Wairarapa Model Aero Club
Club History
History of the Wairarapa Model Aero Club by Stan Belworthy.
The Wairarapa Model Aero club was formed in 1934. In these early days, there were only models consisting of Free flight, and were flown off Hood as well as Thornton Park in Te Ore Ore.
The first Radio Controlled model aircraft was flown off Hood aerodrome in 1941. This was probably the first radio controlled model flight anywhere in New Zealand.
In November of that same year, 1941, the club went into recess for the War period with many of the clubs members serving in the Armed Forces, mainly the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
At the end of hostilities, the club was reactivated in 1946 and began flying off Hood Aerodrome again and has been based there ever since.
In 1952, the WMAC hosted the National competitions at Hood Aerodrome and we now host the Nationals on an annual basis, but the majority of the flying for these competitions is now done at several flying sites at Claireville, north of Carterton.
Now days, due to greater full size aircraft movements at Hood Aerodrome and model aircraft regulations, models are almost exclusively Radio Controlled ranging from small electric powered models to Gas Turbine powered aircraft.
The association with other operators on Hood over the past 75 years has been extremely satisfying in all aspects and our club enjoys a dedicated area on the airfield.
We now have our own club house, albeit small but it allows us to store some of our equipment there and gives the members somewhere to go away from the heat of the day.
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If you would like to find out more about flying radio controlled models, you can come down and watch or join in with the action most Sunday mornings at the eastern side of Hood Aerodrome (access is off Manaia Road)