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Topdresser flies into history books

Nov 16, 2006 7:47 PM

A Taihape topdressing pilot has flown into the history books.

John Harding is believed to be the first Kiwi to complete half a century of agricultural topdressing. And the 71-year-old plans to keep on flying.

It is exactly 50 years since Harding took to the sky, topdressing the vast expanse of farmland on the North Island's volcanic plateau.

It has been his life-long passion.

"I know that the day I can't fly I'll miss it," he says.

In high winds, the 71-year-old barrels over one of the big farm stations between Taihape and Hawke's Bay.

His main concern, that the wind does not blow the fertiliser off course.

"You're not thinking about anything else apart from what you're doing."

Jack Roberts of Timahanga Station says Harding is one of the best top dressing pilots in the country.

"He's very thorough. He's very meticulous in his approach to the whole job."

And it is a job where pilots often do not have a very long life.

"In the agricultural game you don't do 50 years flying and still be above ground. It's an exceptional feat," says Roberts.

Harding's family were pioneers in the agricultural topdressing industry in New Zealand just over half a century ago. He has now been flying for half a century and has done most of it out of an airstrip in Taihape.

Harding has notched up 32,000 flying hours and has flown 115 different aircraft but, his favourite is his 750 horsepower, turbo-prop Cresco.

In his time Harding has had one or two close shaves.

"One morning I landed just not quite on the airstrip and there was considerable amount of damage to the aeroplane too. But my driver and I, we got away with it," he says.

As for how long the septegenarian can continue his top-flight career, no one is saying.

"He's happy doing it and Id much rather he'd be out there enjoying his life than sitting at home twiddling his thumbs," says his wife Leigh Harding.

For John Harding, life is just not life unless it is passing by at 200 kilometres an hour.