Club Airfield Contract Let

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32313, 3 June 1970, Page 1

Club Airfield Contract Let

A tender of $20,700 for the construction of a satellite airfield at West Melton for the Canterbury Aero Club has been let to M. C. Burke, Ltd. Work will begin this week and the job is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The contract calls for the construction of two runways. The main one, of 3000 ft runs in a north-east direction and 2000 ft of it will be sealed: the extra 1000 ft will be a grassed runway. It is capable of extension to 4500 ft

This runway will be capable of handling limited commercial aircraft such as Friendships or Hawker Siddeley 748 s in an emergency, although the use of the runway by other than dub aircraft is unlikely. A second runway of 2000 ft with provision for an extra 1000 ft will also be built. This will be a grassed runway and win run in a north-westerly direction. A third, southerly runway. Is planned but this is unlikely to be built until the end of 1971.

Preliminary construction calls for the preparation of a car park and the levelling of some areas at the site for future buildings although only one—a temporary dub bouse, with a telephone, is envisaged in the immediate future.

Six tenders for the West Melton airfield project were received and the tenders varied between $20,000 and $24,000. Since the tenders were under what had been estimated the dub was able to have the second grassed runway included in the contract as well as the main runway.

It is expected that a formal turning of the first sod will take place at the site on Thursday afternoon by the club president (Mr W. A. Morrison).

Mr Morrison has had a lot to do with the development of a satellite field at West Melton in recent years and as he is leaving for a six-month tour overseas at the week-end it was thought the ceremony would be appropriate as the

field will be operational by the time he returns to Christchurch.