Milford Sound Airport
From Queenstown.net.nz
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Milford Airport
IATA:ZMF ICAO NZMF
Summary
Airport type: Public
Operator: Ministry of Transport
Serves: Fiordland, Queenstown and Wanaka, New Zealand
Elevation AMSL 10 ft (3 m)
Coordinates: 44°40′24″S, 167°55′24″E
Runways
Direction 11L/29L Length m 782 Surface Asphalt
Milford Airport (IATA: ZMF, ICAO: NZMF) is located in Milford Sound , Otago, New Zealand, and serves the Milford Tourism Industry including Boats, Kayaks, Milford Track as well as the fishing boats based at Milford Sound.
Use of Airport
Anyone can use Milford Airport,it is a public. However there are a couple of things pilots should be aware of. It is esential to first get a briefing on the procedures used by pilots flying to Milford by someone who flies there regularly. The best place to get this is from one of the local aeroclubs or operators that regularly fly into Milford. If you have flown into Queenstown the Wakatipu Aeroclub is a good place to start. For Wanaka Aspiring Air or Southern Alps Air. For Te Anau, Air Fiordland. You may decide to take a local pilot along to provide guidance. Flying to Milford Sound is a challenge even for the most experienced pilot.
History of Milford Airport
On November 17 1938, a Southland Airway’s Pus Moth piloted by Arthur Bradshaw made the first landing in at Milford Sound. However, any further development for air operations into the Fiord ended up hampered and momentarily forgotten because of the war.
Post war pilot; Fred ‘Popeye’ Lucas was the next to land an aircraft in Milford. He landed on the sand spit in his Southern Scenic Airtrips Auster on August 22 1951. This then sparked the addition of an airstrip for use by his company to expand tourism into Milford Sound. An airstrip was constructed, initially 550 yards in length with the first official landing achieved in May 1952.
Over the years the airstrip has been upgraded and lengthened till today’s sealed strip of 792 metres.
In order for Southern Scenic Airtrips and National Airways Corporation (NAC) to be able to fly the larger twin-engine aircraft into the area the airstrip become officially licensed in 1956.
Prior to the ability of air operations Milford Sound had no access in the winter months as the roads become impassable. With the addition of the airstrip it was recorded that by 1964 more than 400 tourists were taking the ‘Gateway to Magnificence Experience’ flight to Milford Sound each month at peak holiday time.1
Activity
Weather permitting, there is substantial daily charter traffic of light aircraft (mostly Britten-Norman Islander, Cessna 206, 207, 172, GA8 Airvan ) to and from Queenstown,Wanaka and Te Anau and on sightseeing trips. Helicopters are also very active.
Airlines which regularly use the Airport
Aspiring Air - From Wanaka
Glenorchy Air 3 - From Queenstown
Milford Sound Helicopters 4 - Based at the Airport.
References
1‘Taking Off-Pioneering Small Airlines Of New Zealand 1945-1970’ Published 2003 By Richard Waugh with Bruce Gavin, Peter Layne & Graeme McConnell, Pages 16-36
