The Ashburton Aviation Museum hopes for its planned expansion to get off the ground and the public to be onboard with the  proposed development plans for the Ashburton Airport.
The museum has a planned $1.2 million project to build a new hangar complex which has been factored into the Ashburton District Council’s 30-year draft plan for the airport.
The plan is to develop the airport so that it can be financially independent and not require a ratepayer subsidy in the future.
Building committee chairman, Owen Moore, said that “from the museum perspective, we are comfortable with [the plan]”.
Moore can see the positives in introducing more users to the site, making it even more of a destination.
“It would be nice to have a bit more traffic, a bit more stuff going on and gather a bit more in landing fees.”
The museum’s major project is in the paperwork stage, he said, which includes a feasibility study.
“We currently have design plans drawn and a lot of the paperwork to get through. The plan is to turn it all into one big complex.”
Their plans involve joining the museum’s existing buildings, adding another big building and a new reception area.
The museum has its 50 year anniversary at the end of 2024 so “it would be quite nice to have something, if not finished, at least started by then,” Moore said.
The looming hurdle is finding the money, he said, and its major fundraiser will finally go ahead at Labour weekend with the Militaria and Aviation Extravaganza after previously being postponed due to Covid restrictions.
The expansion is required as it is running out of space to house its growing number of aircraft, he said.
Just last week they received another new aircraft, a Strikemaster gifted by the New Zealand Air Force, which Moore said completed the set.
“We now have one of every type of jet aircraft the New Zealand Air Force has ever owned.”
The museum is a key drawcard to the site but for the council’s plan to come to fruition, that the airport pays its own way, it needs more.
The council is planning to expand the number of recreational hangars, add more commercial hangars for the likes of skydiving and flight schools, and hangar-homes where people live in the same building as their aircraft.

• By Jonathan Leask