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History
of West Auckland Airport ...
Where we've come from:

New runway 07/25 under construction when the 1960s Parakai Airfield was
realigned in the 1980s (Don Andrews photo)

Parakai
Airfield in 1980s looking NW
(Don Andrews photo)
Realigned
Airfield setting down in 1980s, looking SE.
(Don Andrews photo)

Parakai
Airfield in 1995
Operations: After operating from 'Helensville Airfield'
at Helensville from the 1930s (an original 1940s round hangar can
still be seen across the road from the parachuting sausage sign
in Mill Rd), the Helensville Aero Club moved to Green Rd at Parakai
in the 1960s and the aerodrome was renamed 'Parakai Airfield'.
In the 1980s the runway was rebuilt on a new alignment, and in
2011 it was renamed 'West Auckland Airport'. In 2020
the West Auckland Airport Company Ltd was granted 'Airport
Authority' status by Govt Order in Council, effective 1st April
2020.
Almost
every type of General Aviation (GA) operation has been carried out
from the facility at Parakai over the last 50 years.
In
May 1984 the Rodney County Council (as it was then) gave 'Planning
Consent' for the aerodrome to be realigned onto its current position
and to subdivide its 1015m x 150m block onto a separate title in
order to secure its long term future as an aerodrome. The consent
authorised the construction, as necessary over time to support changing
activity, of a runway up to 1000m x 60m with aircraft manouvering
areas, hangars, control tower, terminal with cafe and the usual
airport ancilliary buildings.
As
a designated aerodrome the controlling body is the Civil Aviation
Authority, which carries out regular inspections and whose regulations
cover the clearances and conditions of operation.
The
Pine Family owned the land in the 1980s and they and the club members
raised funds and with considerable volunteer labour built up an
all-weather runway, and constructed the major facilities: Customer
reception, clubrooms, cafe, flying school offices, briefing rooms,
parachute packing building, bunkhouse and the supporting infrastructure
such as aprons, parking areas and Aircraft refuelling.
Along
with club activities, flying school and scheduled air transport
operations, many types of General Aviation were developed with an
emphasis on Sports and Tourist Skydiving operations. In 1992, 2003
and 2012 the NZ National
Skydive Championships were held at West Auckland Parakai.
The
Lockie family purchased the property in 2005. They have constructed
hangars, renovated the original buildings, upgraded the runway and
taxiways, built an airport manager's house, obtained 'Airport
Authority' status, and continued to improve
the facilities to serve Aviation for the West and North
West of Auckland.
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Helensville
Aerodrome site from 1930s to 1960s (outlined in red with large white
building now filling the end of what was once the runway)

Old
H'ville aerodrome was across the road from this sign

Tiger
Moth over West Auckland Airport
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.jpg)
Beaver
ZK-BVR lifted Skydivers at West Auckland Parakai from 1994.

Islander
ZK-KHB

Cessna
Caravan, ZK-VAN

Three
Pac750XL Skydive planes on the apron, 2015
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Skydiving:
For the past 50 years, commercial skydiving has been a major activity at West
Auckland Parakai, with various operators and a wide variety of aircraft.
One
of the early heavy lifters was the Beaver, ZK-BVR with a large radial
engine. This aircraft started life with Central African Airways
in 1951. It moved to Australia and flew as VH-EPY with Western Aerial
Crop Spraying, and in 1994 this Beaver moved to West Auckland and
worked as the main skydive jump ship under its NZ registration,
ZK-BVR.
When
replaced by the Nomad ZK-OUT and the Islander ZK-KHB, the Beaver
was sold and in 2010 was still active, as N888KM, in Washington
State USA
Parakai
Aviation operated a gas turbine powered Cessna Caravan, for both
scheduled air services to Great Barrier Island and to lift large
numbers of skydivers. See Mag Article
#1 and #2 .

Skydiver
in 1960s with an early steerable chute |
Air
Traffic Control: Skydiving from West Auckland makes use
of the Civil Aviation Authority's officially approved Parachute
Drop Zone based on the airfield. The airspace up to 2500 feet is
under control of the pilots using the CAA allocated Parakai/West
Auckland frequency of 123.5 mhz, and above 2500 feet Air Traffic
'Approach Control' for Auckland International Airport clears the
airspace to 20,000 feet as required for skydiving or aerobatics.
Many
Kiwis and Overseas Visitors have experienced the thrill of tandem
jumps over the sandhills near Muriwai Beach. From 10,000 feet there
is a view from Whangarei to Mt Ruapehu and Mt Taranaki in clear
conditions.
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Tandem
Skydive about to touch down |
Southern
Saltmarsh Mosquito: The discovery of this species of Australian
mosquito (vector of the Ross River fever) in the area led to intensive
low level helicopter operations for five years from 2003 to 2008,
flown by Hawkes Bay Helicopters working out of the West Auckland
Parakai airspace.
The
eradication program was officially opened by the Minister for the
Environment at the time, Marian Hobbs, on 21st Feb 2003.
Further Mosquito Operations were held in early
2019 to eradicate a different type of mosquito that had been found in
the Kaipara harbour area. |

Hawkes
Bay Helicopter's 'Bell 500' ZK-HRF, did the drops and inspections.
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ZK-VAN,
a Gas Turbine (Jet prop) Cessna Caravan, loading passengers at West
Auckland (Parakai). This aircraft flew scheduled passenger airline
operations to Great Barrier Island and other destinations, and during
its spare time lifted large loads of skydivers. Note the
'Parakai' logo below the pilot window. |
Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) Operations: In the late 1990s Parakai Aviation Ltd
ran a scheduled passenger operation to Great Barrier Island, using
mainly the Partenavia ZK-PFT and a Cessna 'Caravan' aircraft, ZK-VAN. See Mag
Article #1 and #2 (after
loading click on the small page image to expand to readable size).

Aircraft
Types: Aviation is a constantly changing industry, and
many different types of aircraft have worked from West Auckland
Parakai over the years... the heavy radial engined Beavers, twin
engine Nomads and Islanders, gas turbine Caravans and PAC XL750s
used to lift large numbers of skydivers and their tandem masters,
the Navy with its Sea Sprite helicopter training sorties, Search
and Rescue aircraft of various types, and the Sports Aircraft and
Helicopters of more recent times. Click on Aircraft
portraits to see some of the aircraft that operate out of West
Auckland (all photos taken at West Auckland Airport).
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Gliding:
The West Coast is a good gliding range, and gliders find West Auckland's
closeness to the Muriwai sand dunes, and the hills on the eastern
side, useful for providing lift to get home.
World
Record. Towed off from West Auckland Parakai on 15th March 2007,
Murray Wardell of the Auckland Gliding Club achieved the distance
for a World Gliding Record for PW-5 Distance using up to 3 turn
points = 597.1km. Flight time 6 hours 45mts.
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Cessna
172 tug towing a Murray Wardell off on his successful record attempt
(the obstructing trees in this photo have since been trimmed to
clear the approach/climb out fan).
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NZ
Navy Sea Sprite (Aerial-Imagery photo) |
Military:
The Navy Sea Sprites based at Whenuapai with #6 squadron, and Air
Force Iroquois helicopters from #3 squadron based at Ohakea, plus
the Air Force fixed wing aircraft, make use of West Auckland Airport
for training exercises for their specialist staff to practice operations,
for military and rescue purposes.
The
Air Training Corps, holds regular training camps at West Auckland
Airport to give air cadets flying experience prior to many of them
taking up a professional flying career. West Auckland
Airport makes its training aircraft available at discounted rates
for volunteer instructors to take up the cadets for flight
experience and a turn on the controls.
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Civil
Defence and Emergencies: West Auckland Airport Parakai
is available 24/7 for Search and Rescue, Police, Fire, Ambulance
and Coastguard services to use as required.
If
emergency aircraft have to wait for further instructions, they prefer
to do so on the ground rather than in the air with risk of later
running low on fuel. Even helicopters will use an airport if possible
as the position is precisely known and they can be sure that there
will be no obstructions on approach at night or in poor visibility.
The
airport is listed on NZ and International airspace maps as Parakai
Aerodrome 'NZPI' and in the Jepperson database for Air GPS systems,
for emergency use by any aircraft in distress. It is part of the
NZ's alternate infrastructure for civil defence in case of earthquake
or other disruption to roads.
Over
the years there have been many uses by various organisations, and
'any port in a storm' landings by aviators caught out by lowering
cloud and decreasing visibility and so requiring a West Auckland
airfield at sea level.
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Coastguard Cessna 172 at West Auckland. (Bob Dedekind photo)
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'Wings'
Magazine Oct 1992 advert.
.jpeg)
Parakai
Flying School 1990s

'Tecnam
P92 Echo Super', the main training aircraft in 2005.
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Training:
Many of today's commercial pilots learned to fly at West Auckland
Parakai, starting as 'Ab Initio' Students and progressing through
a Private Pilots Licence (PPL) and Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL)
with the Aero Clubs, Flying Schools and Air Transport Operations
based on the airfield. One of the flying schools specialised in
Beach and Short Airstrip training, using local topdressing strips
and nearby beaches in combination with West Auckland Parakai for
the training.
Mag
Article #1 and #2 (after
loading click on the small page image to expand to readable size).
Most
pilot training during the 1980s and 1990s used Cessna and Piper aircraft. During the 2000s
the pilot training moved to European Tecnam aircraft
running Rotax 912S engines with muffler systems meeting the European
noise specs and a slow turning (geared) propellor to reduce noise.
In accordance with the Airport's strong requirement for
environmental sensitivity, a factor in the choice of aircraft was
their low fuel consumption (around 7L/100km, lower than many cars),
and engines designed to use standard unleaded petrol.

Cessna Aerobats on Pouto Beach |
Agriculture:
The
cost of air drops for farmers is determined by the distance from
the landing strip to the drop zone and the load able to be carried
on each flight which depends on the usable runway length
available.
Ag
aircraft save fuel, time and costs for local farmers by using West
Auckland's long runway and clear approaches to carry full loads
and so complete the task with the minimum number of flights.
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Super
Air Ltd's Cresco topdressing plane loading cricket baits. (Aerial-Imagery
photo) |

Winter
2007...
"Lights,
Camera, Action" as the Chatham Islands Embraer aircraft ZK-RDI
is lined up on runway 25 apparently ready for takeoff.


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Video
and film production: Many videos have been produced at
West Auckland Airport Parakai, with Chris and Leanne Pine running
a specialised video production business on the airfield during their
time of ownership up to 2005.This
video connection has continued. The wide range of backgrounds and
non-public environments is attractive to film crews.
Here
a film crew is simulating an airfield on the South American pampas,
with the toitoi in the background at West Auckland looking much
like pampas grass of South America.
'Brokenwood' Mystery TV Series: The Airport's Tecnam ZK-CDL
was used for the Brokenwood series in 2016, with the
Airport Manager dressed as a double for the flying shots with the
takeoffs and landings.
In 2017 the Airport was dressed
as 'Brokenwood Airport' for
production of the 'parachute with cut lines' episode screened in
November 2017. The
Skydive Auckland PAC 750XL, ZK-SDF, was used with a green screen for
the aircraft scenes.
'Shortland Street': The Airport was used for the scenes of
the 'Plane crash' Christmas 2018 cliffhanger episode, with a 'crash'
scene set up in the undeveloped area to the NE corner of the property.
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More
History: If anyone has old photos, club or flying school
magazines, additional information... or just stories of times gone
by about events on the Helensville Airfield / Parakai Airfield /
West Auckland Airport, please let us know so we can build up this
History page. We're especially keen to get photos of aircraft or
skydivers on the airport with the background being as interesting
as the subject... |
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