Flying Club Open Day
Shane Fleming in the club’s Zenair at the open day last Saturday. Photo: Maria Polglase.
There was plenty to see (from both air and land), and good news at the Golden Bay Flying Club Open day last Saturday.
While the Takaka Aerodrome was buzzing with visiting aircraft, pilots and plane-lovers, Golden Bay Air announced that it will soon be providing a year-round service for the Bay’s passengers and commuters to Wellington.
En route on a boat from the States is a twin-engine, six-seat Piper Seneca, to join Golden Bay Air’s six-seat single-engine Piper Saratoga, which carries passengers for part of the year between Wellington and Golden Bay, and the four-seat Piper Warrior which is used for scenic flights, said Golden Bay Air secretary Lisa Sheppard.
Pilots Alex Wilkinson and Daryl Williamson said the company is not allowed to fly single-engine passenger planes in certain weather conditions. “The Seneca will arrive after Christmas, and be in service hopefully from mid-February, after it has been painted in GB Air colours and had its wings put back on. This will allow all-year, all-weather flights to and from the Bay, offering more flexibility and continuity of service and a viable alternative to Air New Zealand.”
Golden Bay Air’s planes were joined on Saturday by the Golden Bay Aero Club’s smart yellow Zenair 601, in which club president and instructor Shane Fleming hosted 10 trial flights (the youngest by a 10-year-old girl), and 10 visiting aircraft, mostly members of the Nelson Microlite Club.
Perhaps the most unusual of these was an orange-and-black striped hobby project home-made by Tim Bygate of Nelson. Dubbed the Tiger Hawk, it is one of a kind, runs on a two-litre Subaru car engine, and is classified as a microlight (lightweight one or two-person plane). Constructed of wood and fabric, it also has components built out of hospital beds and washing machine parts.
“It’s never been a certified plane and it never will be,” said Tim. “When you build a brand new type of plane the designer has a certain amount of leeway. It was built as an experimental model, and as such it has to complete a 40-hour test period, then it gets a certificate to fly. It then has to go through an annual condition inspection by a licensed aircraft engineer.” It has recently flown over much of the South Island, he says proudly, “and it’s the first time I’ve landed it at Takaka.”
Aero Club treasurer Garth Bray said the Zenith CH300 belonging to past resident Murray Benseman (now based in Wakefield) had an interesting history.
“He built it himself, but later stopped flying for a while and sold it. Some time later he began flying again and sought out his old plane and bought it back. It had been badly damaged in a crash and he had to rebuild it.” Murray and his friend Roger Price restored it to its former glory.
Three pilots also took part in a STOL (short takeoff and landing) challenge, measuring whose plane could lift off in the shortest distance. The winner was Motueka-based pilot and flight instructor Alistair Hart, second Bob Wagner in his Zenair, and third Shane Fleming, all within two metres of each other.
“But they cheated,” reckoned Shane. “They took out all their fuel.”
Garth has been involved with the club for 12 years and learned to fly here.
“It’s great to see the clubrooms and airport used more since Golden Bay Air set up business here,” he said. “It’s a great turnout today and a great thing for the airport.”
Maria Polglase
