Participants in the 2013 air safari pause in their flying schedule for a group portrait.
The Flying New Zealand Air Safari 2016 will start on Sunday 13 March at Omaka with registrations, aircraft inspections and the opening dinner. Registrations and aircraft inspections will continue the following morning with the Safari briefing, which must be attended by all crews, in the afternoon.
Flying will start on Tuesday 15 March. From Omaka the event will weave its way through New Zealand, covering 18 airfields, with the flying part finishing on Friday 25 March at Alexandra in time for the Clyde Wine and Food Festival on Easter Sunday. The final dinner and prizegiving will take place on Saturday 26 March.
Participation is limited to 40 aircraft, with a wait list operating.
The Air Safari will have an international flavour, with pilots from around the world as well as support from New Zealanders. As with previous Safaris, the pilots and passengers will come from all walks of life, from the retired to the new pilot, commercial, agricultural, and airline captains.
As it winds its way through the country, the Air Safari will be hosted by local aero clubs. The purpose of the event is to assist Flying NZ’s nationwide network of aero clubs to build their membership and promote their image to the wider public. Past experience shows that considerable public interest attracts new people into sport and recreational flying and lifts the profile of aero clubs in the community.
The beneficiary of the 2016 Air Safari is the Young Eagles programme run by Flying NZ, well established among aero clubs throughout New Zealand and introducing young people to aviation.
The Air Safari theme is precision navigation flying with identification points along the way. Participants will be timed from departure to arrival and their points recorded, along with their navigational skills, for each leg.
Although the competition side of the Safari will be optional, successful crews will be rewarded at the daily prizegiving. Teams may compete on some or all of the legs, and the main prizes, presented at the final dinner, will be for those competing on all of the Safari sections.
The success of this event depends not only on the response from enthusiastic aviators wanting to share the adventure of the Air Safari but also the aero clubs and their local support organisations such as the district councils and local sponsors who all contribute to the success of this event.
Please check out all the information on the website: www.flyingnz.co.nz/new-zealand-air-safari
Enquiries to event manager Liz King: lizking@clear.net.nz
- Report supplied, photographs by Flying NZ.