🎄 Final Approach: Wrapping Up 2024 at Waipuk Airfield

From solo flights to Santa sightings, parched paddocks to party BBQs — here’s the year-end wrap from the runway.

Bye Bye 2024. It’s been a good year I think.

 Although flying hrs have taken a recent dip, I suspect they will be equal to or up a bit on last year.

We have quite a lot of students training with us at the moment. If I went back through my logbook, I’d find around 15 different students I’ve flown with this year. Not all are flying regularly but many are.

Several are working through their exams. Ross(New) Hill-Rennie, Dave Wright, and Mike Fitzgerald. Mike is on fast track in his training and is just coming to grips with instrument flying. Jacques Vanrooyen completed his solo consolidation and has moved out of the circuit. Jet Hapuku and Ellen Boyd are in the circuit, both getting close to that first solo.

Our licensed pilots are not flying much. FGJ is averaging around 3 hrs a month. I know things are not easy out there for a lot of people. Do try to keep somewhat current. Even a few circuits every so often will help.

The Cub, KSS is ticking along with local flying and tailwheel ratings for local and out of area pilots.

Rans CHB, is still on the reduced rate to try to generate some flying. This has worked to a degree and when the numbers are crunched in the new year we will find out whether this has been a success or not.

We are no further ahead with a permanent fuel supplier on the field. We are still using the trailer, loaned to us by RD Fuels, which we drive to Hastings for filling about every 2 to 3 months. This is working ok but is really less than ideal.

Working backwards, we have just had another very successful Xmas party with lots of kids and their families in attendance and as always, enjoying the interaction with our special Santa.

A few of us attempted to attend the Koputaroa Fly-in at Levin a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately low cloud at Woodville prevented us from crossing the divide and so it was a round trip with a stop at Dannevirke.

The whole airfield was mown and baled a few weeks ago and since then we have had a succession of 30 degree days, wind and no rain and it has turned into a parched desert. We are experiencing cooler temperatures this week and a bit of drizzle which is a nice change

.

Back in November, we hosted the annual Taildragger Weekend. This event is shared between us and Hastings. This year was special as a bunch of Bearhawks from around the country arrived 3 days before the event, stayed locally and joined us for some local flying and some social interaction. The local flying on the Friday included a visit to our special beach and culminated in a top notch BBQ at Suzie and Josh Calder’s strip at Otane.

The Taildragger, STOL and Bombing competitions on the Saturday were well attended although as usual, wx conditions elsewhere, prevented some further afield attendees.

The Bearhawks dominated the heavy class with none of them having competed in this event before. I’m sure they will be back next year.

Unfortunately, the Sunday events at Hastings were interrupted by deteriorating wx and the strip fly around was canceled although we did get the precision landing competitions completed.

Our aerobatics keen member, Gill Phillips, attended the South Island Akro Fest, aerobatics competition at Ashburton in November. Flying ETJ and a borrowed Alpha, she gained a first and second placing and also a most improved award. Well done Gill.

The New Years Day fly-in, is being hosted by the Microlight clubs at Feilding. This always a great event to attend and is the first such event for the year in the world.

The annual gliding competitions will be held at Waipukurau between the 15th and the 22nd of February,  

We have put up our hand to host the annual RAANZ, National Microlight Fly-in next year. This will be held at Waipukurau on the first weekend in April. We have hosted this event before and if the wx plays ball, there could be a lot of visiting and staying Micros from all over the country. We will need helpers for this event so please mark your calendars.

There’s been some changes along the line of  hangars..

Hayden Kapperly has bought Jodel D11 DJQ from Derek Mohi. Welcome back onto the airfield Hayden. DJQ is resident in what was the old gliding hangar which the Club now owns. Also in there is Paul Coker’s Gyrocopter, REQ,  and John Riddell’s  Maule M4, DON. DON is actually for sale so contact John if you want become the owner of what really is a sports car in aviation. John is happy for her to be flown so if you’d like to experience her, give me a call.

Further down, what we came to know as the  “Gabria” hangar , has been sold to Simon Holdsworth, our Otaki member. In there at the moment is James Butler’s C180, BVV. James is enjoying his new steed.

 Popssibly a Tiger Moth will soon arrive to share the hangar with BVV ,watch this space, and also Simon may house a PA18 in there next year

Second from the end, I have it on good authority that Derek Mohi has purchased a Bantam microlight however I haven’t seen it out and about yet.

At the far end, Ron Day’s wonderful DHC1 (Chipmunk) ARL, is back from extended maintenance and is flying again.

I’ll be away in Blenheim from the 24th to the 27th of Dec. Back on deck for flying after the 2nd of Jan. I’m contactable by cell phone for student or CC authorization. 

From Club president, Wendy Milne:

View from above.

The silly season is well underway with crazy things happening as people

load and stress themselves in a way that defies logic at any other time of the

year.

I’m looking forward to an Xmas break to look for a gap in the relentless

wind patterns we have been plagued with to go flying and get some air under

my plane’s wings. I notice currently, Sunday is a favorite wind day.

The committee has been steadily working on several different fronts to keep

your club and assets in top order. The farm and surrounds have been ably

managed by Ross Kent and his assistants and Ross Macdonald has been

spending more time at the club than at home, with all the little details that

need attending to keep the planes flying and students happy.

Julia Tatum our club secretary is retiring at the end of this month after

serving 24yrs in the job. As the person who fields all the queries and groans

she has done a remarkable job, keeping accounts and admin in order and still

making sense of it all at the end of the day. Julia we will miss you.

Next year 2025 already has a number of National events booked. Gliding

Champs in February and Microlight National Flyin booked for April.

We have a hard won reputation as great airfeild, good amount of Class G

airspace and a team who get on with the job and enjoy it.

Merry Christmas to you all and keep safe, be happy and tick something off

that bucket list this next year

As always for my final newsletter for the year, I include this wonderful poem.

Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp, Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.The aircraft were fastened to tiedowns with care, In hopes that come morning, they all would be there.The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots, With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots. I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up, And settled down comfortably, resting my butt. When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter, I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter. A voice clearly heard over static and snow, Called for clearance to land at the airport below. He barked his transmission so lively and quick, I’d have sworn that the call sign he used was “St. Nick”. I ran to the panel to turn up the lights, The better to welcome this magical flight. He called his position, no room for denial, “St. Nicholas One, turnin’ left onto final.” And what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer! With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came, As he passed all fixes, he called them by name: “Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun! On Comet! On Cupid!” What pills was he takin’? While controllers were sittin’, and scratchin’ their head, They phoned to my office, and I heard it with dread, The message they left was both urgent and dour: “When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower.” He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking, Then I heard “Left at Charlie,” and “Taxi to parking.” He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh  And stopped on the ramp with a “Ho, ho-ho-ho…”He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk, I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks. His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhaust. His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale, And he puffed on a pipe, but he didn’t inhale. His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly, His boots were as black as a cropduster’s belly. He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red, And he asked me to “fill it, with hundred low-lead.” He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump, I knew he was anxious for drainin’ the sump. I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work, And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk. He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief, Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief. And I thought as he silently scribed in his log, These reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog. He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear, Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, “Clear!” And laying a finger on his push-to-talk, He called up the tower for clearance and squawk. “Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction, Turn right three-two-zero at pilot’s discretion” He sped down the runway, the best of the best,” Your traffic’s a Grumman, inbound from the west.” Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night,” Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight.”

On behalf of the Aeroclub, I wish you all a happy and safe festive season.                  Drink in moderation, have fun in unlimitedness. Celebrate family and good health.    Above all,  “Take The Spoon Out Of The Sink”

Ross Macdonald