Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 12, 2018 14:41:33 GMT 12
Planned Whanganui aviation museum nearing take off
12 Apr, 2018 11:00am
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Work on restoring the exterior of Whanganui's heritage airport control tower should be finished by September. Photo/ Bevan Conley
By: Zaryd Wilson
Zaryd Wilson is a reporter for the Wanganui Chronicle
zaryd.wilson@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
Work on turning Whanganui's nationally significant airport control tower into an aviation museum and education centre could start as soon as September.
But to do that the Whanganui Airport Control Tower Restoration Group want a more certainty around its lease from the Whanganui District Council.
The Wanganui Airport Control Tower Restoration Group (WACTRG) began leasing the tower, a class A heritage building in the Whanganui district plan, from the council in 2004 to first restore the building but with the intention of later turning it into a museum.
Fourteen years and about $500,000 later the group is preparing to complete the refurbishment of the cab a exterior wall this year following a final fundraising push.
Under the current contract, council, which has contributed $112,000 to the project, can terminate the lease with three months notice if it needs it for airport purposes.
But the group's John Henderson says that is no longer relevant.
"Its use as a control tower is most unlikely given the changes in air traffic control now in place nationally and the redundant and obsolete nature of the equipment which was previously installed."
The current lease includes three renewal terms of five years and expires in 2038.
Council property general manager Leighton Toy said it was "considering some variations to the lease as requested by the Trust".
Once completed work will begin on creating a museum which will initially focus on displaying air traffic control, aerial topdressing, the construction and design of the tower itself and airport history.
The trust's Robert Hoyle said it would also offer a glimpse into the future with a replica display of aerospace company Rocket Lab's Mahia Peninsula launch site floated as a possibility.
"Rocket Lab is a very significant development especially for New Zealand," Mr Hoyle said.
"In a short space of time they've outstripped a lot of the abilities of established places in the United States.
"We could develop a replica of that here and I'm quite confident people would come. I can see it as being a crowd puller, quite frankly."
Mr Henderson said the aviation museum would tie in well with the new council-owned pilot academy and Massey's air traffic control courses in Palmerston North.
The museum will provide links to and work with other aviation museums and activities in the region.
www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503426&objectid=12026787
12 Apr, 2018 11:00am
Work on restoring the exterior of Whanganui's heritage airport control tower should be finished by September. Photo/ Bevan Conley
By: Zaryd Wilson
Zaryd Wilson is a reporter for the Wanganui Chronicle
zaryd.wilson@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
Work on turning Whanganui's nationally significant airport control tower into an aviation museum and education centre could start as soon as September.
But to do that the Whanganui Airport Control Tower Restoration Group want a more certainty around its lease from the Whanganui District Council.
The Wanganui Airport Control Tower Restoration Group (WACTRG) began leasing the tower, a class A heritage building in the Whanganui district plan, from the council in 2004 to first restore the building but with the intention of later turning it into a museum.
Fourteen years and about $500,000 later the group is preparing to complete the refurbishment of the cab a exterior wall this year following a final fundraising push.
Under the current contract, council, which has contributed $112,000 to the project, can terminate the lease with three months notice if it needs it for airport purposes.
But the group's John Henderson says that is no longer relevant.
"Its use as a control tower is most unlikely given the changes in air traffic control now in place nationally and the redundant and obsolete nature of the equipment which was previously installed."
The current lease includes three renewal terms of five years and expires in 2038.
Council property general manager Leighton Toy said it was "considering some variations to the lease as requested by the Trust".
Once completed work will begin on creating a museum which will initially focus on displaying air traffic control, aerial topdressing, the construction and design of the tower itself and airport history.
The trust's Robert Hoyle said it would also offer a glimpse into the future with a replica display of aerospace company Rocket Lab's Mahia Peninsula launch site floated as a possibility.
"Rocket Lab is a very significant development especially for New Zealand," Mr Hoyle said.
"In a short space of time they've outstripped a lot of the abilities of established places in the United States.
"We could develop a replica of that here and I'm quite confident people would come. I can see it as being a crowd puller, quite frankly."
Mr Henderson said the aviation museum would tie in well with the new council-owned pilot academy and Massey's air traffic control courses in Palmerston North.
The museum will provide links to and work with other aviation museums and activities in the region.
www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503426&objectid=12026787
