Photos of Mount Iron Aerodrome?

[Deleted]

Hi all,
While idly looking up stuff on Wikipedia I learned that Wanaka’s original airport was Mount Iron Aerodrome, at the foot of Mt Iron and essentially where Puzzling World is today.

So I was wondering whether any WONZers have any photos of the old site?

[thebrads]

Mar 30, 2020 16:56:53 GMT 12 @zacyates said:

Hi all,
While idly looking up stuff on Wikipedia I learned that Wanaka’s original airport was Mount Iron Aerodrome, at the foot of Mt Iron and essentially where Puzzling World is today.

So I was wondering whether any WONZers have any photos of the old site?

go to retrolens.nz/map/#/1295040.3484489736/5043096.0369682945/1296114.0498305764/5043677.674980354/2193/12
and scroll down to the pics taken 15/11/76. There is a plane visible on them, and the strip clearly visible.
You can download the pics for a better look. Beware, retrolens is dangerously interesting if you aren't familiar with it.
I'll grab a pic of the area now next time i go to Wanaka

[Deleted]

Thank you for that! Wow...I see a lot of my lockdown time being spent on there. I’ve bookmarked it as I got a message saying the site’s no good on phones (damn).

Mar 30, 2020 19:08:16 GMT 12 thebrads said:

I'll grab a pic of the area now next time i go to Wanaka

On Wikipedia there was mention the old runway is now crossed by Sir Tim Wallis Drive, and looking at the area on Google Maps/Earth that subdivision means I can’t tell where the field was.

[waimo]

when Peter Plew formed Aspiring Air he had A BEAVER based at the Mount Iron Aerodrome.

[Deleted]

Mar 31, 2020 15:49:01 GMT 12 waimo said:

when Peter Plew formed Aspiring Air he had A BEAVER based at the Mount Iron Aerodrome.

CGX?

[thebrads]

Just remembered about this as promised.
This is the view driving into Wanaka now. Puzzling World is back over your left shoulder, Wanaka township in front. The roundabout that took 2 years to build is finally done, although there are still cones etc in the vicinity.


The (new) road the left is Sir Tim Wallis Dr.
This is approx the view if you looked left at the same time:


The large shed under construction at the bottom left of the above pic is a Mitre 10, this view, taken from S.T.W. Dr:

By my guess, this is plonked on where the old runway was, and this view is looking down the runway. (Puzzling World is behind the earthmoving machinery near the big trees).

The local rag had an article on the opening of the road:
www.thewanakasun.co.nz/news/13269-five-years-on-sir-tim-wallis-drive-opens.html

(The print edition had a pic of the good Sir with his grandkids, which it seems didn't make it online.

[martymonsta]

I was lucky enuff to fly with Peter in the Beaver from there when i was a spotty teen. Seem to recall being overtaken by his C206 as we got up to Aspiring, the beaver rattling away! . I did a small photo essay from the strip .. hiding in a Wings file somewhere out there i guess. I might have a couple of pics somewhere, but of course i was more interested in the machine than the strip! The strip was more or less directly across from the Mt Iron track, and completely hidden by a row of pines, and quite a bit further down from puzzling world. He briefly put the 206 on floats and moored it down by the boat ramp. He was great guy...

[Deleted]

Jun 28, 2020 18:44:59 GMT 12 martymonsta said:

I did a small photo essay from the strip .. hiding in a Wings file somewhere out there i guess. I might have a couple of pics somewhere, but of course i was more interested in the machine than the strip!

I read it a couple of months ago! A mate lent me a few issues and one happened to have your article. It was the first I'd known of the Aspiring Air Beaver.

[Peter Lewis]

Mar 31, 2020 19:15:48 GMT 12 @zacyates said:

Mar 31, 2020 15:49:01 GMT 12 waimo said:

when Peter Plew formed Aspiring Air he had A BEAVER based at the Mount Iron Aerodrome.

CGX?

Yes, CGX. Ended up in the hands of Frank Wright at Tauranga before going back to Canada in 2000.