Hood Aerodrome facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hood Aerodrome
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | General aviation | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Masterton District Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Masterton District Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Masterton, Carterton, Martinborough | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Masterton, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 111 m / 364 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°58′30″S 175°38′00″E / 40.97500°S 175.63333°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | http://hoodaerodrome.org.nz/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 MRO
Location in North Island
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Hood Aerodrome (IATA: MRO, ICAO: NZMS) is an airport located in Masterton, New Zealand. It is about 1 nautical mile (1.85 kilometers) southwest of the town center, in the suburb of Solway.
The airport is named after George Hood. He was a brave pilot from Masterton. Sadly, he died in 1928 while trying to be the first person to fly across the Tasman Sea. Today, Hood Aerodrome is mostly used by smaller planes for general aviation. It also used to have commercial flights. Air New Zealand stopped flying from here in 2014. Some new airlines are thinking about starting flights to Auckland again. For this to happen, the main runway would need to be made longer and wider.
Contents
Airport History: Flights Over Time
Hood Aerodrome has been served by several airlines over the years. In the 1960s, South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand flew from here. Later, two local airlines, Wairarapa Airlines and Air Wairarapa, also offered flights.
Past Commercial Services
Wairarapa Airlines connected Masterton with many cities. These included Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Nelson, and Christchurch. They flew from August 1981 to January 1997. In 2002, Air Wairarapa briefly flew to Auckland, with a stop in Paraparaumu.
Between 2009 and 2014, Eagle Airways flew from Masterton to Auckland. Eagle Airways was part of Air New Zealand Link. They used 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D planes for these flights. In September 2013, Air New Zealand announced they would stop all services to Masterton. This was because not enough people were using the flights. The last flight was on February 5, 2014.
Runway Changes
A grass runway, 06L/24R, was closed in November 2019. This happened after a review of how the airport was being used. The airport is now working on a plan to bring back air services to Auckland. They are inviting airlines to consider flying from Hood Aerodrome again.
Other Activities at Hood Aerodrome
The airport is home to more than just planes taking off and landing. It hosts a special society and a big airshow.
Sports and Vintage Aviation Society
New Zealand's 'Sports and Vintage Aviation Society' has its home here. They have had a hangar at the airport since 1978. This society is dedicated to old and unique aircraft.
Wings Over Wairarapa Airshow
Since 1999, Hood Aerodrome has held a large airshow called "Wings over Wairarapa." An airshow is an event where pilots show off amazing flying skills. They also display different types of aircraft. This event happens every two years. The eleventh airshow took place in February 2021. The last day of the show was canceled due to changes in New Zealand's COVID-19 alert level.
Dragstrip for Racing
The land at Hood Aerodrome also has a special track. This track is built for drag racing.
