Not many people can say they have turned their youthful dreams into reality, but proud East Coast man Mahanga Maru (Ngati Porou) is one of them.
From watching planes flying over his home as a child growing up in remote Ruatoria, he now owns and operates his own private airline, albeit one of the smallest in the country.
Air Ruatoria sprang into life during the depths of Covid in 2020 – not exactly one of the best times in the aviation industry. But the genesis of the idea took hold many years ago.
“We had an aeroclub here back in the ‘70s,” Maru told Stuff Travel. “The joy of flight always fascinated me when I could see aircraft coming and going and people flying them. I thought, ‘one day I will be one of those’ and I pursued that goal.
“When I was a young fella I just paid for my licence and took lessons privately in Manawatu and worked my way through the various qualifications.”
Stuff
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