Grass Strips and Farm Strips - Wellington

[Arclite01]

Hi

I am hoping that my application to emigrate to NZ (Wellington) will be approved soon. I am thinking of bringing my Piper Cub with me from UK. A couple of questions:

Are there any/many grass strips around Wellington ?

What is the protocol/rules/arrangements for using these strips ?

What are the chances of hangarage at them ?

What sort of costs are incurred for hangarage in NZ on small strips ?

What does it cost to insure a Piper Cub type aeroplane in NZ per year ?

Any help you guys can give would be much appreciated.

cheers



Arc

[troppo]

Try the Upper Valley Gliding Club at Kaitoke, they should be able to answer most of the questions. They have a cub/hangar/grass strip in Upper Hutt.
There aren't a whole lot of grass strips, the above one, one on Cape Palliser just a few minutes from Weliington airport, one out Makara way and one out the back of Upper Hutt in the Blue Mountains area

[EBCAU]

Actually there are a lot of grass strips within a comfortable flight time of Wellington, and they can cater for a range of experience - from airfield (eg., Masterton, Martinborough, Foxpine, Flat Point) to challenging farm topdressing strips.
Things in NZ are probably still a lot more laid back than the UK. You can probably go to many private farm strips and all you need to do is ask.
Flying conditions will be challenging - WIND!
You have a good aircraft for strip operations but be careful, and don't be afraid to ask for some advice/instruction from some of the experienced (perhaps ag) pilots you should be able to track down.

[troppo]

Well there are grass strips and then there are grass strips...

[tinpis]

Bring stout tie down kit.
Cows love rag aeroplanes as well.

[Arclite01]

Thanks Guys

What do you class as wind ?

I'm used to 20 mph winds for general ops (although I'm aware that Welly has a reputation for being windy)

What about the Wairapa ? - is it as windy ? and are there many strips there ?

- and, Masterton looked good - I think they have a supercub there and a Maule too, so if I don't bring my own maybe I'll use those.

Thanks


Arcs

[EBCAU]

>What do you class as wind ?

Probably more than you would average in the UK but I have limited experience there.
WN always seems to have 15 - 30 knots blowing, but it might just seem that way to me. You can get some nice days though and then it is one of the worlds nicest cities I reckon.



>What about the Wairapa ? - is it as windy ? and are there many strips there ?

Areas in the Wairarapa can be sheltered, others extremely exposed. There is turbulence in abundance - in lee of Tararua range in prevailing NW'ers. Like those that operate there you can learn to cope with it. The experience will make you a better pilot and make for interesting flying.
Depending on what you call a "strip" there are plenty.

>- and, Masterton looked good - I think they have a supercub there and a Maule too, so if I don't bring my own maybe I'll use those.

Climate there is better than WN (my opinion) and MS itself can be sheltered and calm on the ground, strong winds above and about. An active airfield with facilities that would suit a private owner.

All my opinion, others may differ.

[Tarq57]

I live and work at Wellington. All above is correct, there are likely to be maybe 100 days a year when it would be suitable to operate a cub here. 30nm up the road is Paraparaumu (pronounced para-param [a=apple] if you aren't too PC) which is a good and handy GA base, but with a perhaps uncertain future due to long running ownership/usage/development squabbles.Not generally so much wind, there.Active aeroclub/flying schools,gliding club.
General rules for operating into strips or paddocks, you can do so with the owner's written consent. Can be more complex if local councils are the owners. Masterton is a great aerodrome, about 90minutes drive from Wellies. Very active GA and veteran aircraft.(Paraparaumu is about 45min) As said above, can be strong winds aloft. The Nor'wester is the one to watch, as Masterton is downstream of some pretty decent hills, they'd be called mountains in the UK, and is often an inherantly unstable wind, anyway. There are two or three ag - strips closer to Wellington, just in or adjacent to the CTR. Don't know who the owners are. And a bit of a landing strip at Trentham racecourse, about 12nm NE of Wellies.
Wellington=NZWN, Paraparaumu= NZPP, Masterton= NZMS.

[MOR]

Don't forget the strip at Otaki, that's a decent-sized strip with, I think some limited hangarage (ie a cowshed).

I don't think Paraparaumu is going anywhere soon. There might be some public wrangling, but the original owners will have a thing or two to say about any sale of the airport. Most of it is political positioning. The gliding club still have a cub, I think, and there is a Tiger Moth hiding out at the Aero Club. There's a museum and a cafe there too, and a builders supply yard if you want to build your own hangar...

[JET_A1]

Arclite01! You will have great fun with a Cub in NZ. As most have said there are plenty of grass strips throughout NZ. Infact most and I mean more than 70% of our airfields have grass runways availible for use.

Even wellington airport has the golf course next door!!!

Firther more another Cub on the NZ regester would be great and I'm sure you would not have a problem keeping it in the Wellington area.

[Arclite01]

Thanks Guys

All really useful stuff. I'd class a strip as pasture and about 400 metres long and 20 metres wide !

Anyone got any idea about insurance costs for light aeroplanes (ballpark) and hangarage costs (as per my original post) ?

Thanks

Arc

[mattyj]

They used to build Tiger Moths at Wellington Airport during the 2nd world war for training our contibution to the RAF. It was called Rukia..Rua.. Reui..it had a different name back then but the winds were the same. It would be nice to see a cub take off in a stiff southerly..its been 60 years since the old backward take off was commonplace.

[MOR]

Wrong, mattyj

You must be very young.

For a few years in the '80s, the Fieldair Freight DC3s operated out of Wellington several times a day. I remember watching from the aero club, where I was instructing, as one of them dug a prop into the tarmac whilst landing on a rather blustery day.

Also, SAFE Bristol Freighters (B170) were still flying in and out of Wellington as late as 1986.

Both of those types have the wheel at the wrong end...

Oh and I think the name you are searching for is Rongotai...

[30/30 Green Light]

Mattyj,would that have been Rongotai you were thinking of?My first flight-deck experience was in a F27 from Wanganui on ferry with a 40kt southerly off Cook Strait.Must have enjoyed it 'cause I took up flying.Wellington and it's winds are worth an entire thread on their own

[mattyj]

Sorry MOR, what I mean is the backward takeoff where the Aircraft actually goes backwards..ie negative groundspeed..you would need something a little lighter than a DC3

Rongotai..thats it..ta

[MOR]

Oh THAT sort of backwards takeoff... lol

You could do that with an empty Dak, it's all about stall speed, not weight...

[JET_A1]

Hey there MOR. When you coming to quiz night next?

[MOR]

How about next Tues? You guys be there?

[JET_A1]

Sounds good. Trying to find out if the boys are up for it. Will text ya.