NZ's Southern Most Air Service - Part 3 - The Fleet

BN Islander ZK-FWZ at Ryan's Creek on 16 December 2019

BN Islander ZK-FXE at Invercargill on 16 December 2019

So FWZ above, has a two bladed prop while FXE below has a three bladed prop

 

And a long term restoration project, BN Islander ZK-FFL at Invercargill on 16 December 2019

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Southeast Air Cessna 185 ZK-JEM at  Invercargill on 16 December 2019 - they marked the stop positions for Airbus 320 and Airbus 321 aircraft but forgot to mark the stop for Cessna 185s 

Southeast Air Piper Cherokee 6 ZK-RTS at  Invercargill on 16 December 2019 

 Again a big thanks to Stewart Island Flights...

For bookings or more information see https://www.stewartislandflights.co.nz/

NZ's Southern Most Air Service - Part 2 - WK172 back to Invercargill

Part 2 of my Stewart Island Flights adventure

Koru Club Stewart Island Flights style... After checking in I was told "we will pick you up from the pub"

My ride back to Invercargill was in BN Islander ZK-FXE

Jo Leask who has been handling the Stewart Island flights for years - that means, manning the depot, driving the shuttle van, doing control tower duties from the van at the airstrip

So did you notice this about FXE?

Ready to roll on 04 at Ryan's Creek

Oban and Halfmoon Bay

Horseshoe Bay

Foveaux Strait traffic, the Gottfried Schulte with Bluff Hill in the distance

Bluff Hill, the port and smelter

Oreti Beach

New River Estuary

Finals 04 Invercargill... a bit more runway than Ryan's Creek and more than an Islander needs... I guess that;s why Stewart Island Flights don't operate Airbuses there

My ride home

And a big thanks to Cameron Pringle, the pilot on both flights! What an awesome day. Great to meet you Cameron and thanks for all your help

NZ's Southern Most Air Service - Part 1 - WK153 to Stewart Island

Yesterday (16 December 2019) I took the opportunity to do a quick trip to Stewart Island on Stewart Island Flights. I had flown on Stewart Island Flights' predecessor, Southern Air, but this was the first time I had flown on Stewart Island Flights which is the trading name for Southeast Air Ltd.

I was the only passenger on flight WK153 to the island but at 10.00am this was the fourth flight of the day and the return flight was going to be full! Pilot in command was Cameron Pringle who has been flying the Foveaux Strait run for over year now. The service runs VFR and so the pilots really get to know the vagaries of the weather in these parts of the world. The flight to Ryan's Creek airfield is only 74 km and Stewart Island Flights uses two Britten Norman Islanders to operate the service as well as transfers to the western beaches. A Cessna 185 and Piper Cherokee 6 are used for beach work and occasionally services to Ryan's Creek.

The front office of BN Islander ZK-FWZ

Rolling 04 Invercargill 

New River Estuary

Setting track south

Heading towards the the Three Sisters

Bluff and Bluff Hill

The New RIver Estuary meets the sea

Barracouta Point

Stewart Island across Foveaux Strait

Titi - The Muttonbird Islands

Horseshoe Bay on the left

Oban - the settlement on Stewart Island

Ryan's Creek Airfield

And a smart turn around

BN Islander ZK-FWZ... my southbound ride