Night flying causes upset

Press, 20 January 1982, Page 6

Night flying causes upset

The resumption of night flying by trainee pilots at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base at Wigram last evening .upset some nearby residents.

Because of the number of trainees taking courses, and because have been building up night flying experience after the Christmas break, the planes stayed in the air until midnight. In the past they have back on the ground by 11 p.m. “Because of the numbers the commanding officer has given permission to carry on flying until midnight,” said the Duty Officer at the base, Master Air Electronics Operator R. K. Gourley. Three people had telephoned to complain about the noise, he said.

“We did have a couple of Friendships up which are noisier than the usual planes, and quite a few Airtrainers," said Master Operator Gourlev.

A Hillmorton resident, Mr D. J. Sutherland, said the planes “sounded like World War III.” They had circled several times and had woken a baby in the house. Master Operator Gourley said the night flying would continue about two nights a week until the end of February. This was so that the trainee pilots could clock up their required number of hours of night flying. However, the planes might not be in the air until midnight on all of those nights. “If we catch up on the required hours they will probably bring them down by 11 p.m.." he said.