'Chaos' as visiting pilots run amok

By SCOTT MacLEOD transport reporter

A group of German pilots forced aircraft to abort their landings and nearly crashed on takeoff during a chaotic sightseeing tour of New Zealand.

One German just missed a car being driven on a runway, and another taxied in front of an aircraft coming in to land - then nearly hit a tree as it took off.

Among other incidents, the pilots flew from the wrong direction into an area where three other aircraft were flying, forcing one to abort its landing and another to leave the area to avoid what the Civil Aviation Authority called "chaos created by the visitors".

The four German pilots were among a group of tourists who were on a sightseeing journey to the South Island in mid-February.

They hired a Piper Cherokee and three Cessna 172 aircraft - all four-seaters - from an Ardmore company.

Some details were revealed in a CAA Vector publication warning hire firms to check out foreign pilots "especially thoroughly" before letting them fly this summer.

CAA corporate communications adviser Peter Singleton said the incidents happened at Motueka and Queenstown.

At one airfield, the Germans made only two radio calls, despite having four aircraft and approaching from different directions.

The CAA said one of the Germans approached from the opposite direction to the one he promised, and the others entered the airspace in "a very haphazard pattern".

Of three local aircraft already in the area, one was forced to abort its landing and another flew off to escape the "chaos".

The next day, the first German to take off ignored repeated warnings from a radio operator and other aircraft that he was using a runway that was closed for a defensive driving course.

"He took off over the cars, narrowly missing one of them in the process," the CAA said.

After many more radio calls, the second German realised the runway was closed for a good reason and opted to use a grassy area.

He taxied his aircraft on to the grass in front of a light plane that was about to land, forcing it to abort.

"To make matters worse, the visiting aircraft did not become airborne until late into its takeoff roll and struggled to clear the trees at the end of the vector."

The CAA said the incidents were serious. They were mostly caused by poor airmanship and a lack of understanding of local procedures.

Overseas pilots should be checked thoroughly before being allowed to lease aircraft, the CAA said.

Some foreign pilots lacked the competence and knowledge of local rules to fly safely in New Zealand.

Mr Singleton said he knew of no foreign pilots crashing here through ignorance of local procedures, but "what's far more important is that we don't want any".

The Herald contacted hire firms operating out of Ardmore, but could not find one that would admit to hiring out the aircraft.

The CAA refused to name the firm, citing the need to "maintain a supply of information" that could dry up if names were given to the media.