Photo story from The Hermitage Aoraki Mount Cook
24 August 2009

Mass fly-in creates buzz at Aoraki Mount Cook

Click for big version
Some of the aircraft at the airport on Saturday August 22

Click for big version
Some of the aircraft at the Irishman Strip in the Dobson River Valley, 15km north of Lake Ohau

More than 25 Cessna 180/185 aircraft[1] carrying 95 pilots and passengers arrived at the Aoraki Mount Cook Airport last weekend (21-23 August) for their biannual get-together at The Hermitage Hotel.

General Manager of Tourism for Aoraki Mount Cook Alpine Village Ltd, Denis Callesen, said it was a “remarkable sight” to see so many planes lined up wingtip to wingtip on the airstrip.

Aoraki Mount Cook and The Hermitage has been a favourite destination of the Cessna 180/185 Group for the past few years.

During the weekend the group enjoyed plenty of flight time, activities, walks and a special dinner at the award-winning Panorama Room on Saturday night featuring guest speaker Doug Flett. Mr Flett is a crew chief on Otago Helicopters’ rescue helicopter.

Richard Royds, Director of Mt Cook Ski Planes, is part of the aviation enthusiast group and says the area is perfect for their purposes.

“Not only is it a beautiful setting with loads of activities for people to enjoy, the backcountry landing strips mean we get to use our Cessnas for what they were designed to do – remote area flying.

“They’re a real workhorse of an aeroplane which is why we still have five in operation at Mt Cook Ski Planes.”

[1] The Cessna 180 is a 4 or 6-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as backcountry and bush flying.

ENDS

© Scoop Media