Three Take Offs from Kaipara Flats Today 17-1-2026

The Northern Aviators Club held another Pancake Breakfast at Kaipara Flats airfield, with around 10 aircrews arriving for Erwin's crepes as well as quite a few drive ins.  Most of the aircraft were powered by the ubiquitous Rotax 912, but here are a miscellany of three non-912 powered aircraft on take off:  (all taken from around the same spot so you can get an idea of their relative climb rates)

Martin Farrand in his Fox Moth ZK-APT,

Relieved of pancake duties Erwin Weber went flying in his Windsports Edge X 582 trike ZK-SJR.

And a very welcome visitor was Andrew Fisher in his Parakai based Taylor Monoplane ZK-CPC.

It was great to see another VW powered aircraft on the field and it sounded very smooth with the 4 into 1 exhaust system, and Steve Bow also told me that he had started his Turbulent ZK-BWE for the first time at Dargaville yesterday, with its new starter motor so we might see that at Kaipara Flats in the future..