about us | our aircraft

About Us

Canterbury Aviation is privately owned business, operating since 1998. Based at Christchurch International airport, our aircraft and business is certified by Civil Aviation – Air Operating Certificate 45781. Our pilots are experienced in mountain and scenic flying and promise you a professional, friendly and informative approach.

Hugh Robinson (Owner / Pilot)  - Hugh has been flying fixed wing aircraft for more than 20 yrs and, working with New Zealand based hunting and fishing safari companies, has explored the South Island’s best hunting and fishing spots from the air.

As well as personal charter work, Hugh undertakes regular flying commissions with local government departments on survey work.

Hugh runs a large sheep and cattle property an hour North of Christchurch, Mt Palm, a property that has been in his family for 4 generations.

Chris Wilding (Owner/ Pilot) – Chris has more than 25 years and 9000 hours of commercial flying experience in both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. His first aeroplane flying job was based in the Chatham Islands where he flew a Beechcraft Queen Air, transferring live crayfish back to the New Zealand mainland each day.

Although the majority of his flying experience has been in New Zealand, he also spent a year in Myanmar on survey work. His flying career here includes flying hunters and fisherman in and around Fiordland and Stewart Island, five years tourist mountain flying based at Mt Cook, including heliskiing and search and rescue before moving to Christchurch. For the last 10 years he has been flying a BK117 with the Air Rescue service based out of Christchurch and has in depth local knowledge and experience of flying throughout the South Island.

Matt Gibbons – (Pilot) - Matt learnt to fly with the Canterbury Aero Club and spent the next four years based in Queenstown flying visitors into and around Milford Sound and the Fiordland National Park. Matt, his partner Emily and their two boys returned to Christchurch and joined Canterbury Aviation in 2008. Since then Matt has assisted with the day to day running of the business and charter flights throughout the South Island.