AIR MILFORD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Pilot Instructor / Safety Manager
Originally from Northumberland in the UK; Alex has lived in Queenstown since 2007, moving to New Zealand to pursue a career in general aviation. Alex has had a passion for aviation since he was young and always knew he wanted to fly.
"When I was instructing I did a lot of flying around the Queenstown/Milford area with pilots from overseas and it always amazed me that the most frequent comment when we landed was this was the most spectacular flying they had ever done. Often this was from pilots with thousands of hours, flying all over the world". After instructing, Alex got the opportunity to fly for a local skydive company and his first taste of flying turbine powered aircraft. He did this for three years before joining Air Milford in 2015.
Outside of flying Alex has his hands pretty full with his two young children, but tries to make time for walking in the amazing surroundings we have here in Queenstown.
Job Titles:
- Operations Manager / Chief Pilot
Youngest son to Hank and Kerrie, Antony joined the business full-time in 2011. He combined his studies in tourism and child born love for aviation to attain a commercial pilot's licence in 2014.
"Words cannot describe how much I enjoy working in our family business - it's truly a dream job. From the cockpit of our aircraft, to travelling and marketing the business at trade events, every day presents a unique office environment. This excitement we experience is shared through our customer feedback on TripAdvisor, and we are proud to be rated #1 Scenic Flight Activity in the Queenstown area. I give credit to my parents, who have drawn on 40 years of local aviation experience, to establish a successful business focused on personalised flight seeing tours." Outside of the business Antony is still involved in his former Motocross career, actively coaching the younger generation.
Brad started his apprenticeship in Queenstown in 1963, working most of his career for Mt Cook Airlines. In the main he worked in the Light Aircraft Division. This included time at Mechanics Bay in Auckland where the Company had a fleet of Amphibians. Some of his time at Mt Cook was looking after a large fleet of Cessna 185 Ski Planes but most of the time was spent in Queenstown where the Company had a fleet of various sized aircraft from 6 seat to 20 seats. Apart from Mechanics Bay where they serviced the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Islands the other bases were solely tourism. The best part of the job has undoubtedly been the people he has worked with along the way. Brad worked with Hank Sproull since the 1970's when he also engineered for Mt Cook. Brad retired a few years ago, while still at times lending a hand at Air Milford when needed. This worked well, and so nearly 60 years later here he is about 200 metres from where it all started.
Carl's knowledge of the New Zealand mountains started after University, climbing extensively in the Southern Alps and working as a full time member of the Mt Cook Alpine Rescue team for 5 years. This was followed by 8 seasons working in Antarctica - two as head of the Search and Rescue team for both the US and NZ programs and six seasons working for the US Antarctic Research Program searching for meteorites throughout the continent. Since then he turned to aviation and gained his Commercial Pilots Licence. He has flown commercially for 32 years in the Southern Alps and Milford Sound regions and still enjoys climbing in the region - although he has to admit that it's easier to fly over them than climb over them!
Emma joined the Air Milford team in October 2022 as a flight coordinator and has loved every minute so far. She grew up in Auckland and progressively has moved her way south since. First stop to Christchurch to train as a Commercial pilot and C-Cat instructor for two years. Then moving further south to live and work in the beautiful Queenstown.
"Getting to work and live in a spectacular place like Queenstown is amazing. Working for a local family owned business that has so much experience and passion for providing a top quality service is what drew me to Air Milford. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be apart of the team and be highly involved in the Aviation industry."
Outside of work, Emma loves exploring the running trails Queenstown has to offer, going for cross country flights across the south island and catching up with friends and family from all over New Zealand.
With over 50 years' experience in aviation, Hank is a flying enthusiast and one of the longest serving to General Aviation (G.A.) in the area. Growing up in nearby Te Anau, Hank moved to Queenstown in the early '70s to begin an Aircraft Engineering apprenticeship with Mt Cook Airlines (now owned by Air New Zealand). Like many kids, however, the dream was always to pilot the machines he so meticulously cared for. During the '80s and '90s Hank flew for the Hollyford Tourist Company and Mt Cook Airlines, sharing his passion for the Fiordland outdoors with the travelling public.
In the year 2000, he and wife, Kerrie, took sole ownership of Air Milford calling on all of their business skills to develop the company into the successful, 5-aircraft operation that it is today. Hank has not lost sight of his goal to offer personalised sightseeing tours, which is reflected when customers are personally shuttled to the airport by Kerrie, and quite often share the privilege of flying with Hank.
Job Titles:
- Sales & Marketing Executive
Kate is no stranger to both the tourism and aviation industries having worked for our friends at RealNZ and The Helicopter Line in her past life.
She grew up in Wanaka, so Queenstown is not far from home and she knows the area well.
Kate is a recent recruit, she joined the team in April 2023 and we are so grateful to have her and her wealth of tourism knowledge.
Kerrie's connection to aviation started long before meeting Hank, with her father a private pilot and proud owner of a Cessna 182. Kerrie has been integral in supporting Hank growing the business, with roles in front office and customer service.
Now retired, she keeps connected to our passengers by assisting with the occasional courtesy transfer. With our pilots her connection is delicious baking for morning tea!
Maria is a part-time employee, who joined the team in November 2016. She processes company accounts and wages, helps on reception, and during busy times, will be out in the hanger assisting Air Milford passengers. "I love the variety in my job, it's a great team to work with and our passengers are always so excited about their flight with us. My job is a lot of fun!"
Maria has lived in Arrowtown since 2001 with her daughter, who now attends Wakatipu High School and her partner. Maria is a keen golfer who enjoys the stunning surroundings which make every golf day a great day (regardless of the score!!).
"Sara is originally from the USA but has spent the last 8 years working, traveling and volunteering in several countries around the world. She spent the last few years guiding and managing for a Spanish-speaking adventure travel company in Iceland and the Faroe Islands before making the leap to the Southern Hemisphere, bridging the gap along the way with a stop in Alaska to earn her Private Pilot License and fulfill her lifelong dream of learning to fly.
Sara joined Air Milford in August of 2021, a perfect place to combine her love of aviation with her passion for adventure travel. She feels at home with the Air Milford team and truly enjoys meeting travelers and helping them experience the magic of this region!
Sara's zest for life and abundance of energy mean you will never find her sitting still. She spends most of her free time finding new adventures, usually the kinds that involve running shoes, epic trails, cosy mountain huts, and enough snacks to keep her going for days! Life is a fun and exciting ride to enjoy both in the air and on the ground, and that's what keeps her constantly smiling!"
A true Queenstown local born and raised, Thomas has been flying with Air Milford since 2013, firstly on a part time basis and progressively, since graduating to flying the Caravans in the summer of 2016, in a more permanent roll. When he is not showing travelers round his beautiful backyard, Tom is busy going on adventures with his three sons and working with his wife, in the local film industry.