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As the year comes to an end, I've been having a look at my flight log and reminiscing about some of the more memorable ones. Thankfully those that come to mind for me were memorable for good reasons!
Here's my top flight of 2025. No champagne, no flat bed. Just an authentic and fun flying experience!
Sounds Air S8131 from Wellington to Picton. Sounds Air is a small to medium size operator in NZ, probably fourth in scale behind NZ, JQ and Air Chathams. This short domestic flight across Cook Strait was operated b y one of their 4 Cessna Caravans. At WLG they have a small check in counter at one of the gates in the turbo prop wing of the terminal. An American waiting for an NZ ATR flight nearby was completely flummoxed by the lack of security screening for non-jet flights in New Zealand. We were invited to board the small aircraft a few minutes before departure time. The sole pilot gave a brief safety explanation and also mentioned that if he couldn't get visual with the runway at Picton due to low cloud, we'd divert to Blenheim and they'd bus us to Picton.
The approach to Picton is steep and twists between nearby hills, with a final left hand turn to line up with the strip at the very last minute. Lots of fun for me as a former student pilot and true av-geek! There's not really a terminal building at Picton. People meeting the flight were just standing on the other side of a farm gate. Check in for our return flight back to WLG that afternoon was in a modified living room of what was probably once a cattle farmer's house!
Here's my top flight of 2025. No champagne, no flat bed. Just an authentic and fun flying experience!
Sounds Air S8131 from Wellington to Picton. Sounds Air is a small to medium size operator in NZ, probably fourth in scale behind NZ, JQ and Air Chathams. This short domestic flight across Cook Strait was operated b y one of their 4 Cessna Caravans. At WLG they have a small check in counter at one of the gates in the turbo prop wing of the terminal. An American waiting for an NZ ATR flight nearby was completely flummoxed by the lack of security screening for non-jet flights in New Zealand. We were invited to board the small aircraft a few minutes before departure time. The sole pilot gave a brief safety explanation and also mentioned that if he couldn't get visual with the runway at Picton due to low cloud, we'd divert to Blenheim and they'd bus us to Picton.
The approach to Picton is steep and twists between nearby hills, with a final left hand turn to line up with the strip at the very last minute. Lots of fun for me as a former student pilot and true av-geek! There's not really a terminal building at Picton. People meeting the flight were just standing on the other side of a farm gate. Check in for our return flight back to WLG that afternoon was in a modified living room of what was probably once a cattle farmer's house!
