Episode 156 – The Brodie Family 100 Years In Aviation

Guests: Russell Brodie and Ross Brodie

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 10th of August 2017

Released: 11th of August 2017

Duration: 1 hour minutes seconds

Russell Brodie and his son Ross Brodie join Dave via Skype from their home at Rangitata Island Aerodrome, near Geraldine in the South Island of New Zealand. The Brodies are a well known flying family, and they have a very significant event approaching to mark 100 years that the family has been involved in aviation, over four generations.

The weekend of Friday 8th to Sunday 10th of September 2017 will see them host a very special Fly In at Rangitata Island marking that century of aviation. This social event welcomes pilots and enthusiasts from across the country, with no landing fees, the Lions Club doing the catering, free tenting on site, and lots of time for kicking back with a coffee and a sausage with other like-minded aviators, in a beautiful and idyllic spot.

In this episode Russell and Ross talk about their family’s history in aviation, starting with the first Ross Brodie who learned to fly at Sockburn in 1917 with the Canterbury Aviation Company. His son Struan and Struan’s wife Ann both learned to fly in the 1950’s. Their son is Russell and his son, the fourth generation of pilots, is Ross.

Russell and Ross also discuss the eclectic collection of historic microlights and aeroplanes they have at Rangitata Island – possibly the largest collection of such types in the world – and they discuss their plans to open up the airfield as a “Shuttleworth of the South” including provision for hangar homes coming soon.

Above: The first of the Brodie pilots, Ross Brodie in a Caudron trainer at Sockburn in 1917; and Ross and his Canterbury Aviation Company course mates in 1917. Ross is second from left in the dark suit

Russell, left, and Ross in the cockpit, at Rangitata Island. Photo: John Fallon

The Brodie Family Tiger Moth in South Canterbury skies. Photo Ross Brodie

The Event Details:
Rangitata Island Aerodrome, near Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand
8th, 9th and 10th of September 2017
No landing fees
Free camping
For more details contact Ross Brodie or Russell Brodie
Phone: 03 693 8675
Mobile: 027 276 0914
Email: eca.fly@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.realflying.co.nz/

Quick Links:

• Rangitata Island Aerodrome Website

• Rangitata Island Aerodrome Facebook Page

• The Brodie Family 100 Years in Aviation Fly-In Facebook Event Page

• Rangitata Island Aerodrome on Google Maps

• WONZ Show Episode 131 with Ross Brodie

The video version of the above Episode 131