Development at Alexandra Airport is taking off. In recent times a hangar with attached accommodation has been completed, two more hangars and accommodation units are being built, two new hangars are completed and two people are going through the process of getting leases signed for other hangars. The Central Otago District Council is encouraging development and there are 29 sites earmarked for hangars. Nigel and Wendy Forrester are the first people to live at the airport. Lynda van Kempen asked Mr Forrester what the attraction is.
Q How did you end up living in an apartment next to a hangar at Alexandra Airport?
A We were looking around Central Otago for something, maybe a lifestyle block, somewhere I could land a plane, and came up here for a look.
I met [former Central Otago District Council property officer] Brian Taylor up there and he was keen to see some development at the airport.
It took about 18 months to get planning consent though.
It was turned down at first so we re-pitched our application and finally it was granted.
Q What are the advantages of the site, and the disadvantages?
A Advantages: it's only maybe 50m from my back door to the airstrip.
We're plane-watchers so we have a bird's eye view and there's usually something going on.
On busy days, there's up to 30 movements a day.
There's also the view.
It's also an advantage for the community and the Central Otago Flying Club, security-wise, I guess, to have us living up here so we can keep an eye on things.
There's no disadvantages to the site that I can think of.
Q Tell us a bit about yourself. Are you in business, and how much time do you spend in Alexandra?
A I'm 52 and was born in Dunedin and had businesses in Dunedin, the West Coast and Canterbury.
I've still got businesses in Canterbury and Dunedin - a service station in Dunedin and sheep, beef and deer farm in Canterbury.
Wendy and I shifted to the Alexandra Airport full-time in November last year.
Q Would you recommend this style of rural living to others?
A To others who are into aviation, I would. Mostly it's older guys - my age- who are into aviation.
They have the money, I guess, to afford it although you certainly don't have to be rich to afford a light plane.
A plane is no dearer than your average boat.
You don't have to be a rich man to be involved, I know lots of average Joe Bloggs who take an interest in aviation.
Q Obviously you have an interest in flying - do you have your own plane/planes/glider?
A Three planes - a Karrotwo J6C which is my commuting plane, a Murphy Renegade, which is for aerobatics, and a World War 1 Nieuport - a replica WW1 bi-plane.
Q You have two more hangars, complete with attached apartments, under construction - who are they aimed at?
A There's two hangars and four motel units (NZLX airport motels).
They're for short-term accommodation for the aviation fraternity.
Under the terms of our resource consent, they have to be used by people in the aviation industry.
They're so people can fly in to the Alexandra Airport, have somewhere safe to house their plane and we'll have vehicles available so the people can then tour Central Otago - go to vineyards, play golf, go mountain-biking, to the Clyde Wine and Food Festival, whatever they want.
There's a nice long, sealed airstrip here, it's easy to fly into, and the units will hopefully be finished by mid-October so we're quietly confident they will be in demand.
If not by people wanting a short holiday in Central Otago, then by commercial people like top-dressing pilots who are working here.
Q What's the appeal of Alexandra?
A Look around - it's ideal flying conditions, the mountains, the lakes, the river, the mountain-biking tracks, the walking and cycling trails, the good cafes ... I've holidayed here since I was young and it's always a place I wanted to be so it's a dream to be living here.
Q Doesn't your airport home get noisy at times?
A Not really, no.
Q You seem to have started something off and others are following in your footsteps. In the future, do you think there will be a small ''town'' at the airport?
A When we first came here, there were four hangars and now there's 11 and more in the pipeline.
It would be nice to have some other people living here, too.
There are sites earmarked for commercial development and I could see that happening, and that would be fantastic.
The aim is to have the airport self-funding so it's not a drain on rates.
I'd encourage commercial operators at other airfields to have a look at Alexandra and see what it offers.
I can't believe that this airfield isn't used more often as an alternative to, say, flights into Queenstown.
Q Do you have any other ventures in the pipeline?
A No, this is going to be our retirement.
It's what will supplement our income in 10 years' time.
