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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 4, 2007 12:57:23 GMT 12
Has anyone heard any news of what the warbird and preservation scene at Masterton is like at the moment?
Since the opening of Hood Aerodromes 'George Hood Aviation Museum' I have still yet to hear from anyone who's actually visited it.
Also there hasn't been an update to the Old Stick and Rudder Company website's news section since before Easter 2006.
And the B-25 they mentioned on their site's 'The Adventures' section as arriving in mid-2007 has not eventuated at all.
Is anything new happening down that way? It looked for a while with James Slade and Gene De Marco and Peter Jackson and co, and the new musuem, being based there it was set to take off like Omaka has. But has it all fizzled out?
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Post by kiwi on Nov 5, 2007 6:11:55 GMT 12
Last couple of times I have called in it has been shut .
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 5, 2007 20:02:36 GMT 12
I've been to Masterton a few times in the Metro and each time the airfield is dead. Where exactly is the collection hangared?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 7, 2007 11:17:12 GMT 12
I've never been there. I'd hate to make the trip from here and find it dead and closed.
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Post by kiwi on Nov 7, 2007 20:25:42 GMT 12
Traveling south the airfield is on the left , and I believe you enter the airfield on its western side . The north western corner held the museum which contained a Chrislea , a Moth and a collection of models . Along the northern side there is the Stick and Rudder Company hangar which should hold some goodies too . There seemed to be a helicopter school and an Ag operation western side and also a hangar where they were making WW1 replicas .
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 8, 2007 10:31:53 GMT 12
All the goodies are well and truly locked away then!
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 8, 2007 10:49:28 GMT 12
Last year when I went out to Masterton, I was lucky to run into a lady at the SVAS collection who was in the office catching up on some paperwork, and she kindly let me have a look at the collection of aircraft. I have been to Masterton three times now and only managed to get into The Old Stick and Rudder's "Hangar 14" (2005) once and SVAS (2006)once . I think it's very much a case of ring/e-mail before you go; but even that's not foolproof as last time I tried, Old Stick and Rudder never got back to me!
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 8, 2007 11:00:05 GMT 12
Hmm, part of the problem I have is we go in the Ambulance, which can't go onto the grass. The airfield has to be NOTAM'd shut whilst we are there. So that may account for the lack of activity when I go anyway.
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 8, 2007 11:26:03 GMT 12
Yes, that'd limit things a wee bit! ;D When I was there in 2005 an Origin Pacific J31/32 was doing touch and goes on the runway for about 15 minutes, but apart from that nothing much else was happening. I think the topdressing boys leave at sparrow's fart and don't return until late afternoon. Last year I was lucky because the weather had turned bad on a few of the airstrips out in the sticks so they all returned in a rush while I was there - hence the photos in the Kiwi Work Horses thread!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 8, 2007 12:44:02 GMT 12
Does the SVAS still have AVM Stan Quill's old Harvard there?
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 8, 2007 13:21:41 GMT 12
Yes, NZ1033 (ZK-SGQ?) is still there.
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Post by vs on Nov 8, 2007 19:27:36 GMT 12
It seemed to start off with a hiss and a roar. Their hangar looks very modern. Certainly have some cool toys there!
Masterton airport now no longer has a NDB (broad cast station) approach but there is now a GPS approach in there.
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 9, 2007 12:03:35 GMT 12
Joe, it's a nice trip up to Masterton on the train from Wellington, and once you get there it's only about five minutes by taxi to the aerodrome from the station (or 30-40 minutes walk).
By the way, I seem to recall that NAC (and Air NZ?) used to operate Friendship flights into Masterton once; or am I dreaming?
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 9, 2007 12:10:20 GMT 12
That sounds about right Craig. I believe Eagle were looking at operating a few flights in and out of MS each day but nothing seems to have eventuated. They need to do a lot of work to facilitate a modern turboprop. The GPS approach makes life easier, but relies on Ferry NDB being serviceable.
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 9, 2007 12:17:07 GMT 12
I guess the problem is that because Masterton isn't very far away from Wellington it's probably not financially viable to fly from there?
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 9, 2007 12:20:37 GMT 12
Not sure Craig. I guess in the overall scheme of things NZ is so small that a lot of foreigners would look on us and say it wasnt worth having an air service between WGN and AKL either. Towns rely on air transport to grow businesses and local economies. Maybe they need a smaller service than an Air NZ Link service? Flying sure beats driving, that is for sure!
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Post by corsair67 on Nov 9, 2007 12:23:43 GMT 12
I'm surprised that Masterton hasn't ever been proposed as a second (or better!) airport for Wellington; just put in a fast train link in you could be in Wellington in 15-20 minutes.
Is the weather fairly stable around Masterton?
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 9, 2007 12:25:49 GMT 12
Usually stable, but it can get pretty windy in westerly conditions, particularly NW winds. The weather can also make the valley it's home for quite a while when it can be fine on the other side of the range at Wellington. The same could be said for Paraparaumu too I suppose
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Post by Peter Lewis on Nov 9, 2007 15:48:45 GMT 12
Wairarapa Airlines operated a Piper PA31-350 Navajo Chieftain ZK-WAI on (I think) AK-MS-WG and return service for some years from 1984. Backing from Hansells, who were big in the town then. Service finally lapsed around 1990.
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Post by Radialicious on Nov 9, 2007 21:22:09 GMT 12
Yep, Masterton-AKL is being looked at by Eagle but not before an 18th B1900D is in service, crewing levels are back to where they should be, the business case is complete, a terminal is built, ground staff are available, SOPs, route guide etc are established etc etc............
It may be a wee way off!
Eagle are looking at a number of extra services around NZ but are so stretched to crew the present routes that it won't happen any time soon. Hokitika - Wellington is being bandied about too. That is a much easier exercise for obvious reasons.
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