A sad day at Wigram

[dangerous]

Well... being aviation minded, Wigram has been a homely site and place to go. From being in the ATC #17sq to flying in from Oz and seeing the aerodrome spreading out below the port hills, the sealed air strip spanning across a large feild and the ww2 barracks, hangers and tower standing out like dogs balls.
Wigram has seen a lot of people entertained from aircraft shows to car and bike race meets as far as Im concerned wigram is synonamous with christchurch.

Today is the airshow day commemorating the closure of the airfield thanks to a group of people that didnt want the land when it was a swamp. 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.
Well at the end of the month it will be no more, so I'm kinda saddened by watching all these aircraft going through the passes today knowing that the area I live in will be silenced from such rare aircraft.

[Jantar]

Very sad indeed. I learnt to fly at wigram and have many fond memories of the base. Even a forced run around the perimiter doesn't seem so bad now looking back on it.

[portokiwi]

Another ex ATC per I was 41 sq.
I loved the baggies bar there and the sports bar spent many a night there.
Was sad when it closed down.

[Sully60]

I was 22 Sq ATC and did my live and work at Wigram.
Got a ride in a Iroqouis and did maintainence on those and the Bell 47's.(quite the experience for a sixteen year old!)

Even managed to sneek out one night to go see Terminator 2 at the Hornby? theatre. Couldn't do that at Ohakea!

I loved everyday I spent there, especially when the Wellington squadrons came down to play 17 at Rugby, what a one sided affair that was.

'Tis a sad day indeed, sometimes progress isn't neccessarily positive

[Pogo2]

Ex ATC here as well (3 Sqn) but I never got to Wigram for a course or anything. Did however go to the Museum - great from memory. My most vivid memory was the verse below a bent (silver?) propellor. Cant remember the exact words but it had a very profound effect on me at the time. Can anyone recall what is said?

"Per Adua Ad Astra"

[Pussy]

I wouldn't mind knowing the figures of how many pilots have been trained at Wigram. I have only visited once.... felt I could spend a week in the museum!

[gatch]

lawl !! atc n00bs

I tried my hand in the air force, only lasted 19 months before i was given the boot for being a cunt, but in that time we went to chch to wigram and west melton.

It just about broke my heart to see wigram so deprived of money they had to scavenge left-over aluminium from the other RNZAF bases for simple things like re-skinning the planes they have on display, now you mean to say the whole place is to be shut down ??

good work nz government, bunch of cocks

[gatch]

"Per Adua Ad Astra"

"through struggle to the stars"

[dangerous]

, now you mean to say the whole place is to be shut down ??

good work nz government, bunch of cocks

sorta... the musume is staying and the airfields going to become marae, if you know what I mean.

[portokiwi]

does that meen no more bucket racing on the run way???

[Pogo2]

"through struggle to the stars"

Glad to see that 19 months of training did not go to waste?

Try this one

"Nulli Secundus" - hint think green

PS does RAF really mean Real Air Force

[Sully60]

"Per Adua Ad Astra"

I never quite made that rank

[FJRider]

i have visited that place as a kid, watching the motoracing (The PDL Mustang was my favourite) the Lady Wigram Trophy, running Formula 5000 cars...

To flying in and out of there as adult ARMY passenger in various RNZAF aircraft...

A sad day indeed...

[FJRider]

"Per Adua Ad Astra"

Actually ... "Per Ardua Ad Astra"

[cold comfort]

Well... being aviation minded, Wigram has been a homely site and place to go. From being in the ATC #17sq to flying in from Oz and seeing the aerodrome spreading out below the port hills, the sealed air strip spanning across a large feild and the ww2 barracks, hangers and tower standing out like dogs balls.
Wigram has seen a lot of people entertained from aircraft shows to car and bike race meets as far as Im concerned wigram is synonamous with christchurch.

Today is the airshow day commemorating the closure of the airfield thanks to a group of people that didnt want the land when it was a swamp. 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.
Well at the end of the month it will be no more, so I'm kinda saddened by watching all these aircraft going through the passes today knowing that the area I live in will be silenced from such rare aircraft.

Well, i'll be I also was in the ATC, in Nelson (which encouraged me to get a pilots licence) and my son briefly attended at Wigram. I grew up in ChCh and fondly remember the 'Lady Wigram Trophy races" as a kid. The gliding clubs will be gutted and a sad day for aviation enthusiasts all round.