Rotorua Aero Club

24/05/2026

What a fantastic day for our Young Eagles!🦅
Today we headed over to the Taupō Gliding Club, where our Young Eagles had the opportunity to experience the thrill of silent flight with a glider trial flight. Despite some brisk Taupō weather keeping everyone on their toes, the conditions made for an exciting and memorable experience. 🗻

The smiles on everyone's faces said it all as they discovered a different side of aviation, soaring above the stunning central North Island landscape without an engine in sight.🏞

A huge thank you to the Taupō Gliding Club for their hospitality and for providing such an incredible opportunity. Experiences like these help inspire the next generation of aviators and showcase the many pathways aviation has to offer. 🛩

28/04/2026

Join us in Rotorua this July for the Flying New Zealand Conference & Instructors Summit 2026!

Aero club members, instructors, pilots and volunteers from across the country will be coming together for three days of safety, connection, club development and Rotorua hospitality – including a dedicated Instructors Summit for powered flight instructors and our sector awards evening.

Dates: 24–26 July 2026
Location: Rotorua Aero Club, Rotorua

Find out more and register here:
https://www.flyingnz.co.nz/events-competitions/2026-agm-conference

Tag your club mates and instructors who should be there.

14/03/2026

Today our Young Eagles group waited for the weather to clear before flying over to Tauranga for our trip to visit the Mission Aviation Fellowship.

MAF is the world’s largest humanitarian air operator, playing a vital role in connecting remote communities across PNG.

Once we arrived, we had the opportunity to listen to Bridget, a pilot with MAF who is based in Papua New Guinea. Her presentation was incredibly interesting and we learnt so much about flying in challenging conditions, the terrain, and the unique runways she operates from.🙏☀️

She also spoke about just how remote many of the places are that she flies to, which is why the flying can be so challenging🛩

To learn more about MAF and how you can support their work, visit:
https://www.maf.org.nz/

To sign up for Bridget’s insightful monthly newsletter, click here:
https://bridgetsmafjourney.blogspot.com/p/sign-up.html

After the presentation, and a beautiful sausage sizzle it was time to head back home, with our Young Eagles flying back to Rotorua. It was a fantastic day of aviation learning and experience for the kids. ✈️

Thankyou everyone at MAF for the incredibly morning we had, we are all very much appreciated 👏

05/03/2026

Wayne Puddle and Katie Wheeler had a nice flight up to Kerikeri this morning to pick up Hamish McGlashen. Who was the better pilot Katie? 😅😎

25/02/2026

💥NEW PPL ALERT ⚠️
Huge congratulations to Sean Tomlinson on passing his Private Pilot Licence today! ✈️
From one of our first Young Eagles to now a fully licensed pilot — what an achievement.

A big shoutout to all his instructors, especially Katie for her dedication and guidance throughout his journey. And with perfect flying conditions on the day, it couldn’t have been a better way to earn his wings.

We’re incredibly proud — well done, Sean! 💥👏🌤️✈️💥

27/01/2026

🚨✈️ NEW PPL ALERT ✈️🚨

Massive congratulations to Angus McKinley, who absolutely smashed his PPL flight test this afternoon! 💪😎

Huge shoutout to our awesome instructors — especially Katie — and a big thanks to James from Tauranga Aero Club for jumping in at the last minute like a legend 🙌

Next stop… Nelson Aviation College! 🛫

We’re stoked to have been part of your journey, Angus — go chase those skies. and make it happen! 🌤️🔥
💥👏👏👏💥

18/01/2026

✈️ Ever dreamed of flying? Now’s your chance.🛩

At Rotorua Aero Club, we help everyday people turn their dream of flying into reality. Whether you’ve always looked up at the sky and wondered “what if?” or you’re ready to take the first step toward a PPL then onwards to a CPL, we’d love to hear from you. 👌

You’ll be supported by our friendly, experienced, and dedicated instructors, who are passionate about helping you fly safely and confidently. 👮‍♂️

No experience needed — just a passion for aviation and a sense of adventure ✨

🛩️ Come and enjoy a trial flight first, and see what flying is all about before taking the next step.

📍 Based at Rotorua Airport
🌐 Learn more: https://flyingrotorua.nz
📩 Message us to get started

💥Your flying journey starts here.💥

13/12/2025

💥Big congratulations to Hamish McGlashen on earning his PPL yesterday! ✈️🎉
From early mornings to steady commitment, the effort has truly paid off. It’s been great to see the journey and the determination behind it. Welcome to a whole new level of flying — looking forward to seeing where the adventure takes you next! 🛫

30/11/2025

✈️ Young Eagles End-of-Year Trip ✈️
What a great day out for our Young Eagles! Although we were missing a few of our crew, we made the most of our adventure.

We departed Rotorua and flew into Thames for a quick look at the Hurricane at Keith Park, before heading over to beautiful Pauanui for a bite to eat.

Unfortunately, with bad weather on its way, our trip had to be a little shorter than planned — so no walk to the beach this time. But our Young Eagles still had an awesome experience in the air, and we’re proud of each of them!


Thanks to our pilots and families for the support throughout the year. 💛💙✈️
Here’s to more adventures in 2026!

21/11/2025

💥Huge congratulations to our Rotorua Aero Club member Hamish Fenton, who successfully passed his Commercial Pilot Licence today at Tauranga Aero Club! ✈️
He’s put in an incredible amount of dedication and hard work over the past year, and it’s fantastic to see it all pay off. 💥

Big congratulations go out to Hamish Fenton for passing his Commercial Pilots Licence today! A lot of hard work has gone into this so well done Hamish!