity of the sentences and raise funds for an appeal.
It has raised at least $50,000.
The men, both helicopter pilots, are credited with flying rescue missions in South Westland, Fiordland and Central Otago.
The court said in its judgement the appeals would take time to prepare as so many issues were being raised.
"There is an issue about the sentence which is at least arguable, and by the time the matter comes on for hearing that sentence issue will effectively be redundant," the judgement said.
