MAPPING THE WAIKATO SKIES IN SUPPORT OF FLIGHTY EXPORTER
14 Sep 10

By ANDREA FOX - The Dominion Post 

Forget politics - National Party cabinet minister Wayne Mapp won all our votes when he put eight of us down safely, several times, as part of his pilot rating exam for a Kiwi aviation export product he has gone beyond the call of duty to support.

The Minister of Defence, Research Science and Technology and associate Minister of Economic Development qualified yesterday at Hamilton to fly Pacific Aerospace's latest export, the P-750 XStol.

And he did not break a sweat when asked by his examiner to take along eight bodies for "ballast", including BusinessDay.

A couple of hours flying time around Waikato and three landings and takeoffs later, Dr Mapp had a new rating on a plane twice the size of his usual mode, to add to his log of 405 hours on two and four seater planes, and 175 hours on gliders.

Dr Mapp paid $2000 out of his own pocket to qualify on the turboprop cargo aircraft that is making a name for itself in places where short, difficult airstrips in hilly terrain, limited operational weather opportunities, and urgent need for supplies and support are common.