As a member of Canterbury Aero Club, I already had some idea of what the phrase “Learn to Fly” meant. However, the event organized by the club and the International Aviation Academy of New Zealand was much more than just “learning to fly.” They prepared an amazing exhibition featuring trial flights in several types of aircraft, as well as a flight simulator experience for everyone. The Academy provides training for the Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL), Commercial Pilot License (CPL), Private Pilot License (PPL), Multi-Engine Rating, Instrument Rating, Flight Instructor Rating, and many other aviation qualifications. For more information about the Academy, its ratings and Canterbury Aero Club, visit their websites: flighttraining.co.nz and www.cac.co.nz.
A number of aircraft were parked on the airport’s Western Apron, ready for trial flights, while several other interesting aircraft were displayed in a nearby hangar for visitors to view and even touch.
Everyone was welcome to ask questions and climb into any of the aircraft in the hangar under the supervision of qualified staff members. The children were undoubtedly the happiest visitors, but even the adults became kids again for a while as they explored the fascinating world of aviation firsthand.
I saw many interesting aircraft, including the Piper Cub, Piper Cherokee, the brand-new Tecnam P-Mentor, and my personal favourite—the Yak-52. My true love is actually the Yak-18T, but that’s a long story for another post (or perhaps a whole series of posts!). The Yak-52 on display was simply perfect. I had a great chat with its pilot, Rob George, who had flown the aircraft to the event from Ashburton Aerodrome.
The new Tecnam also caught my attention because, during my initial flight training in 2015, I flew the Tecnam P2002, which looks very similar to the new P-Mentor. Time moves on, and Canterbury Aero Club is gradually replacing its classic workhorses—the Piper PA-28 fleet—with modern Tecnam aircraft powered by Rotax engines and equipped with sophisticated new avionics.
After chatting with fellow aviation enthusiasts in the hangar, we returned to the clubhouse to try to join a tour and see the flight simulator. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky enough to get a place that day. However, the viewing area on the second floor of the clubhouse was an outstanding spot to watch aircraft taxiing, taking off, and landing. I managed to take several photographs of aircraft lined up on the taxiway before departing from sealed Runway 02.
Several information stalls were located upstairs, representing both the Club and the Academy. The staff were exceptionally friendly and welcoming, and visitors queued to ask questions and discuss aviation in general.
While we were watching the aircraft from the second floor, people downstairs at the reception desk were booking trial flights and flight simulator sessions.
There was no entry fee for the event. However, visitors paid separately for introductory flights and the flight simulator experience. If you want to learn more about the world of aviation, get up close to a real aircraft, or take to the skies with a professional flight instructor, an open day like this is the perfect opportunity. If you want to be a professional pilot or privately fly on weekends, reach the Aero Club or the Academy, they will provide you detailed guides how to do so.
At the bottom of this page, I have included a selection of photographs from my previous flights with the club. All of the pictures were taken either by my passengers or by me while a flight instructor was at the controls during non-critical phases of flight.
Many thanks for reading.
Alex, EventsHub team.