Aircraft Fleet

Pilatus Turbo Porter PC6 Our Pilatus Porter PC6 aircraft come from a family of aircraft purpose developed by Swiss manufacturer Pilatus for alpine conditions. They offer excellent views for up to nine passengers with fast boarding and disembarkation provided by a large sliding door. Their high wing configuration affords first class views to all passengers and the large windows give plenty of opportunities to view and photograph or film the majestic peaks of the Aoraki/Mount Cook National park during the flight. Another feature of the aircraft is their slow flying speed which ensures passengers are given time to enjoy the spectacular scenery at their leisure. As with the Cessna 185 aircraft, climb performance is impressive, and descent can be even more so utilising the "Beta" thrust capabilities of the turboprop engine to control descent.
Cessna 185  Our Cessna 185 aircraft come from a family of rugged utility aircraft noted for the excellent views offered to passengers and their high power giving the performance we need for our ski equipped operations at high altitude. With seating for up to five passengers they allow us to fly groups of two or more on our landing flights and overflights at up to 3750 metres (over 12,000 feet) while maintaining excellent performance for the demands of the high rates of climb and descent needed to complete the flights within the time allotted.    For the technically minded, the Cessna 185 is a high wing aircraft fitted with a 300hp six cylinder Continental IO-520 fuel injected engine. We fit retractable skis to our aircraft to allow a takeoff from our standard runways at Mount Cook and Franz Josef, and by extending the skis during flight, landings and takeoffs on the snow covered glaciers. All our Cessna aircraft are equipped with STOL kits to enhance further our ability to function from short strips and at high altitude.
AS350 B3 Aerospatiale (‘Squirrel’) The AS350 B3 aircraft has a carrying capacity of 6 pax plus pilot and gear lockers. They can be fitted with pods. The lifting capacity is 1.2 to 1.4 tonnes. AS350 B2 Aerospatiale (‘Squirrel’) The AS350 B2 aircraft has a person carrying capacity of 6 pax plus pilot and gear lockers, and can be fitted with pods to carry additional gear and equipment.