Kapiti Districts Aero Club

Name

Kapiti Districts Aero Club

Legal name

Kapiti Districts Aero Club

Website

https://kapitiaeroclub.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kapiti Districts Aero Club is a New Zealand member-based aero club offering fixed-wing and helicopter flight training, trial flights, ratings, and aircraft hire from Kāpiti Coast Airport near Wellington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flight Training Services

NAICS

Flight Training (611512)

akta.pro primary industry

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Aviation Pilot & Crew Staffing/Training Services (THABAFAJ)

Keywords

• Flight training
• Pilot licensing
• Aircraft hire
• Trial flights
• Aviation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Paraparaumu

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Flight Training Services: Dual instruction (with instructor) and solo aircraft hire for pilot training from beginner to commercial levels. Revenue based on hourly flight rates plus instructor time.
2. Trial Flights: Introductory flight experiences for new customers, available as gift vouchers. One-time experience purchases ranging from 30-60 minutes.
3. Club Membership: Annual membership fees providing access to facilities and discounted aircraft rates. Financial year from April to March.
4. Meeting Room Rental: Hiring of club meeting rooms to community groups and businesses. Half-day and full-day options available.
5. Aerobatic Training: Specialised aerobatic flight training using Cessna A152 Aerobat aircraft

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

KDAC provides practical and theoretical fixed-wing (and limited helicopter) pilot training, aircraft hire, simulator training on the Garmin G1000, and supporting services. Offerings span introductory trial flights, Private and Commercial Pilot Licences, Instrument Rating, and post-licence ratings (aerobatic, night, instructor) delivered through a fleet of 11 fixed-wing aircraft, 1 helicopter, and an on-site G1000 simulator.

Product overview

Kapiti Districts Aero Club (KDAC) operates as an award-winning flight training organization and member-based aero club offering first-class practical and theoretical pilot training across a unified portfolio of aircraft and training programs. The core offering centers on a modern, diverse fleet of 11 fixed-wing aircraft and 1 helicopter — including Cessna 152/152 Aerobat trainers, Piper Tomahawk, Cessna Skyhawk (C172M and two C172S G1000), and Piper Archer II — plus a Garmin G1000 flight simulator for IFR and VFR training. Training programs range from introductory aeroplane and aerobatic trial flights through to Private Pilot Licence (fixed-wing and helicopter), Commercial Pilot Licence, Instrument Rating (with Massey University partnership for multi-engine phase), aerobatic, night, and C Category Instructor ratings, supported by ground courses and one-on-one tutoring. Additional services include the Young Eagles youth program, trial flight gift cards, club membership, meeting room rental, and pilot medicals facilitated through an in-house AME1 examiner. All offerings are interconnected through the PaperAviator online booking platform accessible to members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aeroplane Trial Flights Introductory 30-minute or 60-minute flight experiences in Cessna C152 / Piper PA38 Tomahawk (from $240 per person for 30 minutes) or in Cessna C172 G1000 / Piper PA28 Archer II (from $305 for 1-3 people for 30 minutes). Designed for first-time flyers and gift recipients, with no prior aviation experience required.
• Aerobatic Trial Flights 30-minute aerobatic experience in a Cessna A152 Aerobat including loops and 360-degree rolls, flown with an instructor. Priced at $275 for one person.
• Trial Flight Gift Cards and Vouchers Digital gift vouchers for aeroplane and aerobatic trial flights, available for online purchase 24/7 with immediate or scheduled-date delivery. Vouchers valid for 12 months from purchase.
• Aircraft and Simulator Hire Hourly hire of the club's training fleet for licensed pilots: Cessna 152 (solo $255/hr, dual $350/hr), Cessna Skyhawk C172M (solo $310/hr, dual $405/hr), Cessna Skyhawk C172S G1000 (solo $360/hr, dual $455/hr), Piper Tomahawk PA38 and Piper Archer II PA28, plus the Garmin G1000 desktop simulator (solo $25-35/hr, dual $95/hr). Hire rates are fuel-inclusive and billed per hour.
• Private Pilot Licence (Fixed-Wing) Training Fixed-wing PPL training programme covering six theory subjects and a minimum of 60 hours flight time including cross-country navigation, instrument time and terrain awareness. Delivered in C152/PA38 from a minimum cost of $26,294.50, and complemented by Flying Start ground briefings and lesson packages.
• Private Pilot Licence (Helicopter) Training Helicopter PPL training requiring 50 hours total flight time including 20 hours dual instruction, 15 hours solo, 5 hours mountain flying and 10 hours cross-country navigation. Delivered in the Cabri G2 helicopter from a minimum cost of $45,602.
• Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Training CPL training programme requiring 200 hours flight time including 100 hours PIC, cross-country, night flying, 10 hours instrument time, mountain flying course and six theory subjects. Minimum cost $78,332 inclusive of PPL.
• Instrument Rating Training Single-engine instrument rating (SEIR) training using C172S G1000 aircraft and the club's G1000 simulator, including GNSS/RNP/VOR/ILS endorsements. Minimum cost $14,500, with multi-engine IFR phase available through the Massey University School of Aviation partnership using DA-42 aircraft and simulators.
• Aerobatic Rating Aerobatic rating covering spin training (2 hours dual) and basic aerobatics ground theory and air exercises including loops, aileron rolls, stall turns and combinations. Minimum cost $4,535.
• Night Rating Night VFR rating requiring 5 hours training (2 hours dual, 2 hours solo and 1 hour additional). Minimum cost $2,434.50.
• C Category Instructor Rating Flight instructor training course including 25 hours dual instruction, 1 hour right-hand seat conversion, 1 hour spinning recovery instruction and 8 hours ground instruction per week. Full-time course spanning 3-4 months. Minimum cost $22,968.50.
• IFR Intro Flight Experience Introductory IFR experience flight from Paraparaumu to Palmerston North and back (averaging 1.7 hours) plus a 1 hour G1000 simulator session, with hours counting toward Instrument Rating requirements. Package cost $1,150.
• Ground Courses (PPL, CPL, IFR Theory) Theory training for PPL (Thursday evenings 18:00-21:00), CPL and Instrument Rating (Saturday mornings as required), plus one-on-one tutoring. Required theory component for the corresponding licence courses.
• Club Membership Annual membership providing discounted aircraft hire rates and facility access to clubrooms and resources. Adult membership $275 per financial year (April-March); junior membership $90 per financial year.
• Meeting Room Rental Hire of club meeting rooms to community groups and businesses. Large room (up to 40 people) with kitchenette and AV screen at $150 half-day / $300 full-day; small room (up to 8 people) with whiteboard and AV screen at $75 half-day / $150 full-day.
• Pilot Medicals Service Aviation medical examinations conducted on-site by AME1 examiner Dr Frank Wurmitzer on a semi-regular weekend basis, offering Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 medical certificates. Applications processed via the Skycert online portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of pilots trained over 40+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Flying NZ (Young Eagles Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKāpiti Aero Club runs the Flying NZ Young Eagles Programme, a non-profit initiative designed to introduce young adults (14-18) to aviation. The programme provides free local and cross-country flights, visits to aviation facilities including Wellington Air Traffic Control Tower, LifeFlight base, Ohakea air force base, and engineering workshops.
• NZ Police Blue LightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Blue Light Charity, Aircrafts Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and police. The Kāpiti event is hosted at Kāpiti Coast Airport by Kāpiti Districts Aero Club, providing around 30 young people each year with their first flying experience.
• Massey University School of AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration enabling Kāpiti students to use up to 20 hours of Massey's flight simulators for IFR training at competitive rates. Also provides pathway for students to undertake multi-engine phase of Instrument Rating through Massey using DA-42 aircraft and simulators at the Palmerston North campus.
• Aircrafts Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAOPA collaborates with Blue Light Charity and police for the Take a Kid Flying programme that Kāpiti Aero Club participates in.
• Kāpiti Coast AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKāpiti Aero Club is located on the western side of Kāpiti Coast Airport. The club operates from purpose-built premises on Toru Road and maintains operations from apron area with direct access to AVGAS refueling and the main sealed runway.
• Kāpiti Coast District CouncilminorOthersThe club works with Council to ensure operations follow district plan rules. They participate in the Community Liaison Group (CLG) which administers the Kāpiti Coast Airport Noise Management Plan.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Canterbury Aero Club: South Island aero club offering fixed-wing flight training, trial flights, and club membership from Christchurch. Closely comparable member-based aero club model with similar training product mix.
• Ardmore Flying School: One of New Zealand's largest flight training organizations based at Ardmore Airport, offering PPL through to ATPL and instructor ratings. Directly comparable as a multi-fleet NZ fixed-wing training provider competing for the same domestic pilot pipeline.
• Massey University School of Aviation: NZ university-based aviation school offering integrated pilot degrees and multi-engine IR on DA-42 aircraft at Palmerston North. Already a strategic partner of Kāpiti for multi-engine IR; competes for advanced and professional-track students.
• South Canterbury Aviation: NZ flight training organization offering PPL, CPL, and instructor ratings from Timaru. Comparable multi-program NZ flight school targeting aspiring commercial pilots.
• Wairarapa Aero Club: Lower North Island aero club providing recreational and PPL flight training. Comparable regional aero club competing for similar Wellington-region aspirational pilots.
• Auckland Aero Club: Long-established Auckland-based aero club offering trial flights, PPL, and aircraft hire. Comparable member-based aero club serving the upper North Island pilot training market.
• Wellington Aero Club: Wellington-region aero club providing PPL and advanced flight training in the same competitive catchment as Kāpiti. Direct regional competitor for Wellington-region students and members.

Broad incumbents

• FlightSafety International: Global aviation training provider operating advanced simulation centres for airlines and professional pilots. Comparable as a broader incumbent in flight simulation and advanced training infrastructure.
• CAE: Global leader in aviation training, including pilot training academies and full-flight simulators serving commercial airlines worldwide. Comparable as a large-scale, broad aviation training incumbent.
• Airways New Zealand / CTC Aviation (NZ operations): Broader NZ aviation training and air traffic services organization that has historically offered pilot and ATC training. Comparable as a larger-scale NZ incumbent providing structured aviation career pathways.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3Fm2PA_03C_S5aulxiyz1Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kapiti-Districts-Aero-Club-259700554051662
• Instagraminstagram.com/kapitidistrictsaeroclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kapiti-districts-aero-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kapiti Districts Aero Club