"Not congested like Hamilton" - fantastic statement... Hamilton wasn't congested either before an international training organisation (CTC) fronted up!!
Let's just do some basic calculations....
300 pilots = 200hrs each?
Average 1hr lesson = 200 flights = 400 movements
8-10hrs of circuits at about 8 circuits/hr = approx 64 circuits = 128 mvmts
Equals about 528 movements per student.
Obviously this doesn't account for cross countries where there are less movements at the home aerodrome, but there will also be an amount of local instructor training, maintenance flights, IFR approaches, etc.
SO conservatively to bump Gisbornes movements up to 100,000 per year only requires about 145 students per year.
And then there's the question of instrument training in a procedural approach environment (no radar services). GS Twr is a solo watch tower (as HN was pre-CTC), but they not only do aerodrome control, the solo controller is also responsible for the approach phase in the more restrictive non-radar environment.
There is also a question of infrastructure... when CTC moved into Hamilton it didn't take long before the grass runways couldn't cope with the extra pounding - in summer they turned to dust, in winter they turned to mud - requiring the airport company to invest in extra sealed taxiways and a parallel runway... I could go on but I think you get the message!!!
The phrase "Pie in the sky" jumps to mind!!
Last edited by slackie; 30th Apr 2011 at 05:46.