Red Cat Biplane Flights
Aviation Adventures Ltd
The Team
Chris Rudge - Chief Pilot and CEO
Chris has been flying gliders and powered aircraft since 1984. As a tow pilot flying "tail dragger" aircraft, he completed over 5000 glider launches. His total time in aircraft exceeds 6400 hours. He also holds New Zealand and Canadian commercial licences for aeroplanes and balloons, and has flown helicopters. He was the first pilot in the world to log 1000 hours each on aeroplanes, gliders and balloons. In addition to holding four New Zealand national aviation records, he has been flying in the area around Aoraki Mt Cook for 35 years and was the Chief Flying Instructor for the Southern Soaring gliding company from February 2006 until April 2010. Other achievements include being the author of two non-fiction aviation books, one novel and visiting Antarctica eight times.
Darren Smith - Quality Assurance Manager
Darren Smith is an experienced pilot with over 6900 hours fixed-wing time (2500 of this being in tail-dragger aircraft) and over 1400 hours as a glider pilot. He use to fly the off-seasons in Canada fire-patrolling and currently works in New Zealand flying a PAC750 and Cessna Caravan on skydive operations in Wanaka and Queenstown. Darren also spent time in the Mt Cook region flying the "Porter" on skis landing on the Tasman Glacier.
Rod Dew - Office Manager
Rod Dew has worked as the senior sports reporter for the The Press newspaper in Christchurch covering a variety of national and international sports events and is the author of three books. He was able to expand his skills in aviation as a glider pilot by working for Southern Soaring in Omarama and then as General Manager for Glide Omarama - two former commercial gliding companies. During the summer months, Rod carries out flight following duties and greets passengers when Chris is away flying.