‘Otago man’ a meticulous, enterprising aviator
Glenorchy Air cofounder
ROBERT Rutherford (71) developed a passion for flying when he was a boy; while visiting his grandparents’ farm near Taieri airfield, he would watch planes come and go.
That interest became a hobby, then a career, and finally led to the formation of a successful business.
Aviation combined Mr Rutherford’s talents: a curious and analytical mind, and an aptitude for mechanics and technology. It also gave him the opportunity to show others the landscapes of a region he loved.
His wife, Janet, said when she wrote his death notice, she wanted to make it clear his death had nothing to do with aviation.
A thorough, cautious pilot, he was proud of his flawless safety record.
‘‘He was always very careful. He used to say, ‘There are no old, bold pilots’.’’
Daughter Amy told mourners at her father’s funeral that until the end of his life, he was as excited to get into a plane as he was when he first flew 50 years ago.
Mr and Mrs Rutherford set up Glenorchy Air in 1992. Twentysix years later, the Queenstownbased company has 12 staff and five aircraft, and operates scenic flights throughout the lower half of the South Island.
Two of Mr Rutherford’s biggest interests, technology and reading, informed decisions that helped ensure the company’s continuing success.
His interest in technology was a factor in the company being the first in the region to operate GA8 Airvans, a relatively hightech aircraft now widely used in the Wakatipu.
A voracious and wideranging reader, his shared interest with son Andrew in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien ultimately led to the company being the first to offer The Lord of the Rings scenic flights.
While the trilogy was being filmed in the Wakatipu in 1999 and 2000, his enthusiasm for the project led to him doing more and more work for the production.
He flew actors, producers and equipment to and from various locations — even flying rolls of film from the various filming units back to Queenstown for director Sir Peter Jackson to view.
Using his inside knowledge about those locations, Glenorchy Air began offering Rings scenic flights.
Still popular 15 years after the release of the trilogy’s final film, they visit locations as far afield as Mid Canterbury, the Mackenzie Basin, Central Otago and the West Coast glaciers.
Veteran Queenstown aviator Jules Tapper said it was a clever move.
Although Milford Sound remained the staple route for the resort’s flightseeing operators, the weather meant it was a good year if you could fly there on more than 180 days.
‘‘So if you can, you diversify into something else, and that’s what he did.’’
Robert Johnstone Rutherford was born in Dunedin on April 4, 1947, the eldest of five children of Bert and Runa Rutherford (nee Johnstone).
Raised in Dunedin and Wanaka, he attended primary schools in those centres before going to Kaikorai Valley High School (now College) in Dunedin.
He began taking flying lessons while studying for a Diploma in Agriculture at Lincoln College (now University), but his first career was farming — a mixed sheep and beef operation on his mother’s family farm at Sutton, in Strath Taieri.
He first met Janet Rutherford (nee Barnes) in Dunedin in 1974. Mrs Rutherford, from Newcastle, England, was living and working in Tapanui on a Commonwealth teacher exchange scheme.
After missing the bus to Tapanui after a delayed flight from Wellington, she was staying at a friend’s house in Hyde St when Mr Rutherford called in to visit someone else.
He offered to show her around the city, and to her surprise, showed up the next day at 8am.
Although he surprised her again by not asking for her phone number when they parted, they met again by chance the following weekend at Coronet Peak skifield.
This time they stayed in touch, and married the following year in Newcastle.
While continuing to farm at Sutton, Mr Rutherford got his private pilot’s licence after lessons with John Penno at Taieri airfield.
In 1980, his pessimism about the future of farming prompted the couple — now accompanied by son Andrew and daughter
Amy — to relocate to Kaiteriteri, in the Tasman region.
They stayed for the few months it took for him to get his commercial pilot’s licence and instructor’s rating at Nelson Aviation College.
The family then moved to Western Australia, where Mr Rutherford managed a vast sheep station based near Mount Barker.
Three years later, with 8monthold Zoe having joined the family, they moved to the United Kingdom.
While the family was based in Newcastle, Mr Rutherford spent time in London getting his British commercial pilot’s licence, took up his first professional flying job in Lincolnshire, and did agricultural contracting work.
But three years in England was enough. The ‘‘Otago man’’ was sick of the British weather and keen to return home, Mrs Rutherford said.
After a brief spell in Dunedin, the family settled in Queenstown in 1987.
Mr Rutherford worked a variety of tourism and aviation jobs, and Mrs Rutherford continued teaching before youngest daughter Emily was born in 1989.
The couple set up Glenorchy Air in 1992.
Graham Christie, of Dunedin, a friend since he and Mr Rutherford went to primary and high school together, said they ‘‘clicked’’ through common interests.
‘‘He read, he loved debating things — we spent a lot of time at an early age challenging conventional wisdom.’’
He admired Mr Rutherford’s intelligence, analytical mind and principles.
At 193cm tall and with flaming red hair, he was an imposing figure when he decided to take action.
‘‘If he thought something was unfair and needed to be rectified, he had boundless energy and he would charge in.’’
Although Mr Rutherford would be widely remembered as the cofounder of Glenorchy Air, family had always been at the centre of his life, and his proudest achievement was in helping raise his children, Mr Christie said.
‘‘He always talked about his children, his grandchildren and his sisters.’’
Mr Rutherford died on October 22 after falling from a ladder at his Frankton home.
He is survived by wife Janet, son Andrew and daughters Amy, Zoe and Emily. — Guy Williams