Mark Dobbin thinks he's found a niche for executive helicopters in Newfoundland

When ex-Boston Bruins right-winger Michael Ryder dropped into Bonavista, N.L., recently with the Stanley Cup in hand, he did so in style, emerging from a Sikorsky S-76 luxury helicopter courtesy of St. John’s-based 3D Helicopters. It was a marketing coup for the fledgling company. “The Stanley Cup event was a great opportunity for us to get some media attention and let everyone know we’re open for business,” says company president Mark Dobbin.

Stanley Cup champions notwithstanding, Dobbin thinks he may have found a niche for executive helicopters in a Newfoundland market already crowded with the aircraft. The province—with its sparse and convoluted system of roads; rugged coastline; and far-flung mining, heavy manufacturing, and petroleum industries—lends itself well to air transportation. The workhorse helicopters of Cougar, Universal, and Canadian have become familiar sights in Newfoundland skies, but until now there hasn’t been a luxury service available for busy executives intent on paying quick visits to their portfolio assets. 

“There’s an unbelievable amount of activity going on in Newfoundland right now,” says Dobbin. “We’ve got the St. Lawrence Mine, the Voisey’s Bay operation, Come By Chance. There’s a new offshore construction project ramping up at Bull Arm. There are a number of good helicopter companies, but none of them are exploiting the executive part of the market.”

Executives enjoy their perks, after all, and 3D Helicopters is equipped to cater to them. The company’s sleek Sikorsky S-76 that normally seats 12 passengers has been modified to a roomier eight-passenger configuration. The leather-lined interior is more akin to a posh limousine than to the workaday aircraft that ferry oil workers and smoke jumpers to their sites. 

When it comes to the Newfoundland helicopter business, the Dobbin name has some cachet. Dobbin’s late father, Craig, was an industry pioneer in the early 1970s. In 1984 Craig founded CHC Helicopters, which quickly became the world’s largest charter helicopter company. The younger Dobbin worked alongside his father for 17 years, serving as CHC’s senior vice-president at the end of his stint. Today Dobbin is the founder and president of Killick Capital, a St. John’s-based private equity fund that partners with aerospace and other companies in Atlantic Canada and beyond.

The idea for 3D Helicopters evolved from a need that Dobbin had for another business. He operates a high-end fishing camp in an isolated part of Newfoundland that is only accessible by helicopter, but from day one he had difficulty finding a cost-effective charter service—hardly an insurmountable problem for an ex-helicopter company executive. “We decided the most sensible solution was to buy our own,” says Dobbin. But dropping off salmon anglers only ties up the S-76 for a few hours every week, so 3D Helicopters was born in 2008.

Even with the advantage of a solid industry pedigree and all of the resources and personnel in place, starting an aircraft business from scratch isn’t for the faint of heart. Dobbin’s company had to navigate a minefield of complex and expensive regulations in order to get the approvals needed to operate. Manuals had to be written, reviewed, and edited numerous times. Insurance coverage had to be adjusted, and personnel needed extensive training that was then put to the test with rigorous exams. The industry is heavily regulated. Bringing its operation into full compliance with all government regulations was a major undertaking. “I had experience with operating a commercial air carrier in the past, so it was a matter of staying with it and sand grinding through the process,” says Dobbin. “It was risky bringing a new service to an unproven market, but you can always find an opportunity within the environment.”

With those hurdles cleared, Dobbin sees few limits to 3D’s prospects. In addition to providing a rapid transit service for executives, the company has big potential as a high-end sightseeing aircraft, allowing tourists to view the province from a breathtaking vantage point. “Fogo Island is a long way from St. John’s by car but only an hour by helicopter,” says Dobbin. “And it’s a spectacular flight.”