Mr Brown and Queenstown-based hunting guide Sean Roach were killed in a helicopter crash in the upper Te Naihi River, South Westland, which occurred at 9.39am on Sunday.
A death notice in the Otago Daily Times for Mr Brown, 36, said he died ‘‘doing what he loved and was passionate about’’.
The notice described the Wānaka local as the ‘‘much-loved soulmate and best friend of Chrissy’’, and the ‘‘cherished and adored dad of Ivy’’.
Funeral details for Mr Roach have not been released.
A Givealittle page started by friends of Mr Brown has raised more than $112,000 to date for Mr Brown’s family.
The page said Mr Brown’s death had ‘‘come as a heartbreaking shock, leaving an immense void in the lives of everyone who knew and loved him’’.
‘‘Tim was widely known and deeply respected throughout the aviation industry in both New Zealand and overseas.
‘‘He had a genuine passion for aviation, particularly within the agricultural and farming sector, where he built strong friendships and made a lasting impact on so many people throughout his career.’’
Mr Brown had been the chief pilot for the agricultural division of Alpine Helicopters, the Wānaka helicopter business founded by Sir Tim Wallis in 1963.
A significant investment into a new business venture by Mr Brown had added ‘‘another layer of uncertainty for his family’’, the page said.
This new business venture appears to be the purchase of the the agricultural side of the Alpine Helicopters business.
In an April media release, Alpine Helicopters said it had made the decision to sell their agricultural division to Heli Solutions Otago Ltd — owned by Mr Brown and Jake Ruddenklau — effective May 1, 2026.
The release said Mr Brown had grown up on a farm in Southland before shepherding in the Upper Clutha and the North Island, flying commercially for 17 years and specialising in aerial agriculture in New Zealand and Australia.
Venator New Zealand, a hunting expedition company based in Wānaka, confirmed that Mr Roach, a Queenstown native, was working with the business when the accident took place and Venator’s founder, Duncan Fraser, paid tribute.
‘‘For 10 years, Sean has been at the very heart of everything we do at Venator,’’ Mr Fraser said.
‘‘As a lead guide, his international expertise and reputation spoke for itself, with clients from all over the world who loved and respected him deeply, not just for his extraordinary skill, but for the kind of person he was.
‘‘But to us, he has always been so much more than that.
‘‘Sean was a leader, a mentor and a genuine friend to every single person in the Venator family.
‘‘He was the person we looked up to, the one we loved spending our days out in the hills with, and he was loved and respected by all who have had the privilege of working alongside him.’’
In addition to being a hunting guide, Mr Roach was a talented golfer, and at one point the best male player in Otago.
As Mr Roach moved through the Otago golf development pathway, Andrew Hobbs, a veteran Otago golfer, was paired with him to provide mentorship.
Mr Roach was a willing pupil, Mr Hobbs said.
‘‘When he came into the team at 15, 16 years old, he was just soaking up the information like no-one else on earth,’’ Mr Hobbs said.
‘‘Every opportunity that he had to learn something, or to be shown the tricks of the trade that we do at that next elite level, he took.
‘‘He was a bit of a sponge, and just one of those guys that you want to be on the same team as, so it’s a bitter loss.’’
