Aviation company hopes to unlock trail centre potential with bike rack for helicopters

Does your local trail centre need an uplift? Perhaps you could put a new solution to rapid mountain ascents on the owner’s radar – the Powell River helicopter bike rack.

As pointed out by Outside Online, North America has 35 commercial heli-ski operators, but none work through the summer to host the flocks of mountain bikers that arrive on the slopes.

Developed in British Columbia, the Aero Design Quick Release Bike Rack hoists up to six bikes up into the air – three on each side – meaning riders with the luxury of helicopter access will no longer have to strip wheels and components to get in the air.

The non-permanent rack weighs in at 65 pounds and does pack a price tag at $49,755 clad with all the fittings required to fit to your helicopter. We’re not in the business of helicopters, but in the grand scheme of things, that price tag seems like it might be worth it to unlock the summer business.

Know someone with a spare helicopter kicking around? You can buy the racking here.

“A lot of heli-ski operators were looking for something to do in the off-season,” Jason Rekve, president and general manager of Aero Design, told the website.

The racking has already achieved certification from Transport Canada and Europe, as well as expecting an FAA stamp in the not too distant future.

Read more here.