GA Operations: After operating from an airstrip at Helensville for many years, the Helensville Aero Club moved to Green Rd. at Parakai in the 1960s. Almost every type of General Aviation (GA) operation has been carried out from Parakai Airfield over the subsequent 45 years.

In May 1984 the Rodney County Council (as it was then) gave 'Planning Consent' for the airfield to be realigned onto its current position, and to subdivide the 1015m x 150m block onto a separate title in order to secure its long term future as an airfield. The consent authorised the construction, as necessary over time to support changing activity, of a runway up to 1000m x 60m with aircraft manouvering areas, hangars, control tower, terminal and ancilliary buildings.

The Pine Family owned the land and they and the club members raised funds and with considerable volunteer labour built up an all-weather runway, and constructed the major facilities: Customer reception, clubrooms, flying school offices, briefing rooms, parachute packing building, bunkhouse and the supporting infrastructure such as aprons, parking areas and Aircraft refuelling.

Along with club activities, flying school and scheduled air transport operations, many types of General Aviation were developed with an emphasis on Sports and Tourist Skydiving operations. In 2003 the NZ National Skydive Championships were held at Parakai.

The Lockie family purchased the airfield in 2005, 'The Parakai Story', Pacific Wings Magazine. They have constructed hangars, renovated the original buildings, upgraded the runway and taxiways, built an airfield manager's house, and continued to improve the facilities to serve General Aviation for the West and North West of Auckland.

Tiger Moth over Parakai Airfield

Beaver ZK-BVR lifted Skydivers at Parakai from 1994. (L.Bayliss photo). Seen here in its previous Australian livery as VH-EPY, before coming to Parakai.

Skydiving: Sports and Tourist tandem skydiving have always been a major activity at Parakai, with various operators.

The first heavy lifter was the Beaver, ZK-BVR. This aircraft started life with Central African Airways in 1951. It moved to Australia and flew as VH-EPY at Western Aerial Crop Spraying, Derrinallum, Victoria. (see photo).

In 1994 this Beaver moved to Parakai and worked as the main skydive jump ship under its NZ registration, ZK-BVR.

When replaced by the Nomad, ZK-OUT, the Beaver was sold and is currently still active, as N888KM, in Washington State USA

In addition to their scheduled airline operations, Parakai Aviation also lifted skydivers with their turbo prop powered Cessna 'Caravan', see Mag Article #1 and #2 (if image mag shrinks click on it to expand).

Air Traffic Control: Skydiving from Parakai makes use of the Civil Aviation Authority's officially approved Parachute Drop Zone based on the airfield. The airspace up to 2500 feet is under control of the pilots using the CAA allocated Parakai frequency of 119.1 mhz, and above 2500 feet Air Traffic 'Approach Control' for Auckland International Airport clears the airspace to 13,000 feet as required for skydiving or aerobatics.

Many Kiwis and Overseas Visitors have experienced the thrill of tandem jumps over the sandhills near Muriwai Beach. From 10,000 feet there is a view from Whangarei to Mt Ruapehu and Mt Taranaki in clear conditions.

Tandem Skydive about to touch down

Southern Saltmarsh Mosquito: The discovery of this species of Australian mosquito (vector of the Ross River fever) in the area led to intensive low level helicopter operations for five years from 2003 to 2008, flown by Hawkes Bay Helicopters working out of the Parakai Airspace.

The eradication program was officially opened by the Minister for the Environment at the time, Marian Hobbs, on 21st Feb 2003.

Hawkes Bay Helicopter's 'Bell 500' ZK-HRF, did the drops and inspections.

ZK-VAN, a Gas Turbine (Jet prop) Cessna Caravan, loading passengers at Parakai. This aircraft flew scheduled passenger airline operations to Great Barrier Island and other destinations, and during its spare time lifted large loads of skydivers.

Scheduled Passenger Operations: In the 1990s Parakai Aviation Ltd ran a scheduled passenger operation to Great Barrier Island, using this Cessna 'Caravan' aircraft, ZK-VAN. See Mag Article #1 and #2 (after loading click on the small page image to expand to readable size).

Aircraft Types: Aviation is a constantly changing industry, and many different types of aircraft have worked from Parakai over the years... the heavy radial engined Beavers, twin engine Nomads, and the Gas Turbine (jet prop) Caravans used to lift large numbers of skydivers and their tandem masters, the Navy with its Sea Sprite helicopter training sorties, Search and Rescue aircrft of various types, and the Sports Aircraft and Helicopters of more recent times. Click on Aircraft portraits to see some of the aircraft that operate out of Parakai (all photos taken at Parakai Airfield).

Gliding: The West Coast is a good gliding range, and gliders find Parakai's closeness to the Muriwai sand dunes, and the hills on the eastern side, useful for providing lift to get home.

World Record. Towed off from Parakai, 15th March 2007, Murray Wardell of the Auckland Gliding Club achieved the distance for a World Gliding Record for PW-5 Distance using up to 3 turn points = 597.1km.  Flight time 6 hours 45mts.

Cessna 172 tug towing a Murray Wardell off on his successful record attempt.

NZ Navy Sea Sprite (Aerial-Imagery photo)

Military: The Navy Sea Sprites based at Whenuapai with #6 squadron, and Air Force Iroquois helicopters from #3 squadron based at Ohakea, plus the Air Force fixed wing aircraft, make use of Parakai Airfield for training exercises for their specialist staff to practice operations from small airfields, for military and rescue purposes.

The Air Training Corps, holds training camps at Parakai Airfield to give air cadets flying experience prior to many of them taking up a professional flying career.

Civil Defence and Emergencies: Parakai Airfield (International designation 'NZPI') is available 24/7 for Search and Rescue, Police, Fire and Ambulance services to use as required.

The airfield is listed on NZ and International airspace maps and the Jepperson database for Air GPS systems, for emergency use by aircraft in distress. It is part of the NZ's alternate infrastructure for civil defence in case of earthquake or other disruption to roads, and used by the Police and Rescue helicopters as a convenient West Auckland holding point to sit on the ground while waiting for further instructions.

Over the years there have been many uses by various organisations, and 'any port in a storm' landings by aviators who required an airfield at sea level and so accessible under low cloud.

Coastguard Cessna 172 at Parakai. (Bob Dedekind photo)

'Wings' Magazine Oct 1992 advert.

     'Tecnam P92 Echo Super', one of the training aircraft at Parakai Airfield.

Training: Many of today's commercial pilots learned to fly at Parakai, starting as 'Ab Initio' Students and progressing through a Private Pilots Licence (PPL) and Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) with the Aero Clubs, Flying Schools and Air Transport Operations based on the airfield. One of the flying schools specialised in Beach and Short Airstrip training, using local topdressing strips and nearby Muriwai Beach in combination with Parakai Airfield for the training.

Mag Article #1 and #2 (after loading click on the small page image to expand to readable size).

Training uses Cessna and Piper aircraft, and since 2005 increasingly the European Sports Aircraft:the Italian Tecnams which run Rotax 912S (4 stroke, 4 cylinder engines) of around 1350cc with muffler systems meeting the European noise specs and a slow turning (geared) propellor to reduce noise. These are environmentally friendly aircraft with a fuel consumption of around 7L/100km (less than most cars) using normal unleaded petrol. 

Agriculture:

The cost of air drops for farmers is determined by the load able to be carried on each flight, and the distance from the landing strip to the drop zone.

Topdressing and other agricultural planes save fuel, time and costs for local farmers by using Parakai's long strip and clear approaches to carry full loads for each drop.

Super Air Ltd's Cresco topdressing plane loading cricket baits. (Aerial-Imagery photo)

Winter 2007... film crew and aircraft ZK-RDI lined up on the threshold of runway 25 for a video production.

Video and film production: Many videos have been produced at Parakai Airfield, with Chris and Leanne Pine running a specialised video production business on the airfield during their time of ownership up to 2005.

This video connection has continued. The wide range of backgrounds and non-public environments is attractive to film crews.

Here a film crew is simulating an airfield on the South American pampas, with the toitoi in the background at Parakai looking much like pampas grass of South America.

"Lights, Camera, Action" as the Chatam Islands Embraer aircraft ZK-RDI is lined up on runway 25 apparently ready for takeoff.

More History: If anyone has old photos, club or flying school magazines, additional information... or just stories of times gone by about events on Parakai Airfield, please let us know so we can build up this History page. We're especially keen to get photos of aircraft that have worked from Parakai Airfield...