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West Auckland Airport Parakai is available for General Aviation, drop-in visitors welcome. Radio 123.5 in MBZ. Due to frequent skydiving, please join downwind, base or final (not overhead). Visitor parking by the hangars down taxiway

Tecnam ZK-CDL Overhaul... The Tecnam has been really busy since its return to the air, its old friends must be glad to see it back. The Airport is also looking for another Tecnam to add to the fleet, ideally another identical 'Tecnam P92 Echo Super' so that everything will be the same as ZK-CDL. Any addition will also be fitted with a BRS whole-aircraft parachute like ZK-CDL... you don't expect to ever use the chute, but definitely, "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it".

ZK-CDL interior relined and re-upholstered by Upholstery Services in Helensville. Looks great :)

DynAeros... Recently at the Airport, 75% of NZ's DynAero fleet lined up for a photo op. From the right ZK-WIK, a short wing two seat Microlight with Rotax 914 engine, then ZK-TFB a long wing two seat microlight with Rotax 912, then ZK-PSA a '4s' four seat G.A. aircraft with Rotax 914. The only one missing is ZK-ORR, similar configuration to TFB.

The DynAeros are French designed aircraft built of carbon fibre, and having good performance and range. WIK was factory built in Dijon, TFB and PSA were kitset built by their owners, all to a high standard.

Weed Control: The Airport has been researching and experimenting with non-chemical control of the Alligator weed that has long invaded the ditches on the Kaipara and choked the drains. Letting in controlled amounts of seawater has proven effective, and is much kinder to the Inanga and juveniles of other fish species that breed in the harbour, compared to spraying weedkiller or using diggers to clear the ditches. Further work is being done in conjunction with the Council waterways biologists and the method developed is likely to be rolled out by the Council to other properties on the Kaipara Harbour and its rivers.

Bird Control: Work on this has also been quite effective, and by studying the habits of the birds and making the airport less attractive to them, its been possible to make the birds spend more time elsewhere. Skydive Auckland runs a bird scaring device on their swooping pond for the same reason... that's what causes the loud 'shotgun' type booms at regular intervals. The birds are not keen to settle if they think there are shooters in the area. With our 'Aimm' Movement Monitoring service now used by nearly half the active NZ airports, we use our client newsletters to spread the suggestions for non-lethal bird control to many other airports in NZ and Australia.

Low-emission Aircraft: The Airport's flight training aircraft have been low-emission for a long time, and produce less than half the emissions of a Cessna or Piper training aircraft. Partly this is due to the lighter weight of the Tecnam aircraft used at West Auckland, but mainly because their 1990s designed Rotax engines are considerably more efficient than the 1950s designed Lycoming and Continental engines traditionally used for training. The Rotaxes also use unleaded road vehicle fuel ('MoGas') getting a similar Km/Litre to an efficient car, rather than leaded aviation fuel ('Avgas') so there is a worthwhile benefit there too... more airports might move to Mogas aircraft if they were exempt from road taxes like those using Avgas :(. As soon as practical the airport would like to move to zero-emission electric training aircraft and ground vehicles, and is actively investigating these.

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20th - 21st - 22nd September. Hood Aerodrome Masterton NZMS: 90th birthday for this active Aero club on an aerodrome that has a wide selection of aircraft. It is sometimes possible to see Peter Jackson's WW1 replicas, built to the original plans using materials of the time.

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Sat 7th December 2019: Christmas Flyin and BBQ at Kaipara Flats – organized by Tim Harrison/Keith Morris.   Click for airfield details

Kaipara Flats NZKF, viewed from the South

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Tue 31st December 2019; Whananaki Flyin. Always a popular event, and moved this year to New Year's Eve.    If attending, please note some local conditions:   The Whananaki Airstrip runs parallel to the harbour is a 500m paddock leased by local farmer Richard Chilcott from the Whangarei District Council. From time to time Richard has stock on the strip so it is closed. Please be aware that not all locals are pleased to see aircraft using the strip and there have been complaints of increased usage. To respect the local resident’s peace and quiet it is suggested all pilots using the strip:

Don’t do any unnecessary circuits. Make their down wind leg well to the south of the dwellings at Whananaki South over the water. Your base leg for 03 as far to the west as possible. This may make for a larger circuit than normal but is necessary to avoid overflying the dwellings to the south of the harbour. Richard is very accommodating to us all when the strip is clear but he would like the complaints to cease. Click for airfield details

Whananaki Airfield, viewed from the North

Whananaki Circuit.   Due to noise sensitivities, follow this circuit and no Touch-and-Goes.

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Northland Aviation Club, Proposed events:

January 2020 - date TBA- Pancake Breakfast Flyin at Kaipara Flats – Organised by Tim Harrison/Brian Millet. Click for airfield details

Saturday 22 February 2020 - Mata Flyin – to be organized by Brian Millett. Click for airfield details

February 2020 - date TBA - The Poker Run. Click for airfield details

Beach Landing and picnic? – to be organized by Tim Harrison tba

Waiheke Flyaway? – to be organized by Trevor Dance. tba. Click for airfield details

Possible Makarau Flyin? – Will be organised by Brian Leach. Date tba. Click for airfield details

Possible overnight flyaway to Great Barrier Island? tba. Click for airfield details

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RECURRING EVENTS:

COROMANDEL NZCX: Second Sunday of each month from 12:30. Clubhouse Ph 07 866 2055. Click here for airfield details.

WHANGAREI NZWR: Last Saturday of each month at hangar 10, the Western end of the row of hangars. Whangarei Flying Club meeting at 10:30 with lunch to follow. Clubhouse phone 09 436 4053. Click here for airfield details.

MATAMATA NZMA: Last Sunday of every month from 12 noon. BBQ flyin. BYO meat for BBQ + gold coin. Click here for airfield details.