 Hobsonville Airbase
| |
1928 to present | | Location: | 36 47 S - 174 40 E | | 9nm NW of Auckland | | ICAO: NZ | IATA: | Elevation: 62 feet |
|
| History of this Base/Heliport: | | |
Surveyed in 1927 as a base for the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, it opened in 1928 initially as a seaplane base due to its excellent location adjacent to Waikatere Harbour alongside Auckland. It remained a seaplane base until 1967 when the last RNZAF Sunderland flying boats were retired. 
It was expanded several times between 1934 and 1938 as the international situation deteriorated in the run up to WWII. It served as a bomber base and maintenance facility during the war.
It made New Zealand aviation history as the first base to operate the first RNZAF helicopters, the Bell 47G from Dec 1965. It was the shore base for the RNZN Wasps (maintained by the RNZAF) and during 1965, Hobsonville was administratively combined with next door Whenuapai Airbase to form the RNZAF Base Auckland complex. When the Wasps were retired, the interim SH-2F replacements were initially based here.
The base is already drawing down, prior to closure and although the RNZAF Aviation Medicine Unit is still based here, the site is also the scence of occasional weekend racing, dog shows and was used in 2004/2005 as a film set for one of C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. |