A sad day at Wigram

**AllanB** · 8th February 2009, 21:26

Noisier than a Harley ho-down in Halswell today!

I've seen plans for lots of new roads there - residential and commercial. Probably the best use for valued land.......... wonder if anyone will want it back in 150 years...........

**FJRider** · 8th February 2009, 21:34

Originally Posted by Pussy

Gotta agree with that! A Packard Merlin driving a dirty big Hamilton Standard.... a VERY sweet sound!

Imagine being on the recieving end of their guns at the same time...

**Mully Clown** · 8th February 2009, 22:25

I spent the day out at the airfield. Very sad to see it go.

Were some good displays to be seen, both static and flying. Would've gone for a fly in the Harvard if I'd had cash on me.

**gammaguy** · 8th February 2009, 23:10

as a past member of the Wigram Motor Sports club,and a keen racer on that awesome airfield circuit,I fully lament its closing.

**sAsLEX** · 8th February 2009, 23:15

Originally Posted by FJRider

I have seen Base Commanders back down to Base Warrant officers...

Always pick your battles wisely.

Originally Posted by Ocean1

Few sounds wobble the collies quite as thoroughly as a full noise low altitude P51 flyover. Just stunning.

Was in Scotland up in Glencoe climbing the side of a hill when an old warbird(sorry not a spotter) came roaring up the valley nice and low, glorious sound!

Then two minutes odd later a modern jet came up the valley as well, lower than the old bird but considerably faster, now that was a sound!

And watching F14s launching off Abraham Lincoln from a mile away was awesome as well...

**dangerous** · 9th February 2009, 04:04

Originally Posted by AllanB

Noisier than a Harley ho-down in Halswell today!

I've seen plans for lots of new roads there - residential and commercial. Probably the best use for valued land.......... wonder if anyone will want it back in 150 years...........

Yip In Halswell too, the area will me much quiter now even the sound of that anoying cesna the jumpers use will be missed... spose theres always the increasing arse holes boy racers to listen to at midnight.

in 150yrs you reckon the NZ GVT will want the land back... doubt it to many bloody doo gooders about Im afaraid, in 150yrs the GVT wont have any land and we whities will be in the boil up.

**mikeey01** · 9th February 2009, 05:48

So the decision to close Wigram was made last year, many people asked why?

Well our local ewi (tribe) (great promoter of racial tension) made the decision because it's theirs!
Under the present legislation they get first offer on all land not being used by the crown or land the crown longer requires.

So Nai Tahu (wankers) jumped at this and stepped in boots and all many years ago, everyone who used Wigram (business) was given a tenant agreement which contained one effective thing, a gagging clause.

A few years roll by...
How do you get rid of leases / tenants over the years? Easy follow history, by putting the rentals & costs up and up to a point where most people / business could not afford nor justify the massive price increase per square metre. Thus most left...
example: plane storage costs, big plane big space, all costs for that floor area are covered and paid for by big plane. park a plane under the wing of big plane the wankers wanted to double dip!
costs to store a plane alone have gone up by 500%.

A few more years roll by, now to mid last year.....
The excuse for development (greed) to the council was "The Airfield has no furture economic use as an airfield" now they'd hiked the prices up so much there's only a hand full of tenants left... great case to present to the council and the council had no choice but to approve the development. (enter gagging clause)
I know of four businesses that did not want it to close, were happy to sign a ten + year agreement, however effectively the tribe were kicking them out.

So is it greed or business sense?
I have recently heard that several developers have been approached to see if they are interested in doing so, developing parts of it, to my knowledge not one of them have responded with an acceptance!
Does this mean it's going to close and they are left with empty paddocks? I fucken hope so!
Soon I would say more cattle and sheep are going to be all over the air field, no one is interested nor has the capital to develop something of this scale at the moment.

Although the local tribe seem to be able to pull out the open cheque book now and then, I think they too are struggling a little for cash flow. (another hand out from government coming perhaps?)

Where's the business sense so far? They had plenty of tenants, easily the most accessible airfield in new zealand, massive potential and served as a great emergency back up for Harewood.
Now they've got no developers to develop the land, surely this now means "No future economic use" surely?

As a regular user of the air field I am saddened by what I have seen and heard from many over the last six plus years, there appears to be NO valid reason to close it, I am also pissed off as it appears to be nothing other than greed! There is no need for more houses at present in Christchurch, Wigram serves as a massive rain soak, think about this one for a second..... where is the water going to go now?

I am aware of an historic places trust application was put in for Wigram, (they do bridges for christ sake why not an air base?) It was swept under the carpet!
Fuck I hope they find bones somewhere on the airfield, something tells me this will be swept under the carpet as well.

There were many tenants on base, paying their leases and rentals whom were happy to stay but none of them can say a thing about it publicly, protest it, nor stop it through the courts.
Of course this all ended back at the council again, meetings took place etc with proof, those Muppets didn't seem to care and after the reception they all received from the council many are certain there will be some holding their hand/s out for a little kick back or back hander?
Of course this goes on in councils, proving it is another matter!

FUCK NAI TAHU, your nothing but a bunch of wankers.
In less than three weeks (apart from a couple of air movements after this date) the silence on base will be deafening, Good bye Wigram!

**JMemonic** · 9th February 2009, 05:51

Originally Posted by dangerous

Only flyers will know what I mean when a DC3 or P51 flys over and the hair on the back of ya neck stands to attention, to sit in my back yard and watch a aerobatic display is very sobering.

Why only fliers, try having spent the formative years of you life living in Oaklands, my favourite sound is that of a Harvard going inverted that wind down sound they make just as they invert followed but the wind up sound as the come out.

Sad day indeed but typical of the successive governments strategy's, close what is working and spend even more money to get a lesser field built up to the same standard.

**alley cat** · 9th February 2009, 09:53

I west out for a look yest. It was totally awesome.
Fuck the nai tahu.
Ohhhhhhh those yummy planes. sob sob.

**Swoop** · 9th February 2009, 10:41

Unfortunately it is not "just Wigram" that has been an issue.
The Royal Navy pottered around the globe and always claimed prime real estate for bases for their ships, which normally got handed onto whatever Banana Republic that country became.
Airfields were a victim of their own success. The transportation they provided caused infrastructure to grow around the field, that also needed housing for the personnel.
Heathrow and Hong Kong are classic examples.
Just watch as Christchurch slowly gets built out...

**dangerous** · 9th February 2009, 17:45

Originally Posted by mikeey01

FUCK NAI TAHU, your nothing but a bunch of wankers.
In less than three weeks (apart from a couple of air movements after this date) the silence on base will be deafening, Good bye Wigram!

REP REP REP give the man GREEN REP...

**Pogo2** · 14th February 2009, 18:35

Just saw on the news RNZAF Shelly Bay was officially handed back to the locals.

Although it closed many years ago, its sad to see another one go down the gurgler.

Shelly Bay - an air force base without a runway, just like Te Rapa!

**Sully60** · 14th February 2009, 19:17

Originally Posted by Pogo2

Just saw on the news RNZAF Shelly Bay was officially handed back to the locals.

Although it closed many years ago, its sad to see another one go down the gurgler.

Shelly Bay - an air force base without a runway, just like Te Rapa!

Ha, ever sailed on HMNZS Irirangi?