Kaikohe Gliding Club Inc

Big thanks to the entire Northland community for your support of our gliding operations at the Kaikohe Aerodrome.

Thanks to your help, our tractor has been recovered by Police, and student training operations are set to begin again in the coming weeks — albeit at a slower pace.

We’d also like to extend a belated thank you to Bernie & Fred for getting started on rust-proofing our hangar, as well as cleaning up the tractor after its recovery.

Rest assured, we have already begun increasing security measures to help protect the club and its equipment going forward.

Thank you again to everyone who has supported our small volunteer-run gliding club — your support truly means a lot.

Recovery Progress – Kaikohe Gliding Club

We’re very pleased to share some more good news.

Our Kubota tractor has now been recovered by Police. This means all of the major stolen items have now been located, which is a huge relief for the club.

We want to sincerely thank the Police and every single person in the community who shared our posts, kept an eye out, and passed on information — your support has made a real difference.

While this is a big step forward, we are still facing significant damage to our gliders and equipment. There is still a long road ahead before we can return to normal operations, but this recovery gives us a much stronger starting point.

We will continue working through our recovery plan and will keep everyone updated as we go.

Thank you again for the incredible support — it truly means a lot to our small, volunteer-run club.

❤️ Kaikohe Gliding Club

UPDATE – Kaikohe Gliding Club

We have some positive news to share.

Both of our tow vehicles have now been recovered, and we’ve been informed that an offender is currently in police custody. We want to sincerely thank the police and our community for the information and support that helped make this possible.

The response over the past few days has been overwhelming. From shares and messages to offers of help and donations, the support we’ve received has meant a huge amount to everyone involved in the club.

While this is a big step forward, the reality is that the damage to our gliders and equipment remains significant, and rebuilding will still take considerable time and resources.

For those who have asked how they can help, unfortunately the club has decided not to allow outside funding, at least until we make a proper recovery plan.

Thank you again to everyone who has supported us so far — your backing is what’s giving us hope that we can get back in the air.

Please continue to share and keep an eye out for any remaining missing tractor. Pictures in our last post.

❤️ Kaikohe Gliding Club

It’s with a very heavy heart that we have to announce that the Kaikohe Gliding Club will not be operating for the foreseeable future.

Yesterday, our hangar was broken into and significant damage was caused. As one of the cheapest and most accessible gliding clubs in New Zealand, we’ve always operated without insurance to keep costs low for our members. Unfortunately, this has left us extremely vulnerable, and this loss is something we simply cannot absorb.

Our club is entirely volunteer-run, with members generously giving their time to keep aviation affordable for our community. We are especially proud to support local youth, including hosting cadets from across the region from Kaikohe through to Kaitaia.

During the break-in, the offenders stole:
• A Kubota M8540 tractor/mower (purchased with the support of Pub Charity)
• Two Toyota RAV4 vehicles — one wine red 2-door and one tan 4-door
• Solar Batteries
• Handheld Radio

In the process, multiple gliders were seriously damaged. The repairs required are extensive and, with the current shortage of certified gliding engineers in New Zealand, could take months or even years — at a cost far beyond our means.

We are asking our community for help:
If you have any information about the stolen vehicles or suspicious activity in the area, please contact us or the police.

Please also consider sharing this post to help spread the word — every bit of awareness helps.

This is a devastating loss not just for our club, but for the wider community that has supported and benefited from affordable aviation over the years.

We'll be setting up a fundraising scheme soon and will keep you posted.

Thank you for your support.

Big thanks to Alan and his mechanical knowledge. Mower service completed. He tells it takes 12 hours to mow the entire aerodrome.

When a wing walker was unavailable, Tom decided to walk the wing. Featuring the H101-Salto with it's distinctive V tail.