Alpine Helicopters director and pilot Nick Wallis was the first to be given a send-off, at the company's hangar at Wanaka Airport on Saturday.
And yesterday, Department of Conservation senior ranger Paul Hondelink's funeral was at the same venue.
Both men, along with Doc senior ranger Scott Theobald, died in a helicopter crash near Wanaka Airport on October 18.
Tributes were paid to Mr Wallis (38) by his wife, Carrie, and daughters Genevieve and Katrina and brothers Jonathan and Toby.
His mother, Prue Wallis, described her son as "capable, dependable and with a huge capacity for enjoying himself''.
Then, director-general of conservation Lou Sanson told almost 2000 mourners about the part Nick Wallis had played in controlling introduced species such as tahr and chamois - displaying what "a difference one person can make'' who had "a huge pride in our nature''.
He noted New Zealand's conservation effort was unique in the world because it involved killing animals, and the three victims of the crash were on their way to do just that, "to do what they do best''.
They were planning to shoot a high number of tahr in the Landsborough Valley.
"The knowledge, the teamwork in that cockpit was legendary; they were going to make a difference,'' Mr Sanson said.
He paid tribute to Mr Wallis' good humour, good cooking and good flying ability.
Others spoke of Mr Wallis being a qualified aircraft engineer who loved gadgets, and mourners were reminded of a few of the many lighter moments in his life.
He was described as a hardworking, "broad-shouldered'', "straightforward'' member of the Wallis family and Alpine Helicopters team.
After the service, Mr Wallis' coffin was carried to a helicopter and, in tandem with a second helicopter, spiralled upwards, high above the airport.
He was about to lead Doc's programme to cull 6000 tahr on the day of the crash.
Mr Sanson recalled the time Mr Hondelink shot 3000 tahr from a helicopter in four days, and Makarora helicopter operator Harvey Hutton said he once shot 1200 goats in a nine-hour day.
Mr Sanson said: "Sadly, we don't train people like Hondy any more. We broke the mould.''
He recalled that from the very early days, one of the aims of those in the field was to stop the spread of tahr and chamois south of the Haast Pass road.
In 1987, Mr Hondelink took over leadership of wild animal control for Doc in the Aspiring National Park, Skippers and Landsborough areas, as far north as Aoraki Mt Cook.
"Helicopters became his aerial platform to control deer, pigs, goats and tahr,'' Mr Sanson said.
"This was search and destroy, carefully planned through in his head, with some of New Zealand's best alpine pilots.''
That type of flying induced vomiting in most people within the first 20 minutes, he said.
"It was tough, gruelling work, with long hours and constant G-forces as the helicopter twisted and turned in pursuit of its prey.''
He described Mr Hondelink as a "great back-country gentleman''.
Mr Hondelink is survived by wife Jude and their children, Hooter, Bop, Corey, Kelly and Reece.
