Opotiki Airfield

[zkdex]

Can anyone confirm the compass bearings of the long-closed cross runway at Opotiki Airfield?

The main and current runway is 09/27, my calculations of the cross runway, as marked on an old Opotiki street map, comes up with 02/20. Is this correct?

[woody99]

I'm fairly sure it was 02/20. It ran right past the aero club buildings and the southern threshold was right next to a house at the entrance to the airfield off Aerodrome Road.

[skydognz]

There were 3 runways at Opotiki. 09/27 is the only one that remains. 02/20 was still being used in 1964. I did my 1st solo using 20 on 10th may 1964. The 3rd runway was closed was about 31/13 and very short. We lived in the airfield house Jan 1961 for about 3 years. In those days the grass was short and there were sheep grazing the airfield. I remember the airstrip at Ohiwa/Wainui. Was owned by the Reid Family The sons were learning to fly. Galatea like Opotiki had 3 runways. I flew into Opotiki this year 50 years after my 1st solo.

[Dave Homewood]

This may or may not be of any interest....

OPOTIKI AIRPORT

GRASSING COMPLETED

PROVISION OF FACILITIES

DOMAIN BOARD'S ENTERPRISE

[by telegraph —OWN correspondent] OPOTIKI, Tuesday

After a delay of several months owing to the excessively wet conditions making it impossible to complete the levelling in the autumn, the final work on the Opotiki aerodrome was completed late last month and the grassing has now been finished. Nearly the whole area is now well consolidated. With the erection of the necessary facilities it in hoped that the flying field will be available for the inauguration of the passenger service between Auckland and Gisborne, via Opotiki, early in the New Year.

The total area of the Opotiki aerodrome, which is built on the Opotiki racecourse, is approximately 120 acres, the land being valued at about £8000. The estimated cost of preparing the flying field and the erection of the necessary buildings is £8500, making a total of £18,500.

Little Cost to District
Opotiki is very fortunate in securing such an aerodrome at practically no cost to the district. The Opotiki Borough and County Councils were each expected to make a contribution to the establishment of the aerodrome, but the Waioeka Domain Board, which offered the area of 109 acres, comprising the actual flying field, to the Government, also offered to find the whole of the local bodies' contributions to the department.

The aerodrome will be the only one in New Zealand under the control of a domain board. Four runways of 660, 760, 770 and 1080 yards in lengthy are necessary by taking in the recreation reserve it will be possible to have an additional runway about 900 yards in length. At present it is intended to use this space as a parking area.

Three Hangars Planned
Provision is being made to accommodate a large number of machines and three hangars, each measuring 180 ft. by 70ft. will be built near the entrance to the aerodrome from Racecourse Road. The hangars will be fronted by a permanently-surfaced apron strip. The administration buildings will be built near the present site of the totalisator. A landing circle 100 ft. in diameter will be laid in concrete near the centre of the held. Wireless facilities will be provided.

The aerodrome is in a very central position, being less than two miles from the Opotiki post office. Before the work of levelling the area was commenced the site was drained, 11½ miles of drains being cut. Approximately 45,000 field tiles were used. Precautions are being taken against the danger or portion of the area being flooded from the Otara River, and a stop-bank will be built at the boundary. The cost ot levelling the field was over £3000


NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 16 NOVEMBER 1938.

[zkdex]

Very proactive types in Opotiki (and still are today)...and they were rewarded with a short-lived AKL-TRG-OPK-GIS air service (DH-86 Express aircraft) that ended with the start of World War 2 and was never reinstated.
Was only ever an auxiliary landing ground during WW2, but I'm sure it got used by RNZAF aircraft from both Tauranga and Gisborne Stations. I've read elsewhere that aerodrome defence was left to the local Home Guard - the deep ditches surrounding the airfield would have been handy.