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Louisa Choppy Patterson
Louisa Choppy Patterson
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Louisa Choppy Patterson

Over The Top

Queenstown, Otago NZ

"If you spend too much time looking back over things, you don't really get anywhere."

Career Roadmap

Louisa Choppy's work combines: Environment & Nature, Travel, and Accomplishing Goals

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Day In The Life

Helicopter Pilot

I share my love of the New Zealand landscape by taking people on helicopter tours.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    Her father and uncle were both involved in aviation so it was always around when she was growing up.

  • 2.

    At university, she majored in marine biology.

  • 3.

    One day, her uncle signed her up for flying lessons; she ended up dropping out of that major to focus on this new passion.

  • 4.

    When she was 10, her father was killed in an aircraft accident, so her mother was very anxious about Louisa's change in career path.

  • 5.

    She was an airline pilot for some time, but found it to be boring; said the best part was walking through the terminal in her uniform.

  • 6.

    Pivoted and went into flying helicopters instead; founded her own helicopter tourism company called Over the Top.

  • 7.

    She is the only female licensed helicopter pilot in New Zealand.

  • 8.

    Says her mother is now proud of her aviary career, and they believe that her father is acting as her guardian angel.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from undefined:

  • How I responded:

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

Click to expand

  • There was a lot of controversy about being a woman in an agricultural pilot's role and people would say things, but I wouldn't ever listen to it, I wouldn't even hear it.