Your representatives on the Hood Users Group have been meeting monthly to discuss a number of issues that have surfaced in regards to the operations of Hood Aerodrome.

A core group of your representatives have recently met with, Wes Ten Hove, CEO Masterton District Council and Counsellor David Holmes where they have passed on some of the concerns that have been raised by the users and they have come up with a number of suggestions in seeing that Hood aerodrome is operated to its full potential without significant impact to the users.

While we must accept that the Masterton District Council will make the final decisions on the overall management, any upgrades, and redevelopments and how expenditure is to be appropriated, we believe, as representatives of the aerodrome we also have an important role.

Hood Aerodrome is the home to a variety of flying activities and organisations and we are extremely fortunate to have a number professional people we can call on for advice. One of our specific aims as representatives is to foster a good relationship with Counsellors and Officials of the Masterton District Council and to give them confidence in the information put forward. This will then assist them in making informed decisions about aerodrome.

Discussions that have already taken place.

1. Repositioning of the new fuel pumps
2. Sewerage and water to existing and new hangar sites
3. Concern and impact on implementing an MBZ for Masterton.
4. Promotion of the airfield
5. Future development plans
6. Impact (including financial) on users from new airline
7. Construction timelines for taxiway construction – resealing runway.

Representatives are meeting with Council Officials on Thursday 19th June 2008. There are a number of promotional ideas that will be discussed with no financial impact on the users, but to highlight the aerodrome as a facility for people to visit and participate in the activities the aerodrome has to offer.

If there are aerodrome matters you would like to discuss, please contact one of your Hood User Group representatives.

Phil Patterson biggles@infogen.net.nz
Trevor McKeown tgmck@xtra.co.nz
Kerry Conner fly@ace-aviation.co.nz
Gene DeMarco antiqueair@aol.com
Alan Flynn alan@aircam.co.nz
Bill Ditmer toadhill@infogen.net.nz
Tony Van Dyk tvandyk@i4free.co.nz
Hughan McKay Hughan@xtra.co.nz
Robert Thurston redbaron@contact.net.nz
Paul Buchanan paul_buchanan@xtra.co.nz
Tom Williams tom-williams@clear.net.nz

Are you at least 16 years old?
Can you rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time?
Can you speak and understand English?
Can you calculate simple mathematical equations?
Do you want to feel the freedom of movement in 3 dimensions?
Are you looking for an accomplishable challenge that will change your life forever?

Then you are well on your way to becoming a pilot.

The next step is to find someone qualified to let you have a go at flying a plane, so before long, you too can experience your first solo. Luckily, such helpful people exist.

Here’s how a student described his first solo at Hood Aerodrome:

Excitement and Fear on the one hand, Responsibility and Control on the other. Balancing these things was the trickiest bit. You know after a while in the circuit that your first solo is approaching because every now and again, you’re taxiing back to the holding point after each landing before taking off again, instead of the normal ‘touch and go’. Then one day, you’re taxiing back to the holding point and the instructor is unplugging their headset and preparing to ‘abandon ship’.
“Just do one circuit and come back to the flight line. Just fly as you have been flying – remember to use your feet.”
“Eeeehhhhhhhhhh OK” (thinking now is the last chance to hop out and run off). So how long should I wait before I move – I’ll give the instructor a few more seconds to get a bit further away, OK now!
Line up, smoothly open the throttle. Take off was easy enough, climb rate seems OK, speed OK, straight on the runway ……… and basically everything seems OK, until the turn onto base leg, where I realise I’m the only one in the aircraft! I HAVE TO LAND THE PLANE!
After what seems like a thousand years, it’s time to turn onto finals. Another Ice Age and then here I am on short finals, a quick check that everything is as it should be, check the descent, and float, and float, and float, keeping it straight ahead with the rudder pedals just like I’ve been taught, and then, before I know it, I’ve landed – mostly on the seal and, no bits fell off – I’m alive! What a feeling, my jaw is aching from the sustained grin! Can’t wait until I do this again!

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete, all you need is to be an average Joe or Josephine with heaps of enthusiasm and no major medical conditions.

Before you can be sent of solo, you will need to pass a medical examination involving basic questions about your health, the Doc has a listen to your ticker, checks your eyes, gawks round all those funny little passageways in your ears, takes some of your blood, and gets you to pee in a bottle (so make sure you drink heaps of water before you go for the check-up).

Want to find out more?

Please click here http://www.ace-aviation.co.nz/htdocs/home/learn.htm

In 1939, the Royal New Zealand Air Force impressed all the aero club aircraft for pilot training. 1940 saw the Royal New Zealand Air Force occupy Hood Aerodrome and more land was bought by the government to increase the airfield’s size, and 3 runways were constructed. By April 1942, No. 14 Squadron had reformed at Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, using American built Harvard trainers and P-40 Kittyhawk fighters. Later in 1943, 14 Squadron left Masterton to fight the Japanese in the South Pacific.

At the completion of World War 2 in 1945, aircraft returned to Hood and the aero club began flying again using Tiger Moths, Proctors and Auster aircraft.

In 1949, Hood Aerodrome played an early part in the trials for aerial topdressing using RNZAF Avenger aircraft. Early pioneering firms such as Air Contracts soon began topdressing, using Tiger Moths, with Hood Aerodrome as their base. Trials were also conducted in 1954 using a Bristol Freighter dropping 6 tonnes of fertilizer. Aerial topdressing still makes up a large portion of the commercial aircraft fleet at Hood Aerodrome, with Super Air and Wanganui Aero Work firms both using Hood as one of their bases.

Between 1960 and 1966, South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand (SPANZ) was operated by Masterton’s Rex Daniell along with Bob Anderson. SPANZ flew DC-3 Viewmasters to service smaller cities and towns around New Zealand (including Masterton).

From 1978, Hood Aerodrome became the home of New Zealand’s Sports and Vintage Aviation Society. The Society built a large hangar at Hood and more recently acquired the neighbouring Metservice glider hangar. The Society has also developed the ‘George Hood Museum of Aviation’ on site and holds the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow to support the venture.

The main runway (06/24) was upgraded in March 1986 with a sealed all weather surface allowing greater utilization by heavier aircraft including air ambulances and commuter airlines, including Wairarapa Airlines and Air Wairarapa.

Today, Hood Aerodrome is the home of numerous period and replica aircraft from the two World Wars, with the growth of the Vintage Aviator collection and the Old Stick and Rudder’s collection, along with Ace Aviation, a flight school specializing in tail dragger aircraft instruction. With other aviation users such as Sky Diving, Homebuilt Aircraft and Microlight organizations, Gliding, Radio Controlled Model Aircraft, and various privately owned GA aircraft, Hood Aerodrome is well placed for a healthy future.