I'll let my mate, Steve Elliot know. That might raise a smile. He's grumpy too.

I did my PPL and CPL with Russel and Peter at Associated Aviation and certainly they still had the AKL service on the 421 running then which would have been 1995/96, it stopped when Associated Aviation got involved with Origin and were then running one of the J31''s on the route, it all died a death not long after that as I think the 421 was profitable but the J31 wasn't.

Thanks Arty Horizon.... Were the Jetstream flights at useful times ?

Seem to remember it being one out in the morning about 0700ish and would land back at NZPP at about 1930 in the evening, so just one up and one back to try and catch the businessman daytrippers.

Did you fly those flights Arty ?

I nearly flew those flights - was J32 rated at the time and AA were having serious training issues, so were looking to recruit outside their instructor pool. Came back from Europe for it, but by the time I did, it was all over. It never really had a chance as it was poorly advertised. If you can't find 17 people wanting to go from PP to AA, you just aren't trying.

BTW I now get the where the grass runway is supposed to go, as Nex said, south rather than west. It would be a pity to lose the old Cal Flight hangar, seems a waste, but then I don't think the cross runway is really necessary anyway.

If people keep objecting, they will get a housing estate. Watch what that does to the infrastructure and traffic... and the airport will be gone forever. Time to head for Otaki...

Same about the hanger... seems the gliding fraternity is screwed there anyway. Interesting thing is though that the planning tribunal is demanding that it be kept as a viable airport. That's one good thing but they're making it hard for Noel Robinson to get the return envisioned.


Why not put the new terminal where the hanger is and that way you keep both runways and get the industrial parks on both sides of 16/34 ?


So you reckon the PPQ-AKL route with Jetstreams just wasn't promoted properly ?


I had a wee check. It takes 35 minutes at a modest speed to drive from Haywards to PPQ. There's 38,000 population at Upper Hutt, 52,000 in the Porirua and Pautahanui basin, plus 45,000 up Kapiti way, leaving 179,000 in Wellington and some 50 odd thousand in Lower Hutt.

From yesterday's Domion Post
 

Conflict over whether plans for Paraparaumu town centre threaten the future viability of the town's airport has been singled out as the major issue affecting the proposed $450-million airport redevelopment.
Commissioners Paul Cavanagh, QC, who is the chairman, Stuart Kinnear and Roger Lane are hearing submissions to Paraparaumu Airport Holdings' application to allow redevelopment of 126 hectares of airport land.
The proposal includes a business park, retail outlets and upgrading the airfield, which would accommodate Air New Zealand plans for flights to Auckland and Christchurch using 50-seater turbo-prop aircraft.
Mr Cavanagh said Kapiti Coast District Council's decision to proceed with plan changes for the airport and town centre developments at the same time put the commissioners in a difficult position.
"Everyone recognises the airfield should be retained, but regional airfields cannot survive without the opportunities Paraparaumu Airport Holdings is now seeking.
"The question we are facing is how the airport can continue to survive as a strategic asset without undermining the town centre, or how the council's town centre development can go ahead without undermining the viability of the airport."
Coastlands Shoppingtown strongly opposes the airport company's application, which allows for 20,000 square metres of retail development.
Coastlands claimed that retail development at the airport would have a severe impact on the planned commercial-retail town centre.
Michael Copeland, a consulting economist for Coastlands, said plans for an airport retail and commercial development alongside Kapiti Rd potentially provided a competing town centre, undermining the role of the Paraparaumu town centre.
"Such retail development would have a severe negative impact on the district's commercial-retail centre, resulting in reduced shopper numbers in the retail core ... The concept of a vital, busy town centre would be unlikely to be fulfilled."
In response, Paraparaumu Airport Holdings director Noel Robinson said this week that he was prepared to withdraw previous plans for a supermarket at the site, and would reduce the maximum building height from 15 metres to 10m within 50 metres of a rural or residential zone, or alongside Kapiti Rd.
Michael Woods, a member of the Airport Coalition, which opposes the company's plans, said the airport should not have priority over the town centre.
"We now have a ludicrous situation where a property developer may dictate what can or cannot be built in our town centre."
The hearing ends today. The council will consider the commissioners' recommendations before a final decision is made on the application about next February.

What ever happened to the Bunnings (or what-ever-large-building) which was to be constructed where the golf driving range is at the 29 threshold?

The driving range is closed, which is a shame, I was getting close to hitting 250 with the std clubs. I do miss flying short finals and seeing kids at the range using us as moving targets :P ZK-ELA has some nice golf ball dings on its RHS.

Ive seen some interesting draft plans for the movement of 29/11, as in moving south in line with the calflight hanger (meaning it will have to go). It appears the runway length is reduced and flying over the top of midlands at 150 ft wont do much for the locals. Changing the surface to grass coupled with a shorter rwy, will right piss off the locals to the west on a 29 takeoff.

As for the repaint of the centreline a year or so back, why on earth did they paint a continuous line (which gets the wobbles down its length)? I prefer having the dashed line for better GS ref.

Larger a/c operating into PP, i sure hope they have bloody good TCAS, the airfield is only going to get busier in the training environment (huge potential there).

""We now have a ludicrous situation where a property developer may dictate what can or cannot be built in our town centre"

And herein lies the problem, and its a very large one.