Mount Cook Ski Plane Scenic Flight

We advise that you wear warm, comfortable active wear and covered shoes. Sunglasses are a must! The Supplier does not require you to bring anything - phones/cameras are allowed in pockets. Bags must be left behind as there is limited storage space on the aircraft's. There is free tea and coffee at the airport. If you feel peckish, The Supplier does sell cookies, chips, peanuts and bottled water at their desk.  

INFANTS: The Civil Aviation Authority stipulates that we operate our aircraft in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines, one of these guidelines is that there is maximum number of passengers allowed on the aircraft, adult, child or infant. Therefore, when an infant is booked on our flights and sits on the lap of a caregiver, we are required to leave a seat free for this infant, thus the total maximum number of passengers remains the same. This is why you will see a charge for infants.

This tour departs from Mt Cook airport. There is one turn-off, which is the only way into the Aoraki Mt Cook National Park. The turn-off from the main Highway 8 to Highway 80 is very well sign posted and impossible to miss! The two nearest towns are Tekapo (105km away) and Twizel (65km), where you can stock up on food and fuel. From there you follow the beautiful, slightly winding single lane road. This road offers plenty of great pit-stops to pull over and take in the stunning views of Lake Pukaki – Peter’s Lookout is a great stop to do this!  

As you are driving into Mount Cook Village there is a turn off on the right-hand side, you will see the Mount Cook Aerodrome from the road. There is plenty of free parking at the airport. The Supplier's counter is located on the right-hand side as you into the airport – you will see their logo and signs. 

Yes. There is plenty of free parking at the airport. 

All flights are weather dependent. The Supplier will make the weather call first thing in the morning. Customers are kindly asked to call The Supplier the morning of your scheduled flight or before you depart to check on the weather. It is not unusual for pilots to put flights on hold due to fog/low cloud in the Tasman Valley, which will impact the pilot’s visibility whilst flying. If there are adverse weather conditions and flights are cancelled, The Supplier will work with you to re-schedule for a time that suits you. If The Supplier cannot re-schedule you, they will fully refund your booking. If you’re flight is weather affected – The Supplier is sorry for the inconvenience it may cause. However, they can help with free travel advice and bookings.

Ski Plane’s are fixed wing planes that have skis attached at the bottom by the wheels. Ski Planes are uniquely engineered to land on snow and ice. They land by skiing to a halt – a very exciting experience! Mount Cook is one of only two places in the world that offer ski Plane flights, second being Alaska. The founder of Mount Cook Ski Planes, Harry Wigley, was the first to land on the Tasman Glacier in a Ski Plane on September 22nd, 1955. These Ski Planes seat up to 8 passengers – although The Supplier sometimes needs to limit this to 6 in summer due to difficulty with landing and take-off on the Glacier, as it becomes very icy during the hotter summer months. The Supplier also has a smaller Cessna that is used for over flights. This plane can fit up to 2 passenger's or 3 smaller passengers.