This was published 9 years ago
Flying a Piper Cherokee plane in Wanaka, New Zealand
By Sally Webb
An aerial view of Lake Wanaka, in New Zealand's South Island.Credit: Alamy
With the flick of two switches, a push of the throttle and a pull of the control column we're airborne. We're in a four-seater Piper Cherokee plane above Wanaka in New Zealand's South Island. And I am flying the plane.
"Oh my God, oh my God," I squeal, more in terror than delight.
"Please tell me you can take back control at any time!" I yell at instructor Peter Hendricks who's sitting calmly in the co-pilot's seat to my right.
"But you're flying the plane," he responds. He gently instructs me to do one thing then another: lower the silver lever (which looks like an old-fashioned car handbrake) to retract the flaps; turn the fuel pump off. It all seems so simple.
He explains that the plane can actually fly itself, that aerodynamically it will just stay up in the sky. He encourages me to take my hands off the controls and just feel it flying along. It does, until we hit a feisty gust, and the plane bounces up and down. I scream again.
We're cruising at 3000 feet. If I turn the control column the plane goes where I point it. From the airfield we fly out over the Clutha River towards the township of Wanaka, and continue out over Lake Wanaka towards the snow-covered peaks of the Mount Aspiring National Park in the distance. In a country that's long on stunning scenery, it's one of New Zealand's most spectacular views, although I'm too preoccupied to enjoy it. I have to confess that I'm completely terrified throughout the flight. I'm not a sweaty-palm sort of person but it feels like my hands are dripping. My nerves might have something to do with the precious cargo in the back seats: my two children, Lulu and Archie, seven and nine respectively, who've come along for the ride.
It's because of them that I'm here. When the opportunity presented itself just before a spring ski trip in the South Island, I dismissed it instantly. When I told my husband, he made it very clear that he thought I was a wimp, then suggested I talk to the kids about it. Their response? "That would be awesome!" And so here we are.
Hendricks has clocked up more than 10,000 flying hours and has taught hundreds of people to fly, some of whom now pilot commercial aircraft, private jets and support crews in Antarctica. The Learn to Fly experience is a taster for potential pilots who can then do full flight training with him. "So often, once they've done it, they are hooked." And it's also a clever product in the land that defines adventure tourism.
Wanaka is an ideal place to learn to fly, because it not only offers spectacular scenery but also very stable weather. Hendricks also owns a couple of beautifully preserved vintage aircraft – a 1930s Waco and a 1940s Tiger Moth – for "flightseeing" experiences.
Archie takes control of the iPhone while I've got control of the plane and the footage he captures is set to an impulsive soundtrack of my squeals of terror and the kids' shouts of joy. "This is awesome," they scream.
We do a big loop over the lake and head back towards the airstrip. The whole experience takes little more than 20 minutes, although it feels much longer, and before I know it Hendricks is instructing me on how to land the plane. "Are you serious?" I ask in disbelief. "I'm going to land it too?" Again he talks me through the steps one by one: put the carburettor heat on; reduce the throttle; raise the flap a little. We approach the runway from side on, and I extend the flap a little more, then we turn onto the final approach and I extend the flap fully.
I don't really know what I'm doing or why I'm doing it but it seems to work. The aircraft descends gently, I "trim" the nose up and follow instructions to keep the runway one-third of the way up the windscreen. As we cross the end of the runway I reduce the throttle and gently pull the control column towards me until the wheels touch the ground. The children cheer.
As we clamber out of the cockpit I can't help but fist pump into the air. I might not ever fly a plane again but at least I can say I've done it. And for that moment at least I know that my kids think I am awesome.
TRIP NOTES
MORE INFORMATION
Learn to Fly NZ offers 20-minute trail flight experiences for $129, and one-hour flights for $299. They also offer scenic flights to places including Milford Sound. Partner company Classic Flights offers scenic flights in vintage biplanes. See classicflights.co.nz.
Sally Webb travelled courtesy of New Zealand Ski Tourism, Qantas, Wanaka Tourism and Learn to Fly NZ.
Five other things to do in Wanaka
National Transport & Toy Museum
This eclectic collection of toys, cars, carriages, military vehicles, aircraft and ephemera is housed in a series of sprawling sheds. Highlights include 500 Barbie dolls, a Star Wars collection of figures and memorabilia, early 20th-century fire engines, and a Russian MiG-21. See wanakatransportandtoymuseum.com
Warbirds and Wheels
Keeping with the aviation theme, another popular Wanaka attraction is Warbirds and Wheels, a display of classic cars and motorbikes, and military aircraft and fighter planes. The Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow is held every two years. See warbirdsandwheels.com andwarbirdsoverwanaka.com
Rippon winery
Even if you're not interested in world-class pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc and gamay, it's worth visiting bio-dynamic vineyard Rippon to see its glorious location right on the shores of Lake Wanaka. But do yourself a favour and taste the pinot. See rippon.co.nz.
Puzzling World
The centrepiece of this unique family attraction is the 3D wooden maze, so tricky to navigate that the kids will be occupied for hours, but recreated Roman toilets, a hologram hall and a tilted house are all part of the appeal. See puzzlingworld.co.nz
Lake Wanaka boat cruise to Mou Waho Island
Mou Waho nature reserve is predator free and home to rare endangered Buff Wekas, birds that are extinct on the mainland. The four-hour tour includes a boat trip and a bushwalk up to a lake – effectively on an island on a lake on an island. See ecowanaka.co.nz.
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