Kaikohe Gliding Club break-in causes major damage, items stolen

Thieves broke into the Kaikohe Gliding Club hangar last week, causing thousands in damage and taking vital equipment. Photo / Kaikohe Gliding Club

A Northland gliding club is working to remain operational after its hangar was broken into last week, causing thousands of dollars in damage, and multiple items of equipment stolen.

Kaikohe Gliding Club chief instructor Ken Tyler was the first to see the vandalism last Friday, after his son spotted the hangar door open on CCTV.

Tyler went to the aerodrome around noon to find the hangar in a state of disrepair.

“My initial thought was ‘Gee, did the weather do this?’,” he said.

“It looks like a marina after a hurricane ... just gliders on top of gliders.”

He soon realised two Toyota RAV4s, a Kubota M8540 tractor/mower, petrol, batteries and tools were missing.

“My first thought was, ‘Well that’s the end of the club’.”

The thieves had cut through the corrugated iron and smashed the tractor through the hangar doors, he said.

“They just rammed the gliders with the tractors and cars.”

One gliders had been pushed through the corrugated hangar, breaking the tail off in the process.

“They could’ve done it without [causing that damage],” Tyler said.

Damaged gliders, missing equipment and a ruined hangar awaited Ken Tyler on Friday. Photo / Kaikohe Gliding Club

The club was trying to get access to a mower so they could keep the grass cared for and the airfield open.

It was the club’s job to keep the grass mown.

Tyler was meeting with the airport manager on Monday afternoon to brainstorm solutions about keeping the airfield open.

“We still want it to exist ... I think it’s important for the community.”

The club had kept costs down by not insuring the gliders, he said.

He said gliding was a “great sport” for young people to get into, and they kept things cheap at $15 per launch to ensure accessibility.

The Kaikohe Gliding Club hangar was broken into last week. Photo / Kaikohe Gliding Club

“There’s a lot of kids wanting to get into aviation, but the cost is prohibitive,” he said.

Membership had been growing “quite quickly”, with 25 current members.

Air cadets from Kaitāia and Kaikohe also visited bi-monthly.

A Kubota M8540 tractor/mower was taken during the break-in. Photo / Kaikohe Gliding Club

Tyler hoped they could get their hands on another glider so they could keep the club operational.

The two-seat training glider was worth $100,000, and the single seater $80,000.

An engineer was due to visit in the next few weeks to assess the damage.

One of the gliders that was damaged is worth $100,000. Photo / Kaikohe Gliding Club

Tyler was troubled by how they would stop a theft from happening again.

“You can’t make the hangar any more secure,” he said.

Northland tactical crime unit Detective Sergeant Bart Graham said police were notified on March 27 about the burglary and inquiries were ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 105 or online, referencing file number 260327/7360. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.