Departure
100%
vs 95% ▲ 5
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Ardmore Airport lies south-east of Manurewa in the Auckland region of New Zealand, and is widely regarded as the country's premier general aviation aerodrome. It combines a busy flight-training environment with a rich wartime and motorsport history, and remains home to the New Zealand Warbirds Association's historic aircraft collection.
Ardmore is an uncontrolled general aviation airfield situated to the south-east of Manurewa, within the wider Auckland metropolitan area. It was built during the Second World War and has since evolved into one of New Zealand's busiest training and recreational aerodromes, hosting flying schools, helicopter operators, maintenance and restoration businesses, and the New Zealand Warbirds Association. For a simulator pilot, Ardmore offers a lively mix of light aircraft, classic warbirds and helicopter traffic operating from a field with both sealed and grass runways, set against a rural backdrop close to Auckland's southern suburbs.
Ardmore sits within a Mandatory Broadcast Zone (MBZ), an uncontrolled airspace environment monitored by an Ardmore Unicom service during daylight hours. The aerodrome is located to the south-east of the airspace associated with Auckland International Airport, and lies close to Papakura and Manukau, within easy reach of Auckland's central business district.
Ardmore has three physical runway strips. The main sealed and lit runway, 03R/21L, is 4267 ft in the 03R direction and 4257 ft in the 21L direction. Alongside this is a grass runway, 03/21, of 1794 ft in each direction, and a second grass runway, 07/25, measuring 1427 ft (runway 07) and 1428 ft (runway 25). None of the runways are equipped with an ILS. Field elevation is 105 ft.
Ardmore is served by an AFIS on 120.1 MHz, with Auckland providing a control/advisory function. The CTAF and UNICOM frequency is 118.1 MHz, and an AWIB (aerodrome weather information broadcast) is available on 121 MHz. The aerodrome is served by two RNAV (GPS) arrival procedures, one for each of runways 03 and 21.
Ardmore operates as an uncontrolled aerodrome within its Mandatory Broadcast Zone, with traffic monitored by the Ardmore Unicom service during daylight hours; pilots should broadcast their positions and intentions on the CTAF/UNICOM frequency of 118.1 MHz when operating in the vicinity.
Ardmore Airport was established in 1943 at the request of the US Air Force as a Second World War operational base, with construction completed in 1945. It became an important base for training New Zealand pilots and returning servicemen during post-war demobilisation. After the RNZAF departed, the site hosted the 5th Teachers' Training Unit and the Auckland University School of Engineering from 1947 until around 1974, and in 1950 its facilities were used to accommodate competitors during the Empire Games. General aviation use began in 1952, when the Ministry of Transport took over the operational areas and the Auckland Gliding Club based itself at Ardmore until 1973. From 1954 the aerodrome hosted the New Zealand International Grand Prix, using its two paved runways as a race circuit, until the event moved to a purpose-built raceway at Pukekohe in 1963. The Auckland Aero Club relocated to Ardmore from December 1960 to make way for the construction of Auckland International Airport, which opened in 1965, cementing Ardmore's role as Auckland's dedicated general aviation alternative. In June 1995 the Ministry of Transport sold the airport's assets to Ardmore Airport Limited, which has operated the field since. A former RNZAF Bristol Freighter left Ardmore on 2 March 1981 on an 86-hour ferry flight to the United Kingdom, illustrating the airfield's long association with classic and historic aircraft.
Ardmore today is described as New Zealand's safest general aviation airport and a major flight-training facility, home to more than 100 businesses and over 600 employees. It hosts two large helicopter schools and four major fixed-wing flying schools, including Ardmore Flying School, attracting student pilots from New Zealand and overseas who typically train there for around 18 months. The airfield is also the base of the New Zealand Warbirds Association, with as many as 40 classic warbirds housed at the Ardmore Visitor Centre, and it holds open days that draw thousands of visitors each year. Businesses on site include air charter operators, aircraft sales, maintenance and restoration firms, reflecting Ardmore's role as a hub for engineering and aviation industries alongside its flying training function.
