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Flying Site Details:
- Trentham, Upper Hutt City
- Te Whiti Park, Lower Hutt
- Whitireia Park, Titahi Bay
- Rayner's Farm, Gladstone Road, Carterton
Trentham, Upper Hutt City: General Radio Control power model flying, Helicopters, Thermal Soaring and some limited Free Flight activity.
The Trentham flying site is adjacent to the Seddon Rifle Range, at Trentham. Before you set out to fly, you can check the weather on our Trentham Weather Station. To get there, go along Fergusson Drive to the traffic lights at Sutherland Avenue and turn right.
Click on the thumbnail map below for a larger image.
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| Map by courtesy of Wises Maps |
Proceed east along Sutherland Avenue, across the railway line after which the road becomes Messines Avenue. Keep going until the road curves to the left and the National Rifle Association (NRA) wooden clubrooms appear on your right. Take the gravel driveway to the right (between the sign and the clubrooms) and continue up and over the stop bank.
There is a gate on the other side of the stop bank. If there is a red flag flying and the range is in use, DO NOT enter unless the shooting is taking place at the far end of the range. If there are cars around the 500 metre mound, proceed through the gate with caution, leaving it open or closed, as you found it.. Travel along the access road, maximum speed 20 km/h, and park adjacent to the clubhouse in accordance with the other vehicles. Stock graze the area so you may find gumboots useful.
| DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, DRIVE OR PARK ON THE RIFLE RANGE MOUNDS. |
Power flying takes place to the right (west) of the fence - the flying area is enclosed with an electric fence. Soaring and helicopter flying usually takes place to the left (east) of the parked cars. Introduce yourself to any club members present and they will make you welcome. You may fly at Trentham
Members fly helicopters at Trentham on Thursday afternoons during the summer.
If you have children with you, please protect them by keeping them away from the aircraft, and please be responsible for them. Dogs are NOT permitted.
We value our relationships with our neighbours, the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its member clubs, and the New Zealand Army. Please do not jeopardise our flying site by flying outside the authorised times, over shooters when shooting is in progress, over Army property or the over the nearby Prison.
It is generally agreed that the increased building and fences surrounding the flying site have made Trentham unsuitable for most Free Flight activities.
Te Whiti Park, Lower Hutt: Thermal Soaring and Electric Model Flying Only.
Several years ago, Monty Frew of happy memory, had the bright idea of a Summer Soaring Series. This was to be a lighthearted sports flying competition on Te Whiti Park, each Monday evening during Daylight Saving Time (last Sunday in September to the first Sunday in April). Well, it caught on, and though the weather is not always kind, it is something of an institution in our club.
To get there, travel north along Randwick Road, or south along Woburn Road and Ludlum Crescent, to the roundabout at White's Line East. Cross over the railway line, pass through two sets of traffic lights, and continue straight on along Whites Line. If the wind is from the north, go past Riverside Drive and enter Te Whiti Park a little way up on the left. If the wind is from the south, go left into Riverside Drive and follow it past Te Whiti Marae until you see the footbridge at the northern end of the park.
Although there is no weather station for Te Whiti Park a pretty good indication of local conditions in Lower Hutt can be obtained from Trevor McGavin's personal Weather Station, which is updated hourly.
Click on the thumbnail map below for a larger image.
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| Map by courtesy of Wises Maps |
The Club flies on the park on a season-by-season agreement with the Hutt City Council. The permission is for silent flight only (gliders or electric). We do not wish to jeopardise our precious flying site so, once again, safety and consideration of the neighbours are our foremost concerns. For these reasons there are some stringent rules in place at Te Whiti. Please read the Te Whiti Park Flying Rules and observe them.
Permission to fly is extended to members of WMAC, so visitors MUST be NZMAA affiliated, and must use the frequency peg system under the direction of the WMAC club captain, or his deputy for the night. Other park users have preference on other nights of the week. The park is open to wandering children, dogs and bicycles, so for safety's sake please do not fly alone. Always have an observer to ensure that towlines are clear, and that no one wandering over the field is likely to be hurt by a model. Winches and turnarounds must be in accordance with NZMAA practice. As close as we are to the Wellington Airport approach, there are flying height restrictions in place.
And if you should sense an unseen but smiling presence, spare a kindly thought for the memory of the late and much lamented Monty Frew who would love to know that you are enjoying the hobby that he shared with us.
Whitireia Park, Titahi Bay: Slope Soaring.
When the wind is blowing steadily off the Tasman, then Whitireia Park near the radio masts at the north end of Titahi Bay is the place for a spot of slope soaring.
This world class slope soaring site is designated as a Permanent Danger Area by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and is also recognised as a model flying site by the NZMAA. The CAA Danger Area is characterised as:
- Model aircraft operations in vicinity of broadcast aerials at Whiteria park.
- Active by day.
- Altitude: Zero to 1500 feet above Mean Seal Level (AMSL).
The park is open to the public so anybody can fly there. Non-NZMAA affiliated flyers are encouraged to join WMAC, one of the other local model aircraft clubs or at least the NZMAA, to ensure they have some public liability accident insurance cover and to help protect our long term use of the site.
To get there, pass through Porirua City, continue along Titahi Bay Road, up Main Road to Bay Drive. Turn right then left into Thornley Sreet and follow it along until it becomes Whitireia Road. At the top of the hill look for where others are flying.
Click on the thumbnail map below for a larger image.
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| Map by courtesy of WisesMaps |
| PLEASE DO NOT TURN YOUR TRANSMITTER ON UNTIL YOU HAVE FOUND OUT WHAT OTHER FREQUENCIES ARE IN USE. SAFETY IS THE KEY |
To get an idea of weather conditions in the area you can look at Leo DuFlou's nearby Whitby Weather Station or the Mana Weather site
Rayner's Farm, Gladstone Road, Carterton: Free Flight - by arrangement only
Free flight fields are few and far between, and we have access to a beauty, although it is necessary to go 'over the hill' to the Wairarapa and out to Gladstone, which is east of Carterton. However, you can at least check the weather before you go on our Gladstone Weather Station.
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Mick Rayner has been a friend to modellers for many years, and has made his large gently rolling paddocks available to both National and club events. It is only fair to respect his generosity and his farm by limiting visits to times that suit him. We make sure that he knows who is coming and what they will be doing, and we respect his directions as to where is OK to fly on any given day. In this club, members wishing to fly free flight models there should contact Stew Cox (04) 973 3166 to co-ordinate flying and to obtain information regarding possible seasonal or operational restrictions of use. There are times when access will be refused, such as lambing, for example.
Note that there are no water supplies or toilets available. Make your preparations while passing through Carterton. Please do not leave any rubbish, broken rubber motors or anything that might harm farm machinery, crops or livestock. Watch the seasonal fire status and when there is a total ban, avoid using DT fuses.