Hood Aerodrome Project

• There was opposition to relocating grass runway 10-28 in the comments and submissions, but several people indicated that some adjustment of position could work provided length and orientation of the runway remained unchanged, and thresholds did not intersect.
• An alternative proposal to lengthen and pave Runway 10-28 to make this the primary runway was submitted by an existing aerodrome user and pilot. This submission was supported by Wings Over Wairarapa and four other submissions from existing airfield users.

• Several submissions were received relating to the acquisition of non-airfield land. Generally, the need for this was questioned. If a runway extension is progressed, the general preference was for a reduction of the speed limit to reduce impact on neighbouring land. The acquisition of land for council commercial development (e.g. hangars) was also questioned.
• Clear communication of how land acquisition, rezoning and development would be done was sought, particularly for affected landowners.

• Several comments were received about cost and the economic viability of the future development of the airfield. There is a need for clarification about the purpose of the masterplan and how it fits with aerodrome development funding.

• Submissions were received that focussed on protecting the aerodrome for General Aviation activities and maintaining (and developing) it as an easy-to-use facility that is focussed on open space and light aircraft operations. This includes not seeking significant commercial airline operations or CAA certification, and instead focusing on developing revenue through small scale and GA related activities.
• Some support for enabling commercial airline services from Hood was noted through the workshop and online submissions.

Several submissions commented on Wings Over Wairarapa and the need to maintain a viable air show, which includes sufficient open space for crowds and “high energy” safety areas.

Some submissions related to the omission of specific operations on the airfield on the proposed layouts. These include the SAR operations building and model aircraft club.

The land purchase negotiations would start after the council have adopted the master plan which is expected in the third quarter of 2021.

The widening of the runway is tagged as a milestone in the first of two project stages, and the lengthening is to occur in the second stage. The first stage of the project is through until June 2022, and stage two from July 2022 through until December 2025.

The infrastructure project that is funded by Council and central government is due for completion late 2025, however the master plan is enduring and designed to support the aerodrome through until 2041 and beyond.

Beca were appointed as the lead consultant for the master plan development, following a procurement process. The process that we are following to prepare a master plan is:

• A series of sessions with key stakeholders led by Beca with:
• Existing Hood Users (workshop and online survey)
• Wings Over Wairarapa
• Aviation Centre
• LifeFlight
• Civil Defence
• New Zealand Defence Force
• Public engagement from 10-31 May, including public workshop (10 May)
• Refine the concepts based on feedback from engagement and consultation
• Present the plan back for public review and final comment
• Review by the Strategic Advisory Group and Safety Committee
• Approval by Council

There is strong demand for hangar sites. Our priority is to have lease sites on Council-owned land made available as soon as possible. It is our intention to release sites following Council approval of the master plan, and following necessary infrastructure upgrades.

Pilots know that whoever decided to locate Hood Aerodrome where it is made a very good choice. The runways are well aligned to avoid mountains and hills on approach, and the aerodrome itself has less wind than most places in the Wairarapa. This makes it ideal for aircraft operations including the unique vintage aircraft. Moving to another location would be extremely expensive and not an option that we are considering.

The application for funding for the project included the following information:

Sustainability and carbon reduction

The aviation industry has long been at the forefront of the adoption of new technologies.

Like many airports, we intend to develop a sustainability plan that reduces our carbon emissions and enables lower carbon transport. In the longer term, Hood Aerodrome will become a key low carbon air transport facility.

It is anticipated that growing the knowledge-intensive / high-tech element of Hood Aerodrome’s operations and operators will enable Hood and those that use it, to play an important role in carbon footprint management.

Carbon fibre aircraft will also play a role in reducing NZ’s aviation climate footprint as lighter planes will drive fuel efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. For completeness we note that current visual flight aircraft do not contribute a large amount of emissions, and domestic aviation is not a large contributor to energy sector emissions. Emissions associated with domestic aviation fuel use are captured by the NZ ETS, and reporting and offset/surrender obligations are required. In the short to medium term, we are investigating options to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and have engaged with promoters of solar energy who are interested in using Council’s land (some of it based around Hood) to generate electricity. Interim measures may include biofuels and synthetic fuels.

In relation to the proposed infrastructure development, we will seek out ways to reduce waste and any negative environmental impacts of construction throughout the project.

The master plan will protect all options. While electric aircraft and hydrogen-fuelled aircraft may be an important part of the future of Hood Aerodrome, most experts indicate there will continue to be a place for fixed-wing aircraft including larger biofueled conventional aircraft, and these aircraft need a longer and wider runway than what we currently have.

The master plan would still set out the vision for the next 20 years and keep open the possibility of successful negotiations at a later stage. Development would start in line with the master plan, when the land was available.

Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) are a formal means to limit the consequences when aeroplanes overrun the end of a runway during a landing or take-off, or undershoot the intended landing runway. This is a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) requirement for all new runway development.