Ward's Air Strip may become 'Ruapehu Airport' for future tourist traffic?

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 675, 25 February 1997, Page 12

Ward's Air Strip may become 'Ruapehu Airport' for future tourist traffic?

Atlast week's 'ThinkTank' meetingin Ohakune, a submission was received from Selwyn Ward setting out of the potential advantages to the wider Waimarino community if the airfield, currently known as 'Ward's Airstrip' in Valley Road, was to be developed into a facility that would handle larger commercial aircraft and tourist traffic under a new name 'Ruapehu Airport'. Mr Ward stated that the site has been acknowledged and approved as part of the District Plan many years ago with basic planning suchas cover approaches, exits, runway, taxiways and aprons, buildings and public parking being updated to bring it up to the standard required by the Civil Aviation Authority . The site has considerable advantages: • it is reasonably 'flat' both in length and width even now and could be extended; • the axis of the runway conforms with the pfevailing &inds; • it is Close to tourist attractions such as mountains, rivers and "jVi7U03X3

parks as well as to existing serviced areas such as Ohakune, Raetihi and National Park; • access to and from the airfield is on a major state highway (SH4) running north/ south through the central North Island; • the problems of turbulence and adverse weather conditions usually associated with mountainous regions (fog, cloud, sudden squalls, etc.) is avoided at Ward's airstrip according to pilot reports and records kept over many years; • the present runway is 1 ,000m in length but could be extended to the west (away from SH4) to 1 ,200m without encountering any obstacles and then, after a culvert had been installed, it could be extended a further 300m to 1,500m; • after years of settling (since 1 950-60' s) the ground is stabilised with a grit base over a width of 45m. An additional 15-30cm of grit and metal would raise the surface level of the runway and increase its loading strength to handle the heavier aircraft of the future. i i %V- .«■> »