West Auckland Airport

West Auckland Airport Parakai (ICAO: NZPI) West Auckland Airport is a general aviation (GA) airfield on the North Western edge of Auckland, New Zealand, within the Auckland City Local body area. It is close to the town of Parakai and 2 nautical miles (3.8 km) northwest of Helensville at the southern end of the Kaipara Harbour.

History

The Helensville Aero Club operated from Helensville Airfield from the 1940s, moving to Parakai and renaming the airfield as Parakai Airfield (Parakai Aerodrome) during the 1960s. Starting with a grass surface, the runway was realigned and built up with limestone during the 1980s to make it usable all year round, and the surface gradually improved. Services provided: Flight training by various clubs and flying schools, taking students up to Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) level. Commercial flights to Great Barrier Island. Private aircraft hangarage. Intensive Skydiving operations built up from 1986 and in 2003 and 2013 the NZ Skydiving Championships were held at the airfield. The facility was renamed as West Auckland Airport in 2011.

Present day

West Auckland Airport is one of three GA airports serving light aircraft in Auckland, along with Ardmore Airport to the south east and North Shore Airfield to the north east of the city. Fly West Flying School provides training from ab initio through to the Microlight Advanced National Pilot Certificate in 3-axis and weight shift airplanes and Gyros. The airport is base for Leading Edge Aviation Ltd aircraft engineers (the Southern Hemisphere repack Station for BRS Ballistic parachutes), Skydive Auckland, FlyWest Microlight Academy, Northland Microlight Club, and the 'Aimm' Airport Movement Management System. Most fixed-base operator (FBO) services are available including fuel Avgas and Mogas. Hangarage for private aircraft is often available in the 16 privately owned and FBO hangars. Space is available for building of private hangars.

Operational information

• Airport elevation is 6ft AMSL
• Runway 07/25 is 760m of Bitumen and a 140m all weather extension with grass on limestone, for a total length of 900m. On takeoff or go-around, all aircraft, including rotorcraft, must remain over the centreline of the runway and below 500ft until well past the ends of the runway to maintain separation from parachutes.
• Taxiways: There are concrete taxiways to all permanent hangars.
• Circuit: RWY 07 - left hand; RWY 25 - right hand
• Circuit height: 1000ft AMSL, all circuits to the north. Due to frequent skydiving, aircraft must join downwind, base or final (NOT overhead) and fly a wide circuit.

The airport is uncontrolled with mandatory radio calls on 123.5 within 10 nm of the airport.

By road West Auckland Airport is 34 minutes from the Auckland CDB and 30 minutes from Silverdale.

Sources

• NZAIP Volume 4 AD
• New Zealand AIP (PDF)

External links

• The West Auckland Airport Parakai Web Site