Waiheke Wings' inter-island air service

 

When thinking about this post, I thought there are actually quite a number of inter-island air services in New Zealand. However, if you consider the North and South Islands as mainland services, there are only two inter-island air services operated in New Zealand, Air Chathams' service between Chatham and Pitt Island and Waiheke Wings service between Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands.

Waiheke Wings is not the first to operate this route... Waiheke Airservices and Waiheke Air previously this route. 

Waiheke Wings is their successor and began services in December 2018. The company operates one Cessna 172, ZK-RNX, and offers air taxi and air transfer services from Waiheke Island around the Hauraki Gulf with more regular services to Great Barrier Island and Ardmore. The company also does an increasing number of scenic flights around Waiheke Island and further out in the Gulf.

Talking to owner Chris Sattler about who uses the service he said there a number of Waiheke Islanders who have houses on Great Barrier Island as well as a certain amount of business traffic between the two Islands. The Cessna 172 has a 180hp engine which means it can comfortably carry 3 passengers and their luggage but that a larger aircraft is needed. To that end a Britten Norman Islander, ZK-SFK, will be based at Waiheke Island from later in the year and will offer a daily scheduled service from Waiheke Island to Great Barrier Island. 

Being on Waiheke Island for the weekend I saw flights offered to Great Barrier Island on the Waiheke Wings Facebook page and decided to try out the company's inter island air service. So with pilot Jacob Taylor I set off on a morning flight to Great Barrier Island.

Waiheke Wings' Cessna 172 ZK-RNX at Waiheke Island aerodrome on 22 October 2022

The Waiheke aerodrome is on a ridge top and from the hangars there is a taxi around to the runway

Lining up...

Romeo November X-Ray rolling 35 Waiheke

Straight to the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula

Onetangi of the left hand side

Coming up to Thumb / Te Patu Point, the northern tip of Great Barrier Island

Coming up to the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula - the Moehau Range

Coming up on Port Jackson

Cape Colville on the left of Port Jackson, Kaiiti Point on the right

From the left, Square Top Island, The Pinnacles and Suger Loaf.

Looking backwards for a nicer view of Port Jackson

Very hazy crossing over the Great Barrier Island which had some murky cloud about

Looking over to Tryphena Harbour

Blind Bay

Kaitoke Beach with Great Barrier Island's Claris airport

Kaitoke Beach and Pitokuku Island

Kaitoke Beach and Pitokuku Island

Looking north to Awana Bay

Finals Runway 10 at Claris

A couple of Barrier Air's Grand Caravans parked at Claris airport... especially delighted to see ZK-SDG their new one.

Waiheke Wings' Cessna 172 ZK-RNX at Claris on 22 October 2022