Heavy Lift Helicopter Services
From a single rooftop unit to dozens of picks in a day, a heavy lift helicopter sets loads of 1,000 to 25,000 pounds exactly where they need to go. Fair Lifts plans the lift, matches the right aircraft to the job, and manages it from first call to final set.
Greatest breadth of heavy lift experience in the industry
15,000+ lift projects trusted to Fair Lifts
~ Helicopters for 1,000-25,000 lb capacities
Injury-free heavy lift helicopter record
Trusted by clients across North America and worldwide:
When a Heavy Lift Helicopter Is the Right Call
A heavy lift helicopter is the right tool once a job crosses certain lines. It is not a backup for when a crane runs into trouble. It is what you reach for when the weight, the reach, the number of picks, or the disruption pushes a job into the strengths of heavy lift helicopters, even though the ground crane can technically still perform the work.
A heavy lift helicopter is the right tool once a job crosses certain lines. It is not a backup for when a crane runs into trouble. It is what you reach for when the weight, the reach, the number of picks, or the disruption pushes a job into the strengths of heavy lift helicopters, even though the ground crane can technically still perform the work.
The size of crane the job would need is the clearest signal. That one number already rolls up the weight, the reach, and the access into a single figure, which is why it predicts cost better than any of them alone.
Rule of thumb: if your job would call for a crane in the 100-ton class or larger, a helicopter is worth pricing. Past that point, the odds a helicopter is the right answer climb fast, and keep climbing the bigger the crane would need to be.
Below that line, the job was never really a helicopter candidate. A boom truck or a crane under 100T is the tool, because the weight, reach, number of units, and other conditions never broke the limits where a helicopter earns its place.
The more units in a job, the more the cost works in a helicopter's favor. Once it is on site, the mobilization is divided across every pick.
One pick on a $20,000 job costs $20,000. Ten picks bring it to $2,000 each. A hundred picks raise the total but drop the cost per pick far lower still. A crane goes the other way: every added lift means another setup and another reposition.
Some jobs cross the line on disruption alone. A site that cannot afford the time a crane would take can make a helicopter the right call even when the lift itself is modest.
A warehouse, hotel, mall, or plant that cannot shut down, or a road or lot that cannot close for days, can make a helicopter the only sensible option. A single unit job can still be a helicopter job if the alternative is closing the building for a week.
Call 1-800-318-8940 anytime. Free, no-obligation quotes, often same-day.
Ground Crane vs. Heavy Lift Helicopter Guidelines
Every job below came down to something a crane could not do well.
Here is what each one solved.
| Heavy Lift Helicopter | Ground Crane | |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Sets loads almost anywhere on a site, including heights and positions a crane can't reach | Limited by boom length and where it can sit; more reach means a larger, costlier crane |
| Access and staging | Needs a 150-foot radius landing area, and can fly snatch jobs without landing at all on smaller lifts | Needs multiple setups on larger jobs, and reach limits which staging areas will even work |
| Speed and crew cost | 12 to 25 picks per hour on most projects, usually done in a day | Around 2 picks per hour; large jobs can run days or weeks, adding crew cost the whole time |
| Site shutdowns and disruption | In and out quickly, with little or no shutdown | Longer on site means more disruption to operations, parking, and traffic |
| Cost per pick vs. volume | Mobilization spreads across every pick, so cost per pick falls as the count rises | Each added pick can mean another setup and reposition, so cost climbs with volume |
| Cost vs. reach | Reaches the load without scaling up the equipment, regardless of distance or height | The farther the reach, the larger and more expensive the crane required |
| Best suited to | Heavy loads, long reach, many picks, or sites that can't shut down | Lighter loads (under 1,000 lbs) with good access and room to set up |
Most of a heavy lift's cost is set early, in the helicopter, units, and plan. The sooner we're involved, the more cost-effective we can be. Call us at 1-800-318-8940.
Call 1-800-318-8940 anytime. Free, no-obligation quotes, often same-day.
What Most Contractors Get Wrong About Heavy Lifts with Helicopters
A few assumptions cost contractors more than they realize.
"It'll cost about what it did last time."
The aircraft that flew your last lift may have nothing to do with the one your next job needs. The right aircraft depends on this load, this site, and this reach, and it could be anything from a light Lama to an S-64 Skycrane, with very different costs. Anchoring to a past job's price is how good projects get ruled out before they are ever quoted.
"Helicopters are the backup for when a crane can't do it."
This is the most common and most expensive misread. A helicopter is not a last resort. It is a primary lifting method that often wins outright on cost and time once a job is big enough, and treating it as a fallback means it gets considered too late to plan around.
"It worked on that one job, but this one is different."
Contractors who used a helicopter once tend to remember the specific job, the mall, the warehouse, and call again only when that exact situation repeats. But the same logic applies to a tower on remote terrain, a bundle of schools or stores, or a plant that cannot stop running. If a past helicopter lift made sense, the next one in that family probably does too, even when it does not look the same.
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Our Project Showcase
Heavy lifts built around problems solved
Every job below came down to something a crane could not do well. Here is what each one solved.
Featured Project
the disruption-on-a-live-site problem
Las Vegas, NV100
units
16,000 lb
Heaviest Pick
Sikorsky
S-64E Skycrane
450ft
Long Line
The Challenge
New air handlers set across the property during a live casino rebuild. A crane would have needed multiple setups, blocked windows, and shut down more areas.
The Helicopter Advantage
We flew a 200 foot longline from a low building next to the property, keeping the casino open and the disruption low.
Result
Crane problem solved: working a live, constrained site at scale
More Problems. Solved
the multi-setup problem
Georgetown, KY26
Picks
2,800 lb
Max Pick
Bell UH-1H
Super Huey
The Challenge
A crane would have needed breakdown and repositioning three or four times, moving outriggers and counterweights each time.
Result
Crane problem solved: Repositioning and time on site.
the access & airspace problem
Stone Mountain, GA37
Picks
1,800 lb
Max Pick
Aérospatiale
SA 315B Lama
The Challenge
A 350 foot crane reach, congested site, and airspace that required a certified flight plan and coordination with county fire and police.
Result
Crane problem solved: Site access, reach, and regulatory complexity.
the airspace & curveball problem
Toyota Plant12
Picks
Varied
Loads
Bell
206L-4
The Challenge
Airspace restrictions over the plant and a curved flight path made a direct crane setup impossible.
Result
Crane problem solved: Airspace limitations and curved approach.
Call 1-800-318-8940 anytime. Free, no-obligation quotes, often same-day
Heavy Lift Helicopter Projects Are Complex.
Your Job Doesn't Have to Be.
We do the parts you have never had to, keeping your side simple.
We Understand Your Project
Before anything else, we learn the lift completely: what you're moving, the weight of each pick, how many units, how many go up versus down, what the building is used for, and what site access looks like. Details you might think don't matter often do.
And if a helicopter isn't the right call, we'll say so. We tell clients when a boom truck or ground crane would make more sense, or that it's cheaper to buy a new grain bin than to fly one out to move an old one. That's the whole reason our advice is worth anything.
We Evaluate Options With You
Most of the cost is decided here, in the aircraft and the plan, which is why bringing us in early saves the most. We work the options around what matters most to you:
- Budget: break units down to fly a smaller, less expensive aircraft, or combine trips into one mobilization.
- Speed: get it done in a single day instead of several.
- Disruption: keep your site, parking, and roads open while the work happens.
Then we handle the parts a contractor never has to know: which aircraft fits the load, where it is so we can cut your mobilization, the flight plan or congested-area permit, what has to be closed and what doesn't, and which pilots have flown your kind of lift.
The Day of the Lift
By lift day, the hard part is done. We've handled the FAA permitting, the coordination with local authorities, and the certificate of insurance. You hand us as much or as little as you want; most clients run their own road closures and leave the air to us.
The pilot on site has final say on weather and safety, and we keep backup options ready in case anything about the job changes. The lift itself is fast. Almost every client says the same thing after: they're surprised how smooth it was.
Call 1-800-318-8940 anytime. Free, no-obligation quotes, often same-day
The Cheapest Lift Isn't Always the Lowest-Cost Project
Our advice? Don't Compare Rates. Compare Projects.
The number on the quote is rarely the number that matters.
A helicopter's hourly rate looks high next to a crane's day rate, but the rate is not the cost of the job. The real cost includes crew standing by, road and site closures, mobilization, and schedule risk, none of which show up on the first quote.
Our lifts have run from $5,000 to seven figures for months-long projects with the highest-capacity aircraft. What yours costs depends on the load, the site, and the plan, not a rate card.
The more units in a job, the more the math favors a helicopter. Once it is on site, it takes over every pick a crane would make, at 12 to 25 an hour, with the mobilization spread across all of them.
Moraine, OH — 63 units, set for about 75% of the crane estimate. The alternative was a 440-ton crane at 250 feet of reach, with all the repositioning and downtime that brings. Flown with an S-61N.
Lower cost is not always the only reason to choose a helicopter, and we will tell you when it is close.
Kalispell, MT — the helicopter and a 300-ton crane came in at about the same price. The client chose the helicopter anyway: it finished faster, kept their crew off site, and avoided days of disruption. Flown with a Blackhawk.
When the prices are close, the time and the disruption decide it.
Call 1-800-318-8940 Today
Free, no-obligation consultations available.
A Successful Heavy Lift Starts With the Right Conversation
Expert Guidance Before the First Lift.
Every project is different, and the best answer isn't always a helicopter.
We'll review your lift, evaluate the options, and tell you what makes the most sense for your schedule, budget, and site. If there's a better way to do it, we'll tell you that too.
Keep in mind the biggest savings happen before the aircraft is ever scheduled. Bringing us in early gives you more options, better pricing, and a plan built around your project—not around a particular helicopter.
Call 1-800-318-8940 Today
talk with a heavy lift specialist about your project. Free, no-obligation quotes, often same-day.
Heavy Lift Helicopter & Sky Crane FAQ
Can a heavy lift helicopter lift my project?
A heavy lift helicopter can lift loads from about 1,000 to 25,000 pounds, depending on the aircraft, altitude, temperature, and site conditions. The question isn't just weight—it also includes reach, access, the number of picks, and how quickly the work needs to be completed. Fair Lifts evaluates the entire project to determine whether a heavy lift helicopter is the right solution and which aircraft best fits the job.
How much does a heavy lift helicopter cost?
Heavy lift helicopter projects range from approximately $5,000 for smaller lifts to seven-figure budgets for large, multi-month operations. The final cost depends on factors such as the aircraft required, load weight, number of lifts, mobilization, flight time, site conditions, and project complexity. Comparing hourly rates alone rarely reflects the true cost of the project.
How early should I involve Fair Lifts in a heavy lift helicopter project?
As early as possible. Most opportunities to reduce cost, improve scheduling, and simplify logistics happen during project planning—not after an aircraft has been selected. Bringing Fair Lifts in early allows us to evaluate aircraft options, minimize mobilization costs, coordinate permits, and determine whether a heavy lift helicopter is the most effective solution before plans are finalized.
How do you choose the right heavy lift helicopter?
There isn't one "best" heavy lift helicopter. The right aircraft depends on the load, lift radius, elevation, project schedule, and site constraints. Fair Lifts is aircraft-neutral, meaning we recommend the helicopter—or even a ground crane—that delivers the best overall outcome for your project, whether that's a K-MAX, Blackhawk, Chinook, Skycrane, S-61, or another aircraft.
When is a heavy lift helicopter better than a crane?
A heavy lift helicopter is often the better choice when a project requires a large crane, multiple picks, limited site access, minimal disruption, or a faster schedule. While a ground crane may technically perform the work, a helicopter can reduce setup time, eliminate repeated crane repositioning, and minimize road closures or operational downtime. Every project is different, which is why we compare the total project—not just the equipment.
Call 1-800-318-8940 Today
Free, no-obligation consultations available.
Commercial Helicopter Lift Solutions
Call 1-800-318-8940 Today
Free, no-obligation consultations available.