Pro RPMN: What is your current position?


I am the CEO of Aerotoscana, a Chilean helicopter company. I serve as the chief pilot, flying a Robinson R66 primarily for agricultural operations including frost control and fruit drying, with a special focus on Chile’s cherry growers. I carry out this work alongside my wife, a team of engineers, and strong accounting support, allowing us to perform each operation with the highest level of dedication and professionalism.


RPMN: Tell me about your first experience with helicopters.


My first experiences with helicopters date back to 2015 flying with Claudio Fischer, a renowned Chilean pilot of both airplanes and helicopters who inspired me to pursue this path. Claudio, originally from Chile’s Patagonia, amazed me with the experience of flying over such a beautiful, remote, and little-explored place at the end of the world. Following his advice, I began my aviation training with airplanes before transitioning to helicopters.


RPMN: How did you get your start in the helicopter industry?


Aerotoscana was created with the goal of transporting people from Santiago, the capital of Chile, to Viña del Mar where we live, with the idea of decentralizing Santiago and increasing the flow of executives to the Valparaíso Region. We also brought guests to our boutique hotel Villas Toscanas in the Limache Valley, offering them a unique stay in the region. We began with a focus on passenger transportation — a venture that was not easy to launch and is no longer our main operation, although we still offer it today. Over time, we diversified into heli- fishing, heli-camping, and agricultural


10 July/Aug 2025


Meet a otor


Felipe Reitz Lobo


operations, initially as a subcontractor for larger companies. This led us to launch our own heli-ski operation, which we ran


successfully for three


consecutive seasons without incidents, gaining valuable operational experience. This stage strengthened our image and allowed us to enter the agricultural business directly, where we now focus most of our efforts.


RPMN: When and how did you choose the


helicopter choose you?


I chose the helicopter industry because I was deeply passionate about flying and wanted to find a way to stay in the air in a self-sustaining manner, allowing me to keep improving my skills. Through agricultural work, we managed to cover flight costs while gaining valuable experience, which allowed me to train abroad. I believe the answer goes both ways — I chose the industry to be able to fly, and the industry chose me by giving me the opportunity to grow and share what I love most.


RPMN: Where did you get your start flying professionally?


As I mentioned earlier, helicopter flight schools in Chile were very limited, and at the time I began my training, it was nearly impossible unless you owned a helicopter. Thanks to my father’s support, I connected with Félix De Vicente, who owned a Robinson R44 Raven II and was starting a flight school. I became the first student at Rotortec in Santiago, training with pilot Miguel Marín, a retired officer from the Chilean armed forces who gave me a strong foundation and opened the door for pilots in Chile to train without purchasing their own aircraft.


industry? Or did it


Professionally, I began flying when we acquired our Robinson R66 Turbine Marine, the aircraft that became the foundation of all my work in the industry and the driving force that inspired us to develop the projects and operations that define our path today. I had the privilege of ferrying the R66 from Torrance, California, on a 22-day, 67-flight-hour journey alongside a distinguished and veteran pilot, Commander Alfonso Wenzel. It was both a major challenge and an invaluable experience for which I am deeply grateful, marking a before- and-after moment in my professional life.


RPMN: If you were not in the helicopter industry, what else would you see yourself doing?


If I weren’t in the helicopter industry, I think I would be pursuing a sport more professionally — something related


to


golf, cycling, or motorcycles. I would look for something that could give me and others the same feelings I get when flying: freedom, focus, and adrenaline.


RPMN: What do you enjoy doing on your days off?


On my days off, I enjoy dedicating time to the helicopter — performing basic maintenance, cleaning, checking the weather, planning routes, and constantly looking for ways to improve my operations. I focus on learning more about the Robinson R66 by talking to


mechanics, reading aeronautical


literature and other pilots’ experiences, and attending courses. When we are out of season, my wife and I fly to Patagonia to carry out expeditions and explorations; it’s a region we are passionate about discovering from the air and on the ground. I also spend a lot of time with my father, my greatest supporter, sharing


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