Alpine Air Services - flying whenever... wherever

Alpine Air Services was a Dunedin based company formed by Charles and Helen Thompson in September 1999. Charter operations began in 2000 using Piper Pa34-200T Seneca II ZK-TBF (c/n 34-8070087) with Charles being the chief pilot and managing director and Helen the Administration and Tour Coordinator.

Piper Seneca ZK-TBF at Dunedin on 6 August 2001. 

Charles and Helen Thompson and Seneca TBF at Dunedin. Photo : Alpine Air

Regular flights between Dunedin and Queenstown began in July 2000. Flight operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays subject to there being at least two passengers. Flights would also land at Alexandra or Wanaka on demand. By November 2001 the service had reduced to a weekly flight on Wednesdays. Cessna 182R Skylane ZK-NPC (c/n 18268096) was operated over the 2001/2002 summer and Seneca ZK-TBF was replaced by Piper Pa34-200T Seneca II ZK-MIE (c/n 34-8170056) in April 2002.



Timetable accessed from Alpine Air website, 28 February 2001

Timetable accessed from Alpine Air website, 1 November 2001

Alpine Air's Piper Seneca ZK-MIE at Timaru on 18 August 2002. 

In early 2003 the company moved its base to Christchurch and tried offering a new Christchurch-Wanaka-Queenstown service which operated southbound on Saturdays and northbound on Sundays. This service failed to generate much interest and by early February 2005 the last aircraft, Seneca, ZK-MIE, had been sold and the company had ceased operating.

Timetable accessed from Alpine Air website, 12 April 2003