Glenorchy Air is a scenic flight and air charter company based at Queenstown Airport, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. The company is owned by Janet and Robert Rutherford who founded it in 1992. The company was started with just one aeroplane, a Cessna 185

Cessna 185

-Specification for differing configurations:-References:* Jan Churchill, Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, ISBN 0-89745-215-1...

, registration ZK CHK. With the expansion of the business, a second aircraft, a Piper Cherokee Six

Piper Cherokee Six

-External links:* *...

 300, ZK DOJ, was purchased in 1996. The company still operates this aeroplane. The Cessna 185

Cessna 185

-Specification for differing configurations:-References:* Jan Churchill, Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, ISBN 0-89745-215-1...

 was sold in 2003 when it was replaced by a brand new Gippsland Aeronautics

Gippsland Aeronautics

Gippsland Aeronautics are an Australian aircraft manufacturer based at Latrobe Valley Airport in Morwell, Victoria. The company builds single-engined utility aircraft. These include the GA8 Airvan and the GA200 Fatman. The company is owned by Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group...

 GA8 Airvan

Gippsland GA8

The Gippsland GA8 Airvan is a single-engined utility aircraft manufactured by Gippsland Aeronautics of Victoria, Australia. It can seat eight including one pilot.-Development:...

 ZK LOR.

Lord of the Rings involvement

Glenorchy Air became involved in the making of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...

 in 1999 when it transported members of the cast, crew and equipment around the southern half of the South Island of New Zealand. This included flying producer Barrie Osbourne

Barrie M. Osborne

Barrie M. Osborne is an American movie producer, executive producer, production manager and director.Osborne was born in New York City, New York, the son of Hertha Schwarz and William Osborne...

 on reconnaissance trips to Paradise

Paradise, New Zealand

Paradise is a rural locality in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It lies on the eastern side of the Dart River at the head of Lake Wakatipu, close to the settlement of Glenorchy....

, Poolburn and Ben Ohau

Ben Ohau Range

Ben Ohau Range is a mountain range in Canterbury Region, South Island, New Zealand. It lies west of Lake Pukaki, at .- External links :*...

. The Airvan was so registered (LOR) because of Glenorchy Air's involvement during the making of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Glenorchy Air now provides tours to some of the locations used in the filming of Lord of the Rings.

Services

Glenorchy Air mostly operates scenic flights between Queenstown

Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....

 and Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

 as well as some Mount Cook and glacier flights. Flights can be made to and from Glenorchy

Glenorchy, New Zealand

Glenorchy is a small settlement nestled in spectacular scenery at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand's south Island. It is approximately 45 kilometres by road or boat from Queenstown, the nearest large town....

 as well as Taiaroa Head

Taiaroa Head

Taiaroa Head is a headland at the end of the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand, overlooking the mouth of the Otago Harbour. It lies within the city limits of Dunedin...

 in Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

.

Fleet

Aircraft	Number	Registration(s)
Piper Cherokee Six Piper Cherokee Six -External links:* *...  PA-32S-300	1	ZK-DOJ
GA8 Airvan Gippsland GA8 The Gippsland GA8 Airvan is a single-engined utility aircraft manufactured by Gippsland Aeronautics of Victoria, Australia. It can seat eight including one pilot.-Development:...	1	ZK-LOR
Cessna 172 Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...	1	ZK-DNS

External links

• Glenorchy Air Official website
• Trilogy trail tours
• Queenstown Wiki (information wiki operated by the company)