Mid Canterbury Aero Club

Want to know how to fly a plane?

You don’t actually need all the dials, but when you learn to read them they certainly help!

When you first learn to fly, you look out the window 90% of the time, just like how you drive a car (only glancing inside to check your speed).

Learn to fly at the Mid Canterbury Aero Club, at the Ashburton Aerodrome.

The aviation industry uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC, or Zulu Time). Here’s a breakdown of what that is, and how we use it.

New Zealand Standard Time (NZST) is UTC + 12hrs, because we’re on the exact opposite side of the globe to Greenwich, London, where UTC is measured from. So, when it’s midnight in UTC, it’s midday in NZST.

Learn all about navigation and flight planning at the Mid Canterbury Aero Club!

As a student pilot, you’ll learn to read a variety of weather (meteorological) reports and forecasts.

Today we look at how to read a Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR).

Learn all about Aviation Met, and everything flying at the Mid Canterbury Aero Club.

Learning about the weather is all part of achieving your Pilots Licence.

Cloud plays a huge role in any type of flying, so understanding how it is formed is key to the theory you learn.

Want to know more about meteorology, and getting your Private Pilots Licence? Come join us at the Mid Canterbury Aero Club.

Join us for our Club Competition Day on Sunday 3rd May from 1pm! ✈️

With Circuits and FLWOP competitions at just $95 each, it’s a great chance to get involved, build your skills, and have some fun flying. Stick around afterwards for a BBQ for just $10 per person.

Whether you’re flying, helping out, or just keen to watch — everyone’s welcome!

How does Controlled Airspace in New Zealand work? When you learn to fly, you get to understand what Controlled Airspace is and why we have it. You learn both how it works, and how to navigate it.

At the Mid Canterbury Aero Club, we’re well below Controlled Airspace, affording us a fantastic location for flight training.

Learn to fly at the Mid Canterbury Aero Club.

The weather has all sorts of impacts on how we fly. When you learn to fly, you learn how to read the weather.

Cirrocumulus clouds generally indicate present fair weather, good for flying. However, they can also indicate oncoming bad weather, so best to get up and fly while it’s still good. Not an uncommon formation for Mid Canterbury, Cirrocumulus is best known for its texture similar to sheep’s wool. This cloud is usually at high altitudes, and when flown through bring some light turbulence due to their unstable nature.

Learn to fly at the Mid Canterbury Aero Club.