Otaki Aero Club

[zkdex]

I'm interested in the history of the Oaki (and Districts) Aero Club, and would be keen to know:
[1] date established,
[2] date dissolved,
[3] whether the club built the current airstrip at Oaki, now operated by Otaki Airstrip Ltd.

I'm aware of three aircraft the club operated: DH94 Moth Minots ZK-AKM and ZK-ALD, and Grumman American Traveler ZK-DKW. Were there any others?

I'm also aware that the Wellington & Districts Aero Club did a lot of flying in and out of Otaki. Did the Otaki club come under WDAC operations, especially during the years when Otaki did not have their own aircraft?

[Peter Lewis]

I can confirm that Moth Minor ZK-AKM was registered to the Otaki & Districts Aero Club from 1960 to 1962, and Grumman AA5 from 1973 to 1976.
ZK-ALD was used by the Otaki Aero Club but appears to have been registered to A Sheehan of Christchurch throughout that period - Sheehan owned it from 1958 to 1965.
I cannot find any other aircraft registered to that club in either iteration.

The 1962 issue of Whites Air Directory states:
Otaki and Districts Aero Club
Pres: D Payne Sec: B Davis Base: Otaki airfield
Training arranged through Wellington Aero Club.

[tbf2504]

The Kapiti Districts Aero Club also had shares in the Otaki airstrip for some years. Rob Koeford owns property adjacent to the airstrip and houses an aircraft in a hangar on the strip. The Kapiti Aero Club also uses
the strip for practice landings and takeoffs

[thomarse]

I was around in those early years and recall AKM well but never knew they were ever associated with ALD. I would imagine that the Club was instrumental in forming the Otaki Airfield; when I was a kid there was a hangar there which seemed pretty old even then, and in it lived the Tiger ASG. At one stage ASG belonged to D (Dudley?) Payne who I guess was the Aero Club President and IIRC later moved to Hawke's Bay and then to the North Shore I think. Prior to that ASG was owned by a Levin dentist Malcolm Cunninghame but whether it lived at Otaki I can't say

The Moth Minor normally spent the week in what we called the "Cal Flight" hangar at PP and went up to Otaki on weekend days.

[madmax]

Dudley Paine was instrumental in forming Otaki Aero Club and developing the airfield. He later became a motelier in Napier and acquired a collection of derelict Tiger Moth airframes. His son Tony who I think still lives in Auckland has a large collection of aircraft.
I remember travelling to an air display at Otaki around 1960 and flew in there a couple of times in Tom Hullena's C180 ZK-BUF in 1969/70

[thomarse]

That's right MM - under the name "Aeropayne Company" or similar. IIRC one of those Pawnee 150s was part of the fleet - BOU perhaps?

What happened to Dudley's derelict airframes?

[madmax]

The three I recall were ZK-ASG which was sold, restored and crashed into sea off Takapuna in Oct 1990, I understand it's being rebuilt. ZK-BAH later restored and now with John Baynes, ZK-BAM looks to have disappeared without trace although I think it was sold and the airframe found to have significant corrosion and unsalvageable. Tony Payne may still own Rearwin ZK-AKF which a few years back was being restored by Robert McNair

[Peter Lewis]

Feb 17, 2023 13:31:35 GMT 12 thomarse said:

That's right MM - under the name "Aeropayne Company" or similar. IIRC one of those Pawnee 150s was part of the fleet - BOU perhaps?

What happened to Dudley's derelict airframes?

The Old Aero Payne Company - Pawnee BOU,  PA18A BQN,  PA28 CNZ

A W Payne - Rearwin AKF,  Auster ATO, Volmer CTY, Air Tourer CWA,  C177 BFU ENS,  PA28 DUX,  Galsair NRG, Jodel CXY

Duddley Payne - Tiger ASG  BAM,  Auster BAQ  

[madmax]

My records indicate that ZK-BAM was in Dudley Paine's collection in the mid 1970s, perhaps he bought the wreckage or the fuselage from Temple Martin. I visited Dudley's property at Korikipo frequently in the early to mid 1970s and photographed 3 DH82 fuselages amongst other Tiger components. BAM may have been the fuselage that was found to be badly corroded and which resulted in a legal dispute

[madmax]

My memory just gave a lurch and I recall the legal stouch was not over a DH82 fuselage but over a PA18, so what became of ZK-BAM (if that was the I.D of Dudley's third Tiger) remains a mystery

[zkdex]

Thank you for all the replies, and the various directions they have led in. It would seem that 1960 to 1976 would be the key operational period, with the support of WDAC. I have not found exact dates for the use of either AKM or ALD, NZ Serials suggests AKM was only used 1960-61, and ALD was used 1960-65; but confirmation/correction is required. I only have exact dates for DKW, which seems to have been purchased around the same time that WDAC purchased Grumman Americans. The few times I have visited Otaki Airstrip, and its been a while now, nothing was happening. Pity, because I think its in a great location.