Mercer Airfield Explained
Mercer Airfield is an uncontrolled aerodrome 3.23 NM (6 km) northeast of Mercer Village in the Waikato region of New Zealand.[4]
History
Mercer Airfield was developed by Jim and Libby Lyver.[5] Little information is available however, Mercer Backpackers relocated their operations to the airport as far back as 2002.[6]
In December 2010, Mercer Airport was put up for sale by its then-owner the Auckland Recreational Airparks Trust (ARA Trust); with a tender closing on 16 December 2010. It was published by the Sports Aviation Association (Auckland Chapter) Inc; that the airfield had been acquired by Neil Young.[7]
In May 2014, the Auckland Aero Club held their annual Club Competition at Mercer Airfield.[8]
In 2016, the 56th New Zealand Association of Women in Aviation Annual Rally and Conference was held at Mercer Airfield between 1 and 6 June. In addition to the NZAWA, members from the Australian Women Pilots' Association (AWPA) were also in attendance.[9] In November 2016, Mercer Airfield hosted the Flying NZ Northern Region Competitions.[10]
Operational information
Under the ownership of the ARA Trust, the airfield was used primarily for recreational flying.
Nowadays, Mercer Airport operates primarily for commercial reasons such as skydiving, training and public flying. There are also Helicopter operations on, and north of the airfield.[11]
Mercer Airfield is used as a secondary training ground for Helicopter Flight Training Ltd.[12]
Accidents and incidents
Accidents and incidents that occurred at or near Mercer Airport include:
- 25 January 2000 – A Piper PA-23-250 over-ran the runway due to wet weather. No Injuries, however the aircraft sustained substantial damage.[13]
- 9 August 2000 – A Cessna U206 operating on a parachuting flight lost sight of the runway upon landing and 'landed short of the strip'. Pilot sustained no injuries, however plane suffered substantial damage.[14]
- 19 October 2006 – A Cessna A185E crashed on touchdown at the Airfield. The pilot suffered no injuries, however the plane flipped onto its top.[15]
- 17 August 2009 – There was a near collision near Mercer Airport.[16]
- 18 February 2012 – The engine of a Cessna 182 operating on a parachuting flight lost power on final approach and landed in a paddock before the runway. Pilot sustained no injuries, however plane suffered substantial damage.[17]
- 1 October 2015 – A minor crash occurred after a microlight plane crashed at the Airfield. The pilot suffered minor injuries, however, he did survive.[18]
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: AIP New Zealand Airport Charts. aip.net,nz. 2 January 2017.
- Web site: Mercer Airport Website. mercerairport.co.nz. 2 January 2017.
- Web site: Airport Mercer1 PDZ Airport. fallingrain.com. 2 January 2017.
- Web site: Location – Mercer Hotel. mercerhotel.co.nz. 2 January 2017.
- Web site: Lewis. Peter. Mercer Airfield. probards.com. 3 January 2017.
- Web site: Mercer Backpackers. aa.co.nz. 3 January 2017.
- Wheeler. Evan. Mercer Airfield Update. Sport Aviation Association (Auckland Chapter) Inc Monthly Newsletter. 20 July 2011. 20. 5. 3 January 2017.
- la Roche. Annelise. Club Captain's Report. Auckland Aero Club Journal. February 2014. February 2014. 1. 5. 3 January 2017.
- News: Jackson. Paula. Celebrating women in airlines: NZAWA annual rally and conference. 3 January 2017. New Zealand Aviation News. 6 June 2016.
- Web site: News and Events. 3 January 2017.
- Web site: NZME. aip.net.nz. Civil Aviation Authority. 3 January 2017.
- Facilities. Helicopter Flight Training Newsletter. 2013-2014. 7. 3 January 2017.
- Web site: VECTOR JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001. 3 January 2017.
- Web site: VECTOR JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2002. 3 January 2017.
- Web site: VECTOR JULY/AUGUST 2007. 3 January 2017.
- Web site: Aviation Safety Report Intelligence, Safety and Risk Analysis Unit 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015. 3 January 2017.
- Web site: VECTOR MAY/JUNE 2013. 3 January 2017.
- News: Light plane crash at Mercer Airfield. 2 January 2017. The New Zealand Herald. 1 October 2015.
