flying around in New Zealand

[kri777]

Hi.
I am planning a trip with family to New Zealand in the month of January and am hoping to hire a good four seater, preferably a Piper, to fly around the South Island. Would ideally like to pick up the aircraft at Nelson and drop back at Nelson. I expect to keep the aircraft for a week and in that time fly the plane for about 25 hours.
Can I get some pointers as to where I could get info on this/anybody with an aircraft willing to rent it for the week?

Thanks for the help.

[reynoldsno1]

Try here - they hire out aircraft:

Nelson pilot training. Learn to fly in Nelson New Zealand. NZ - Nelson Pilot Training Ltd (http://www.flynpt.co.nz/)

[Rich-Fine-Green]

Go see the Auckland Aero Club at Ardmore.
Great group of people.
Very friendly and they will go out of their way to help with suggestions and planning etc.

[baron_beeza]

It may not be so easy I am afraid. I assume you are travelling down from India for a holiday. If you have flown in the South Island before you may already have contacts in the region.
Without the contacts and possibly any local knowledge or experience you may be perceived as too much of a risk. Most private owners would love to have the hours flown off their machines but the insurance issues would deter them from hiring to experienced locals even.

I am not sure what airfields you have in mind but travelling to and fro the townships/cities is often not always easy either. Ashburton marginally better than Timaru for example.
You may have better luck travelling about by car or campervan and then doing daytrip flights.
The whole of NZ goes on holiday during January so it can be a bit of a crazy month in many respects.

[kri777]

I actually did much CPL in New Zealand though it's been nearly 20 years since. I am a captain flying the 737s in India. Do you think it would be easier to get an aircraft on hire with the experience of both NZ and about 10000 hours on the 737?

[baron_beeza]

It is not for me to say and I can't be too sure either.

There would be no doubt that the insurance companies would love to see the 10,000 hr figure. That would have to make it easier in many respects.

How the guys that own the aeroplanes see it would possibly be a little different. A 400 hour pilot with recent local knowledge could be seen as the safer pair of hands.
The maintainers will tell you all the generalisations when it comes to occupational groups and the operation of GA aircraft. Airline pilots are not quite in a group of their own but they often do draw a knowing smile within the hangar.

You may be ok, it is just a busy time of the year and getting in contact with private owners is always going to be difficult. That may leave you with the clubs but naturally they will look after their own first.

It would take very little time to whizz a generic email out to the clubs and schools.

If you wanted to contact the private owners that may have a Cherokee parked on the farm strip, then you perhaps could look at an advertisement in Aviation News or similar publications.

Money talks and 25 hours may mean $2500 to them. It does seem like a lot of hours in one week though and any profit the owner may sense could soon be dissolved into the insurance and unforeseen issues.

Many Piper 4 seaters don't have a lot of load carrying ability beyond the passengers and fuel. I guess you are only looking at flying a couple with gear.

I am surprised others have not chipped in. It is not something I have had to worry about myself.

[From Left Field]

Go see the Auckland Aero Club at Ardmore.

I've wanted to have a fly from Ardmore for a while now.

Can anyone recommend some good cross-country routes from Ardmore in a C172 that would provide nice views of NZ and perhaps some good stopovers for activities?

[Sqwark2000]

Left field,

A good run would be AR - Pauanui (beach, mini-golf) - Tauranga (Mount beaches close by, gliding, Aviation museum) - waihi gap -AR.

Flying over the Coromandel and down the coast to Tauranga is pretty cool.

Another popular run in summer is to Great Barrier Island. Walk to beach from airfield or rent a dent and explore the island.

S2k

[Sqwark2000]

Kri777,

ZK-LJI, a Piper Archer III is based at Nelson with Nelson Pilot Training.

S2k

[From Left Field]

Cheers S2k, just what I was after. Are these areas pretty friendly/navigable to non-local pilots?

[baron_beeza]

They sound to be some good flights.

There would be a big difference between flying around the North Island and many of the areas in the South Island.
Having a row of mountains running up the spine of the Island does make a big difference.

Navigation, wind and weather would normally require much more care and thought generally.

I have flown for a couple of commercial operators in the South Island where we park the aircraft when the wind comes from certain directions. Mechanical turbulence will be there and it hurts..

[beaf]

LJI has the worst payload... 2 pax and full tanks = MAUW

[lilflyboy262...2]

From left field, It is pretty simple. Only air space you have to worry about in that direction is Tauranga. They are pretty relaxed.

Another option is heading North Bound from NZAR up the coast to NZKK. Get fuel there and then continue up to the top of the island and back down again. From memory that is about a 2-3hr flight around the top and back to KK.
Can always stop in at Kaitaia if you need to stretch your legs.

Stop in at Whangarei on the way south for some food and then the last 45 minutes or so back down to NZAR.

Its all in uncontrolled airspace. Only bit you have to look out for is the zone slightly north of Auckland but if you follow the coast below 1000ft, you are clear of that too.
If you get lost you can climb to around 3-4000ft and see both coasts... so its pretty easy to navigate around.
A few ranges that are around 2-3000ft, but they are inland for the most part, so if you are following the coast it should be easy.

This trip is a lot longer. Expect a full day. The coromandel trip is a bit shorter and has better stops. Then north one has a lot of scenery packed into it.

[flyinkiwi]

The Ardmore-Pauanui-Tauranga-Ardmore run would be what I recommend. Fairly short flight times for each leg, decent coffee/food. Easy walking access to beaches/shops, and there is nothing wrong with the scenery in that part of the country either. :ok: