Wakatipu Aero Club
Encyclopedia
Wakatipu Aero Club is a general aviation
flying club
and flight training
organisation owned by its members. The club was formed in 1970 by a group of local aviation enthusiasts. The club house was built by the members and is located at Queenstown Airport in Otago
, New Zealand
.
The Wakatipu Aero Club trains private and commercial pilots ab initio
and also at advanced levels, especially in mountain flying - the club's speciality.
In 1985 the club gained its Air Operator’s Certificate and has since been operating a commercial arm. Air Wakatipu carries out scenic and charter flights, providing employment for some of the recently qualified commercial pilots. The majority of the flights are scenic flights to Milford Sound
and other locations in the Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Parks.
Several aircraft are kept on line available for charter, rental and training. These include, as of early 2011, a Tecnam
P2002-JF, four Cessna 172
s, a Cessna 206, a Piper Cub and a Pitts Special
. The club has an active committee and several flying instructors, two of them full time.
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
flying club
Flying club
A flying club or aero club is a not for profit, member run organization that provides its members with affordable access to aircraft.Many clubs also provide flight training, flight planning facilities, pilot supplies and associated services, as well as organizing social functions, fly-ins and...
and flight training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
organisation owned by its members. The club was formed in 1970 by a group of local aviation enthusiasts. The club house was built by the members and is located at Queenstown Airport in Otago
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The Wakatipu Aero Club trains private and commercial pilots ab initio
Ab initio
ab initio is a Latin term used in English, meaning from the beginning.ab initio may also refer to:* Ab Initio , a leading ETL Tool Software Company in the field of Data Warehousing.* ab initio quantum chemistry methods...
and also at advanced levels, especially in mountain flying - the club's speciality.
In 1985 the club gained its Air Operator’s Certificate and has since been operating a commercial arm. Air Wakatipu carries out scenic and charter flights, providing employment for some of the recently qualified commercial pilots. The majority of the flights are scenic flights to Milford Sound
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...
and other locations in the Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Parks.
Several aircraft are kept on line available for charter, rental and training. These include, as of early 2011, a Tecnam
Tecnam
Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam is an aeronautics manufacturer founded in 1948, based near Naples in Italy. The company has two primary activities: it makes aircraft parts for other manufacturers, and makes its own range of light aircraft.-History:...
P2002-JF, four Cessna 172
Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
s, a Cessna 206, a Piper Cub and a Pitts Special
Pitts Special
The Pitts Special is a series of light aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944...
. The club has an active committee and several flying instructors, two of them full time.