5 days ago
Run or walk down the runway
South Canterbury Aero Club flight instructor Ben Williams is looking forward to South Cantabrians getting the chance to run, or walk, the runway at Richard Pearse Airport. PHOTO: CONNOR HALEY
The South Canterbury Aero Club is hoping a unique new fundraising event will have a successful take-off.
The event, called Timaru Run the Runway, aims to provide South Canterbury runners and walkers of all abilities with the opportunity to complete a loop of the Richard Pearse airport's 1.28km main runway.
The fundraiser will be held on Saturday, October 18 and will feature a static aircraft display, barbecue and raffle.
South Canterbury Aero Club flight instructor Ben Williams said the hope was to use the funds raised to buy a new training aircraft.
"The cost of flight training and just flying in general has increased a lot over the last few years.
"By getting a newer aircraft, it's going to burn a lot less fuel and need less maintenance, so hopefully it's going to make it a lot cheaper for our students and members to be able to fly."
Mr Williams said the idea for the event came from his partner.
"I just took the idea and then ran with it. I started building a picture of how we could make it work because of course, at an airport, it's not something you can just do — let people loose out on to the operational area.
"It all came together pretty quickly. The council owns the airport so we discussed it with them and they were also on board, so everything was good to go ahead."
Mr Williams said as far as he was aware it would be the first time an event like this had happened at the Richard Pearse Airport.
"We'll be starting here at the aero club, walking down past the terminal on to the main concrete runway and we'll have all the lights going out there.
"It's a 3.3km loop and if people want, they can do another couple laps."
He said it had actually been quite easy to organise.
Mr Williams said there were no Air New Zealand flights scheduled that evening and the airport would put out a notice to all pilots in the area to say the aerodrome was closed, but there would be provision for any air ambulance flights doing patient transfers.
Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be bought from the South Canterbury Aero Club website.
The barbecue and display will begin at 5pm while the walk/run will start at 6.30pm.
