Airfields and Stations in New Zealand Used By the RNZAF, Part 4

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Kaitaia
35^04’12” S x 173^17’07” E

Nearest town is Kaitaia

199 miles/320 Km north of Auckland

Built by the Public Works Department for the RNZAF in 1942

The site was selected by F/O Arthur Bradshaw, an Officer in the Aerodrome
Services of Air Department.

Opened in 1942

Units known to have been permanantly Stationed there

A detachment of the No 1 GR [General Reconnaissance] Squadron
Detachment at Waipapakauri.
[a detachment of a detachment]

Now a grass runway used for recreational aviation including a gliding club
and skydiving operation.

The field can handle Bombardier and ATR 72-500 sized aircraft, and
being the most northern field with Aviation fuel available it is used by
light aircraft, usually with long range tanks fitted, to fly to Norfolk,
460 N Miles/852 Km, from where Noumea is 407 N Miles/754 Km
away,
or Lord Howe Island at 486 N Miles/900 Km is stepping stone to Australia.

Larger aircraft, with a longer range, can fly direct to Fiji.