Flying training at night

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 12

Flying training at night

Sir,—Air New Zealand’s persistence in training its flight crew between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. shows total disregard for our right to some peace at that time of might. The jets do not fly overhead just once, as most incoming flights do, but numerous times, waking up my whole family, which Includes young children. I presume the reason this practice has not been transferred to Auckland with the rest of the training operations is because the residents there would not tolerate it. Most cities do not allow jet aircraft to operate after certain hours and it is time affected residents here put pressure on Air New Zealand and the Ministry of Transport Civil Aviation Division to have these flights conducted at more reasonable times or shifted elsewhere. — Yours, etc., P. F. BERRYMAN. February 6, 1986. [An Air New Zealand spokesman comments: “Most pilot training at Christchurch involves 8737 aircraft. This is routine and on going, and as a matter of policy it is kept within restricted hours. There is, however, a special requirement for some 8767 training at Christchurch this year which will require extended hours, as did some 8747 training recently completed. Every effort is made on these flights to avoid built-up areas. We would ask Mr Berryman to contact Mr Bowe, our regional manager ? at. : Christchurch, to see if anything can be done to assist him.”]