Wairoa Aero Club  
 
HEC MAYHEAD originally from Napier, ( but moved to Wairoa some years ago,
so - can be called “ A Wairoa Old Boy “), is back in Napier again - Taradale.
He has been able to gather together much of the Wairoa Aero Club’s early history.

Grateful thanks to an unknown recorder of the first part of a very detailed and interesting coverage of the birth and growth of this little but big aero club. "Big" from the way the local Wairoa community came
in behind the committee and members every step of the way with it’s development.

The unknown historian and Harry have provided editorial of the Club’s early beginnings.....
Early History of the Wairoa Aero Club
Harry Howell's story in pdf format HERE

It’s worth a read, so read on and discover how a little community built up its Aero club
into a “mini airport“ ( and an aerial top dressing base ).



J McDonald Mustang Wairoa 1964
ALJ Wairoa 1965 P 51 Mustang ready to roll for a performance 'demo'

J McDonald Mustang Wairoa 1964 Cookson Ceres Tutira 1961 R N Z A F Sunderland does a
low pass over the field

1964 The new airstrip at Wairoa
1,300 metres with 900 metres sealed.
( the old strip over to the right )
Members and Wives United States Navy DC 3 from the
“ Deep Freeeze “ Antarctic flight section
US Base in Christchurch New Zealand.
THE REGISTRATION OF THE NEW WAIROA AIRSTRIP NOVEMBER 1969.
THE AIR PAGEANT, WITH VISITING AIRCRAFT FROM MANY PARTS OF NZ.
SOMEONE SURE HAD SOME “ PULL “IN WAIROA - LITTLE WAIROA - TO
'ROUND IN' A US NAVY DC3 FROM THE UNITED STATES DEEP FREEZE
ANT-ARCTIC FLIGHT SECTION. WE HAVE NEVER HAD ONE IN NAPIER
OR HASTINGS, AIR DISPLAY’S AND THE LATE MAYOR OF NAPIER
CLYDE JEFFERY ALONG WITH “ANOTHER” TRIED HARD TO HAVE ONE
OF THEIR AIRCRAFT ON AN IN FLIGHT TO NZ , to drop off some height and
make a lower pass over Napier on the way to Christchurch ? ! ( That's what we
asked the Deep Freeze crowd in Ch Ch to do and got the Thumbs Down unfort ).
American “deep freeze” aircraft used to make their “land fall “ into NZ over
Napier when coming in from their base in America, their vapour trails,
from the very high altitude they came in at were very prominent.
Civil Aviation’s mobile control van,
and the Wairoa Fire Brigade
Another view of the “ Jato “ equipped
“Deep Freeze” DC 3
N A C s DC3 “ Skyliner Aerial Mapping’s Beechcraft AT–11

W.Olsen and Loadstar "beatup" ZK-ADT doing a wheelie landing or about to lift off ? ( take your pick )
NAC Fokker Friendship RNZAF Hercules