Gliding and Aviation  

Gliding and Aviation Introduction courses are offered during Wananga Time on Wednesdays during term time based across three venues Hood Aerodrome, Gliding Wairarapa - Papawai and KC.

Year One ($250 per student)

     Term One - Gliding (Includes 6 free taster flights) (9 Weeks commencing 14th February)
     Term Two - The Science behind flying (10 Weeks)
     Term Three - Making Model gliders and two powered flights (10 weeks) 
     Term Four - Catch Up from Terms 1-3 and gliding at students cost (7 Weeks)

Please note if possible it is good to be able to stay at the field until 5pm on Wednesdays where the weather permits flying.

Moving beyond Year Students can join the Gliding club. There is a member fee and then it is $35 per winch and $1.25 per minute for gliding and $165 per hour for flying. It takes approximately 2-3 summers to glide solo.

Student Club members are expected to assist as Ground crew assistance in Terms one and four. 

Qualifications

Students in the senior college can opt to take a subject called “National Certificate in Aviation”. This is a nationally recognised NZQA course and is a spring board for students wanting to enter any aviation related field of study.

This Certificate has two parts:

  • 6 achievement standards which are paper based –completed in college.
  • 5 external standards which are based on gliding – completed at the airfield.

These gliding standards include:

  • Demonstrate glider ground handling
  • Demonstrate glider winch launch as a pilot
  • Fly a glider to achieve a GNZ “A” Certificate (go solo)
  • Fly a glider to achieve a GNZ “B” certificate
  • Fly a glider to achieve a GNZ QGP rating (Qualified glider pilot).

This training takes place on Wednesday afternoon and Saturdays, at the Gliding Wairarapa airfield at Papawai, Greytown.

The instructors are GNZ certified instructors.

Each student is expected to help out with airfield operations – get the gliders out and cleaned; put the gear away at night.

Wairarapa is a small club, with a strong emphasis on training student pilots.


Careers in Aviation

https://www.aviation.govt.nz/careers/

Diploma in Aviation Flying

NZICPA Pilot Training 


Scholarships

The Club offers two scholarships per annum to support students to further their flying. These are awarded at the KC Sports Awards in late October. Further details will be made available when applications open.