History

Osborne Aviation is a 25 year family-owned company with a history and a passion for self-employment and flying.

Osborne Aviation started as a small agricultural spraying business working from a shed on a property in Stanley, Tasmania, with one pilot, founder Tom Osborne, and one Bell 47 Mark-6C Tomcat Helicopter.

Since then, Osborne Aviation has steadily grown, expanding from agriculture to such things as forestry operations, power line and pipeline support, construction and external loads, firefighting, filming, law enforcement and production filming. Through our industry partners and deep connections in the United States we have been innovative leaders in helicopter operations in Australia. Osborne pioneered agricultural operations using trucks with built-in helicopter landing decks, micro-flow nozzle technology, and long-line fire fighting in Tasmania.

Osborne Aviation’s growth has increased over the past 10 years, adding aircraft, expanding into new industries, and buying and selling aircraft throughout the world. Though things are bigger now, what remains are the core beliefs: that excellence in flying cannot be compromised, and that gritty determination in delivering for the customer is the backbone of success.

In 2016 Osborne Aviation launched a new tourism focused brand, Osborne Heli Tours to focus on showcasing the dramatic and wild beauty of the Tasmanian coastline. Regular scenic flights are now available out of the company bases in Port Arthur and Stanley.