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Meet the team.
In good company.

EXPLORE OUR FLIGHTS

We’re proud of the wide-ranging experience and far-reaching dedication within the Air Milford team. They have a shared commitment to making every day a brilliant journey – both for those on our planes and in our team.

With five full-time pilots, an experienced ground crew and a hands-on management team we are a tight-knit and supportive group. There’s far more that goes into our passenger experiences than simply flying the plane – and the people you see here are dedicated to making each and every experience the very best it can be.

Air Milford Team - Hank Sproull

Hank Sproull

Air Milford CEO

ABOUT HANK >
Antony Sproull Air Milford

Antony Sproull

Operations Manager / Chief Pilot

ABOUT ANTONY >
Air Milford Team - Alex Turnbull

Alex Turnbull

Pilot Instructor / Safety Manager

ABOUT ALEX >
Tom Watson

Thomas Watson

Pilot

ABOUT THOMAS >

Emma Penney

Pilot

ABOUT EMMA >

Paul Lups

Pilot

ABOUT PAUL >

Cory Burt

Pilot

ABOUT CORY >
Air Milford Team - Sara Metzger

Sara Metzger

Office Manager

ABOUT SARA >

Mikayla Evans

Flight Coordinator

ABOUT MIKAYLA >
Paige, Air Milford Flight Coordinator, smiling on board a cruise vessel in Milford Sound

Paige Johnson

Flight Coordinator

ABOUT PAIGE >

Stephen Ryan

Flight Coordinator

ABOUT STEPHEN >
Ben, Air Milford Ground Crew team member, standing at Queenstown Airport with aircraft on the tarmac.

Ben Blewitt

Ground Crew

ABOUT BEN >
Air Milford Team - Brad

Brad Lynton

Aircraft Engineer

ABOUT BRAD >
Air Milford Team Kerrie

Kerrie Sproull

Director

ABOUT KERRIE >

Top Rated on Trip Advisor

“Best way to ever
see Milford Sound”

“The company was professional from start to finish and the pilot was confident, knowledgable and lovely. I feel blessed to have seen the scenery from the sky as well as from the water! You are literally flying over mountain ranges in arguably the most breath-taking scenery in the world…”

READ OUR AMAZING CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Discover Our Scenic Flights & Packages

VIEW ALL FLIGHT OPTIONS
Milford Sound Fly Nature Cruise Fly from Queenstown

Milford Sound – Fly / Nature Cruise / Fly

From $770 Adult / $540 Child NZD

Hank Sproull

Air Milford CEO

With over 50 years’ experience in aviation, Hank is a flying enthusiast and one of the longest serving to General Aviation (G.A.) in the area. Growing up in nearby Te Anau, Hank moved to Queenstown in the early ’70s to begin an Aircraft Engineering apprenticeship with Mt Cook Airlines (now owned by Air New Zealand). Like many kids, however, the dream was always to pilot the machines he so meticulously cared for. During the ’80s and ’90s Hank flew for the Hollyford Tourist Company and Mt Cook Airlines, sharing his passion for the Fiordland outdoors with the travelling public.

In the year 2000, he and wife, Kerrie, took sole ownership of Air Milford calling on all of their business skills to develop the company into the successful, 5-aircraft operation that it is today. Hank has not lost sight of his goal to offer personalised sightseeing tours, which is reflected when customers are personally shuttled to the airport by Kerrie, and quite often share the privilege of flying with Hank.

Antony Sproull

Operations Manager / Chief Pilot

Youngest son to Hank and Kerrie, Antony joined the business full-time in 2011. He combined his studies in tourism and child born love for aviation to attain a commercial pilot’s licence in 2014.

“Words cannot describe how much I enjoy working in our family business – it’s truly a dream job. From the cockpit of our aircraft, to travelling and marketing the business at trade events, every day presents a unique office environment. This excitement we experience is shared through our customer feedback on TripAdvisor, and we are proud to be rated #1 Scenic Flight Activity in the Queenstown area. I give credit to my parents, who have drawn on 40 years of local aviation experience, to establish a successful business focused on personalised flight seeing tours.” Outside of the business Antony is still involved in his former Motocross career, actively coaching the younger generation.

Alex Turnbull

Pilot Instructor / Safety Manager

Originally from Northumberland in the UK; Alex has lived in Queenstown since 2007, moving to New Zealand to pursue a career in general aviation. Alex has had a passion for aviation since he was young and always knew he wanted to fly.

“When I was instructing I did a lot of flying around the Queenstown/Milford area with pilots from overseas and it always amazed me that the most frequent comment when we landed was this was the most spectacular flying they had ever done. Often this was from pilots with thousands of hours, flying all over the world”. After instructing, Alex got the opportunity to fly for a local skydive company and his first taste of flying turbine powered aircraft. He did this for three years before joining Air Milford in 2015.

Outside of flying Alex has his hands pretty full with his two young children, but tries to make time for walking in the amazing surroundings we have here in Queenstown.

Thomas Watson

Pilot

A true Queenstown local born and raised, Thomas has been flying with Air Milford since 2013.
When he is not showing travelers around his beautiful backyard, Tom is busy going on adventures with his three sons and working with his wife in the local film industry.

Emma Penney

Pilot

Emma joined the Air Milford team in October 2022 as a flight coordinator and has loved every minute so far. She grew up in Auckland and progressively has moved her way south since. First stop to Christchurch to train as a Commercial pilot and C-Cat instructor for two years. Then moving further south to live and work in the beautiful Queenstown.

“Getting to work and live in a spectacular place like Queenstown is amazing. Working for a local family owned business that has so much experience and passion for providing a top quality service is what drew me to Air Milford. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be apart of the team and be highly involved in the Aviation industry.”

Outside of work, Emma loves exploring the running trails Queenstown has to offer, going for cross country flights across the south island and catching up with friends and family from all over New Zealand.

Paul Lups

Pilot

After a chance encounter, Paul decided to follow his dream of becoming a pilot in 2009 and obtained his commercial licence in Christchurch before moving to the Outback of Australia flying on a station.

Returning home, he became qualified as a flight instructor and then moved into Air Traffic Control for a little over a decade. Paul successfully trained up many of the Air Traffic Controllers here in Queenstown in what is known as the most difficult control operations in New Zealand.

Outside of flying, Paul has small business experience in Queenstown and has even had a hand in setting up or negotiating commercial ventures in the area. Now, keeping active with his two children easily fill the rest of his time- the hardest job of them all!

Cory Burt

Pilot

From a young age, Cory knew he wanted to be in the sky, inspired by his RAF pilot grandfather. He began flying at 15 and went on to earn his commercial pilot’s license, setting the course for a career in aviation. Since 2014, Cory has been flying to Milford Sound in a range of single-engine, multi-engine, and turbine aircraft. He has also flown aerobatics in a Yakovlev 52 Russian military trainer and ferried aircraft across New Zealand and as far as the USA.

Why he loves flying? “It’s the freedom of flight, the stunning landscape of New Zealand, and the joy of sharing this experience with others.”

Outside the cockpit, Cory enjoys hunting and fishing, and spending time with his daughter and partner.

Sara Metzger

Flight Coordinator

"Sara is originally from the USA but has spent the last 8 years working, traveling and volunteering in several countries around the world. She spent the last few years guiding and managing for a Spanish-speaking adventure travel company in Iceland and the Faroe Islands before making the leap to the Southern Hemisphere, bridging the gap along the way with a stop in Alaska to earn her Private Pilot License and fulfill her lifelong dream of learning to fly.

Sara joined Air Milford in August of 2021, a perfect place to combine her love of aviation with her passion for adventure travel. She feels at home with the Air Milford team and truly enjoys meeting travelers and helping them experience the magic of this region!

Sara's zest for life and abundance of energy mean you will never find her sitting still. She spends most of her free time finding new adventures, usually the kinds that involve running shoes, epic trails, cosy mountain huts, and enough snacks to keep her going for days! Life is a fun and exciting ride to enjoy both in the air and on the ground, and that's what keeps her constantly smiling!"

Mikayla Evans

Flight Coordinator

Born and raised in Arrowtown, Mikayla is a true local who loves sharing her favorite spots with Air Milford guests! After graduating from Wakatipu High School, she earned her Private Pilot’s Licence with the Otago Aero Club in 2023 and quickly caught the ‘aviation bug’. Choosing to pursue her passion for aviation, Mikayla is currently working towards her Commercial License while being a part of the industry she adores. She feels incredibly grateful to be part of a professional team and supportive family business. Nothing brings her more joy than seeing the smiles from guests’ when they return from Milford! When she’s not studying, you can find her with a camera exploring the backcountry and embracing adventure, no matter the season.

Paige Johnson

Flight Coordinator

Born in Whangārei, Paige grew up with aviation in her blood. She spent time living in Rarotonga, flying frequently from a young age, and with a pilot mum, her passion for aviation was almost inevitable.
Since moving to Queenstown in 2023, Paige has loved turning that lifelong interest into a career with Air Milford, enjoying every day in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Outside of work, she stays active and embraces everything Queenstown has to offer.

Stephen Singleton-Ryan

Flight Coordinator

Originally from Wellington, while finishing high school and figuring out what he wanted to do, Stephen started flying at his local aero club on the Kāpiti Coast. From his first trial flight, a passion for flying quickly developed, setting him on the path to complete his commercial training at Nelson Aviation College.

Before pursuing aviation fulltime, Stephen worked across a range of roles in retail and tourism, building strong people skills and a customer-focused approach. He started his flying career at Air Milford as a Flight Coordinator, joining the team in November 2025.

Drawn to the incredible location and world-class scenery, he enjoys working with guests and hearing their post-flight stories. Outside of work, Stephen loves to stay active and make the most of the outdoors. He’s big into snow sports and motorbikes, and enjoys exploring the region whenever he gets the chance.

Ben Blewitt

Ground Crew

Ben is a Queenstown local and former Wakatipu High School student who chased his dream of becoming a pilot, following in the footsteps of his dad.

Ben moved to the sunny Nelson region for two years to complete his Commercial Pilot Licence and earn a Diploma in Aviation at Nelson Aviation College. He has since returned home to Queenstown, where he was able to turn that lifelong dream into reality by beginning his aviation career with Air Milford.

When he’s not working, you’ll usually find Ben making the most of the Queenstown lifestyle — whether that’s on the golf course, skiing during winter, or lapping the local mountain bike trails.

Brad Lynton

Aircraft Engineer

Brad started his apprenticeship in Queenstown in 1963, working most of his career for Mt Cook Airlines. In the main he worked in the Light Aircraft Division. This included time at Mechanics Bay in Auckland where the Company had a fleet of Amphibians. Some of his time at Mt Cook was looking after a large fleet of Cessna 185 Ski Planes but most of the time was spent in Queenstown where the Company had a fleet of various sized aircraft from 6 seat to 20 seats. Apart from Mechanics Bay where they serviced the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Islands the other bases were solely tourism. The best part of the job has undoubtedly been the people he has worked with along the way. Brad worked with Hank Sproull since the 1970’s when he also engineered for Mt Cook. Brad retired a few years ago, while still at times lending a hand at Air Milford when needed. This worked well, and so nearly 60 years later here he is about 200 metres from where it all started.

Kerrie Sproull

Director

Kerrie's connection to aviation started long before meeting Hank, with her father a private pilot and proud owner of a Cessna 182. Kerrie has been integral in supporting Hank growing the business, with roles in front office and customer service.

Now retired, she keeps connected to our passengers by assisting with the occasional courtesy transfer. With our pilots her connection is delicious baking for morning tea!