Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
16-year-old takes to the sky
While most teenagers can’t wait to get behind the wheel of their first car, Ferghus Meighan has higher aspirations.
The 16-year-old has been flying aeroplanes since his feet could reach the pedals – for about five or six years – but completed his first solo flight on Christmas Eve last month.
Now he wants to prove his mettle against the country’s top bush flyers at the Healthy Bastards Bush Pilot Championships.
‘‘I’ve been coming down and watching the competition for the last three or four years and wanted to join in – I’ve been flying for ages and want to give it a go, and see how good I am,’’ he said.
But because the youngster can’t obtain a full pilot’s licence until he is 17, he will have to fly in the competition with an instructor.
As for getting his driving licence; ‘‘Soon ... whenever I can be bothered.’’
The Healthy Bastards championships is a precision landing, and STOL (short takeoff and landing) competition held annually at the Omaka Airfield in Blenheim, now in its ninth year.
It is run by the Marlborough Aero Club, in conjunction with major sponsor Dave Baldwin of the Bulls Flying Doctor Service. It takes place this year on Waitangi Day, February 6.
Ferghus’ dad, and Marlborough
Aero Club member, Andy Meighan said the club got into bush flying to promote safety, ‘‘to teach people how to fly out of short strips and off riverbeds without having accidents’’.
‘‘A lot of us like flying out to remote parts of New Zealand – to river beds or beaches and hillside strips – so we can get into the back country for fishing or hunting or walking, or just to see the back country,’’ he said.
All their practising sort of ‘‘morphed’’ into a competition, Meighan said.
And when Dave Baldwin – a GP who operates a flying doctor service in New Zealand – came on board, it started promoting awareness around men’s health, and health in general, Meighan said.
The competition was loosely modelled on a bush flying competition in Valdez, Alaska, but over the years it had taken on its own style, being more relaxed and informal than the US event.
Entries usually numbered between 40 and 60, with pilots from all over New Zealand.
‘‘Marlborough is very much the centre of New Zealand for bush flying,’’ Meighan said.
‘‘Pilots come from all over the country in a variety of planes, and the main reason is just to have a good time. Pilots can get together and talk about experiences and share knowledge – that’s a very important part of it.
‘‘Some planes
have modifications such as bigger wheels to absorb the uneven ground on rough strips or beaches. And some wing modifications – called a STOL kit – to change the shape of the wing so it can fly slower, and that means it can stop quicker when it lands,’’ Meighan explained.
Sounds Aero Maintenance safety manager, and club member, Craig Anderson said lowertime pilots were also encouraged to enter, and could fly with an instructor.
‘‘As organisers of the event, it is especially satisfying to see a young or low-time pilot performing to a very high standard, sometimes even outperforming pilots with much more experience,’’ he said.
Marlborough Aero Club chief flying instructor Sharn Davies said the competition was an exciting event for spectators, as they could get close to the action.
‘‘Spectators can get within 50 metres of the take-off and landing runway or grid – the closest you’ll ever be able to get,’’ he said.
The competition usually included a spontaneous, ‘‘quirky’’ or fun event, such as the race between a plane and a motorbike at last year’s event.
Gates on the day open at 10am, with parking available at the neighbouring car club.
Gold coin donations will be used for the Young Eagles flying programme.