New Floatplane Operator?

Commercial floatplane ops for Queenstown

Further to an earlier Otago Daily Times report, a commercial floatplane operation first mooted two years ago has now been publicly notified, with submissions closing 29SEP11. Brent Collins, originally of Blenheim, applied for land use consent in 2009 to establish the new tourism venture on Lake Wakatipu, which would take people on sightseeing trips primarily from Queenstown to Glenorchy, but which would also include charter trips to Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. Consent was also sought for two planes, although initially only one would be used. It was intended to use a de Havilland Beaver DHC-2) with a three-bladed prop and/or a Cessna 206 (non turbo). A DHC-2 model could carry a pilot and seven passengers, while the C206 had capacity for a pilot and five passengers. The aircraft would have deployable wheels, allowing aircraft storage at Queenstown Aircraft premises overnight and on non-flying days. After consultation with authorities and local tourism operators, Mr Collins intends locating a floatplane pontoon well away from downtown, on the Queenstown Gardens side of Queenstown Bay, with passengers ferried by water taxi. A secondary runway would be located at Frankton Arm, for use if weather conditions within Queenstown Bay were unsuitable. Flights would operate on a year-round basis, with the frequency of trips determined by seasonal variations and weather conditions. The maximum number of flights per day for the operation of two planes is 16 flights over winter months and 22 flights over summer months.

Source : http://www.travelmemo.co.nz/memos/20110906.pdf