How old are you? Chef Gordon Ramsay quizzes 22yo pilot after Stewart Island flight

Captain Joel Fletcher with Gordon Ramsay in front of the 'flying bath' that took them to Stewart Island. Photo / Supplied

As a fresh-faced pilot who not only flies, cleans, and fuels the plane but also helps check people in, Joel Fletcher is used to getting double-takes.

But the 22-year-old never dreamed he'd be mocked by Gordon Ramsay in a video broadcast to the celebrity chef's 5.8 million Instagram followers.

"How old are you now?" the three-star Michelin chef could be heard gently heckling Fletcher in an Instagram video.

Ramsay could not resist teasing Fletcher, who this morning flew the "little putt putt" from Wanaka to Stewart Island.

"That was a bumpy flight, well done bud," Ramsay had said after landing.

Fletcher told the Herald the turbulence was mild but nevertheless the "hard-case" chef had dubbed the Britten-Norman Islander (BN2A-26) a 'flying bath'.

"In the smaller aircraft you seem to feel it a little bit more, you are a bit more aware of it rather than in a big aircraft," Fletcher said.

"But a little bit of turbulence here and there doesn't hurt anyone does it?"

Fletcher said he was not entirely surprised when people sat up and took note of his age.

Passengers were sometimes shocked when they realised the guy who checked them in is also the pilot, he said.

The young captain started working at Stewart Island Flights more than a year ago.

"I jumped on that opportunity. It's a well-respected outfit to work for.

"I'd be silly to turn that down.

"The beach flying is a definite highlight."

The 22-year-old also loves flying in challenging weather because of the way it tests his skillset.

And flying to Stewart Island does not disappoint.

"We wear the front of all the stuff coming off the Antarctic ... we get all the showers ... and the nice chilly wind," Fletcher said.

"On the nice days - believe it or not we do get nice days down here - the water is calm, the wind is still and you get those really nice blues as you approach."

It was one of the most beautiful places he had seen in New Zealand.

"From above you see a lot more than what you do see on the ground," he said.

"That's why a lot of people fly with us rather than take a ferry across."

The former James Hargest College pupil had simple advice for those hoping to follow in his jet-setting footsteps, starting with getting involved with a local aero club or flight school.

"Show your face, get your foot in the door, and just see what they have available," he said.

"Really do keep your options open."

Don't be afraid to move away from home to complete flight training, he said.

Fletcher also urged others not to worry about the cost of training because it could be put on a student loan.

"At the end of the day it's an investment rather than a cost.

"That's the way I look at it."

Ramsay had flown from Wanaka to Stewart Island as a part of his whirlwind tour of the country.

The reality television star travelling across New Zealand in connection with his new National Geographic TV series, Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, which is set to air later this year.