(page updated 29/06/23)
Our Club
Our club flying site is at TECT All Terrain Park on Pyes Pa Road between Tauranga and Rotorua, approximately 20 minutes from Barkes Corner. The site is available for flying seven days a week between dawn and dusk and has a model aircraft flight ceiling of 1,000 feet AGL.
We cater for most types of model including gas and electric powered planes, gliders, electric ducted fan jets and helicopters (free-flighters may find the surrounding bush and forest too daunting!). As our site is in the middle of a forest area, we do not allow the use of gas turbine jets. With a North-South runway of 230 metres and an East-West runway of 150 metres there is plenty of room to land the most demanding models.
Like most high performance sports, there are risks in model flying and we take steps to ensure that safety is paramount. Further we must insist that, for insurance purposes, use of the field for model flying be restricted to financial members of the Club and invited members of Model Flying New Zealand (MFNZ) affiliated clubs.
Flying days
Our “normal” club day is Sunday, but we fly any day when the weather is suitable. Wednesdays are popular for those who are available mid week.
Multirotors and FPV
With the rapid growth of this aspect of the hobby, TECT Park offers an ideal location to fly these craft. Local Council and CAA rules apply.
“Wings”
All members are encouraged to obtain their MFNZ “Wings” Radio Control Model Proficiency Certificates for the class of model being flown. This is a CAA requirement for flying a radio controlled model unsupervised.
Membership
Why not pay us a visit and discuss the benefits of membership? To ensure that there is someone on site when you plan to visit, please contact the Secretary before you set out.
Animals
One small but important request – please leave your dog at home. Dogs and model aircraft do not go well together, plus poison baits are regularly spread on site to control the rabbit population.
Club Nights
Club nights are held on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30pm in the Gliding Club Rooms at the Tauranga Airport. During the summer, weather permitting, the occasional club night is held at our field at TECT Park for social flying and a barbecue.
Indoor Flying
We have recently rekindled a winter programme of indoor flying. This is held on a Saturday evening from 7.00 – 9.00pm at the Mount Sports Centre. Dates have not yet been set for 2023 but will be advised here. This is an interesting way to sharpen piloting skills in a confined space with some very unusual model types.
Club meet !
(background – blueprint of Wright brothers 1903 “Flyer”)
Tauranga Model Aircraft Club Inc. 