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The Rodney Aero Club is setting a new course, which it hopes will put to rest some of the divisions that have plagued the club over the past two years.
Club president Paul Carkeek will present a vision to the annual meeting next month, which he says will put the club on a sound financial footing for the next five to 10 years.
The club ran into problems two years ago when some members suggested selling the club’s Cessna 172 to help purchase a microlight aircraft.
Mr Carkeek says the idea didn’t stack up financially and the majority of members voted to retain the trusty Cessna.
“But it caused some sour grapes and led to some disruption within the club,” Mr Carkeek says.
One casualty of the conflict was the loss of the club’s ability to offer scenic and charter flights, which had been a financial mainstay for the club. The funds generated from the charters also made it possible for the club to offer learn to fly lessons at a highly subsidised rate.
Rod Miller, left, with current club president Paul Carkeek.
Retirement
The new direction coincides with the retirement of club stalwart Rod Miller, and his wife Rosalie.
“They have made an immeasurable contribution to the club, spending almost every weekend at the airfield for the past 55 years,” Mr Carkeek says.
Rod, who is in his eighties, says retirement will give him and Rosalie more time to devote to their pet project, the open sanctuary on Kaikoura Island at Great Barrier.
“There comes a time when you know it’s time to quit,” Rod says. “We just haven’t got the time to devote to the club anymore.”
Over the years, Rod has taught “hundreds” of people to fly and many have gone on to commercial careers.
Mr Carkeek says several other changes are afoot. A new instructor is in the wings, work on an airpark on the southern side of the airstrip is expected to start soon and the local model plane club has made the airfield its permanent base.
The new instructor is Wayne Ormrod, an A-Category flight instructor and examiner, who is also a 10-time national aerobatic champion and has represented NZ in international air racing. He has 17 years’ experience in flight instruction and is looking forward to bringing that experience to Kaipara Flats.
“Aero clubs are vital for many reasons, but mainly because of the role they play in keeping our recreational aviation history alive and providing a local resource for anyone who is thinking about aviation as a career,” Mr Ormrod says.
He also sees potential for open days and flying competitions at Kaipara Flats.
Model plane enthusiasts meet at the Kaipara Flats field every Sunday.
Airpark
Mr Ormrod was one of the first people to put down a deposit on a section in the new airpark, which will accommodate eight residential blocks altogether, ranging in size from 4400sqm to 5500sqm.
Airpark developer Jim Schmidt says six of the blocks have already been sold, with interest strong in the remaining two.
“The house/hangar arrangement offers pilots the same emotional connection that boat owners have when they buy a house on a canal,” Mr Schmidt says.
“The buyer interest has come from keen aviators who also want an active club on their doorstep. I’m sure it will increase activity at the club and some of the new residents also have young families, so no doubt they will be looking for the opportunity to learn to fly.”
Titles for the first blocks are expected to be issued around the middle of next year.
Meanwhile, the closure of the Springhill airfield, south of Wellsford, left the Springhill Aviation Club – soon to return to its original name of the Warkworth Aviation Club – without a home.
It now meets at the airfield on Sundays, between 10am and 3pm, and hopes that a permanent base at Kaipara Flats field will mean that numbers will grow.
Club secretary Tony Lloyd says the club caters for a range of model planes, but predominantly radio-controlled models, with wing spans up to about three metres.
“Anyone interested is welcome to come along on a Sunday. The club also provides assistance for anyone building a model plane.”
