Press release from The Hermitage/Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
23 September 2010
Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre marks 55 years of Kiwi ingenuity
One of New Zealand’s greatest gifts to the world of wilderness snow sports celebrated 55 high flying years yesterday.
(22 September)
The Auster, the world’s first ski plane with retractable skis landed on the Tasman Glacier, flown by Sir Harry Wigley on
22 September 1955. The plane is now a permanent exhibit at Aoraki Mount Cook’s Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre where
the milestone was marked yesterday with pupils from Aoraki Mount Cook School.
The Auster made aviation history as the first ski plane to successfully make a snow landing using retractable skis at
Aoraki Mount Cook National Park after taking off from a hard runway. Sir Edmund Hillary was one of the first passengers
to experience the flight, flying on the Auster’s second journey to the glacier.
Aoraki Mt Cook Alpine Village General Manager Tourism Denis Callesen said the Auster was a fine example of Kiwi
ingenuity.
“It’s important to us to continue to celebrate that inventiveness. The retractable skis were fitted to the
undercarriage and the pilot would lean out of the plane and pull a lever to retract or lower the skies,” he said.
“Standing on the Tasman Glacier and staring at the enormity and serenity of Aoraki Mount Cook, it’s amazing to think of
those first flights.”
Students of Aoraki Mt Cook School produced a card celebrating the plane which is now also on display at the museum.
The occasion supported the Aoraki Mount Cook School curriculum which includes a section on pioneer aviators and the
triumphs, tribulations and tragedies experienced in their quest to push beyond boundaries. As part of their studies they
visited The Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Museum to see the Auster. Their investigations will culminate in an end of term
production of ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines,’ which is set to feature a replica of the Auster in pride
of place during the play.
ENDS