Puketutu
Site Information
Puketutu is located on the Bombay Hills, south of Auckland.
Take the southern motorway to Bombay, turn left at Bombay exit off the motorway, left, right and onto road signposted to Paparata. Take the second on the right then the first turning left into Main Road.
Access to the site is on the right several hundred metres down Main Road through a farm gate. Access to the NW launch ( and a short walk around to the NE launch) can be gained by following the signs to Mt William walkway at the end of Puketutu Rd.
Launch height is 1,230 feet A.S.L., 450 feet A.G.L.
Site Type
Inland.
Landing
This site consists of a series of spurs, gullies and it is without easy bottom landing options.
Recent plantings of olive trees have reduced the options even further.
The surrounding hills are decorated with a variety of transmitter towers, aerials and suspended wires.
Weather and Wind Direction
North, North East, West, North West
Mandatory Notices
Refer access conditions
Site Radio Channel
Channel 20 - 476.900MHz.
Restrictions
Hang Gliding
HG Advanced
Paragliding
PG 2 + 60 hours
Cautions
The site is shallow and has not got a very soarable face, particularly for hang gliders. Take note of the towers and wires.
Airspace
This site is located in GAA G275 with a height restriction of 4500 ft ASL.
The area just north of Puketutu is GAA G276 with a height restriction of 3500ft ASL but able to be opened to 4500ft ASL by ATC approval.
Directly south of Puketutu, Mercer MBZ has its northern boundary at SH2.
Access Conditions
The landowner on which this site is located has requested that the number of people (pilots and non-flyers) be kept to a minimum (six people pilots and spectators at most) and that vehicular use is limited.
No flying is to be carried out if there is a lot of stock on the flying face.
The owner of this site is Jim Ball, phone 09-236 0515 or 025-934 571. The owner's permission must always be obtained and it is preferable that the request is made through the site monitors.
As at December 1997 there is a padlock on the access gate off the road as uninvited 'hoons' have become a problem. Contact the site monitors for access.
Site Monitor
None.
Notes
None.
Site Achievements
Hang gliderpilot Steve Elliot flew 128 kilometres from this site in 1995.
Paraglider pilot Jeff Ripley flew 64.2 km from here on 21 Nov 2008 setting a new site record.