By Ross Millichamp
The experience of Charles and Gayle Wilson demonstrates that there is some confusion about private aircraft landings at Milford Sound (NZMF).
NZMF lies in a national park, which means that a ‘concession’ is required for all landings. Concessions normally only apply to commercial activities, but private aviation on Public Conservation Land is also affected by the Conservation Act. The process for obtaining a one-off concession/landing permit is to apply in writing to the Te Anau office of the Department of Conservation, pay a $50 administration fee and wait up to five working days for it to be processed. Five days is a very long time in terms of Fiordland weather and the chance of conditions still being suitable at the end of this process is remote.
Fortunately, AOPA NZ, Backcountry Pilots Association, Cessna 180-185 Club and Sport Aircraft Association hold a joint concession for private landings at NZMF, which allows members to land without the need for reams of paperwork and long delays. You are still required to study the procedures described in the AIP (NZMF AD 2 -31.1), to get a briefing from a “pilot currently experienced in NZMF operations” and to adhere to the arrival/departure rules on the day.
Briefings can be obtained from any of the operators who fly into Milford – Top Flights or Southern Alps Air in Wanaka or Glenorchy Air, True South, Milford Sound Scenic Flights or Air Milford in Queenstown. They all have an interest in safe operations in and out of NZMF.
Other useful resources are Sue Kronfeld’s ‘Milford Sound Awareness’ article in the Autumn 2021 Approach magazine and the CAA GAP publication ‘In, Out and Around Milford’. The Milford Flight Service (MFS) advise that they are happy to help visiting pilots with advice on current weather conditions and expected traffic flows. It’s not a bad idea to ring them on 03 249 8092 and let them know your likely arrival time and registration details. Best time to ring is between 8–9am, before the tourist flights start to arrive.
MFS don’t need details of the concession you’re operating under. There is no charge for using the concession but you will get an invoice from Airways for use of MFS. Shaun Gilbertson is responsible for annual reporting of concession activities to DoC so you need to let him know your aircraft registration details and the date of your visit as soon as you can after completing your trip. Shaun encourages members to visit Milford and reckons the savings made through using the group concession will go a fair way to paying your AOPA NZ subs.
This article first appeared in the Winter 2021 edition of Approach Magazine, the dedicated magazine of AOPA NZ, which is published quarterly.