Photo/Radio Ngāti Porou (Facebook)
Ruatoria tamariki and local whānau enjoyed the thrill of five Tiger Moth aeroplanes flying into the airstrip at the East Coast settlement yesterday.
Radio Ngāti Porou station manager Erana Keelan-Reedy says the children, who got to sit in and enjoy the planes up close, were excited by the experience.
"Our kids were absolutely enthralled with the planes."
Photo/Radio Ngāti Porou (Facebook)
The fly-in of aircraft from the Tiger Moth Club of NZ, together with "a few of their friends" in supporting planes, was part of the preparations for the 60th-anniversary of the Ruatoria Aero Club later this month.
He ra e kore e warewaretia e nga rangatahi o RuatoreaNew Zealand Tiger Moth Association Ruatorea Fly In
Posted by Radio Ngati Porou on Tuesday, March 3, 2020
WATCH: Radio Ngāti Porou's report on the Tiger Moth fly-in yesterday. Source/Radio Ngāti Porou (Facebook)
The celebration will include the reopening of the local aerodrome after funding was received through the Provincial Growth Fund to develop the grass airstrip to a commercial standard for tourism and economic opportunities.
"The Ruatoria Aerodrome team secured $99k from the PGF fund to reopen the aerodrome and they are offering a scholarship for a year 12 or 13 student to do their pilots license. And by the looks of things, we’re going to have a few Ngāti Porou pilots flying into the future," Keelan-Reedy says.
A Flying visit by the New Zealand Tiger Moth Association and some of their friends today in Ruatoria... An awesome sight...
Posted by Radio Ngati Porou on Monday, March 2, 2020