The Mercury Bay Aero Club’s beginnings can be
traced back to the 30th of April 1948 when a number of interested men signed
their names to a piece of paper expressing a desire to become members of an
aero club in Mercury Bay. What instigated the interest initially was when Mr L
Russell and Mr H Rees discovered the government had drawn up a proposal for an
airfield in Whitianga during World War II. The thinking at the time was that by
having its own airfield, Whitianga would gain better access to the outside
world as well as creating an opportunity for those locals wanting to learn to
fly.
On 1 October 1948, the Mercury Bay Aero Club
became an incorporated society and not long after the first organised, albeit
unofficial, flying day took place. Two Tiger Moths were flown from Auckland and
landed on Buffalo Beach, where local aviation enthusiasts were taken for
joyrides around the Bay. When the tide came in, the planes were pulled up onto
Albert Street and parked in a paddock behind what was then the home of the
Mercury Bay Bowling Club.
In the early 1950’s, Norman (Boy) Wells
expressed an interest in forming an aerial topdressing strip on his Whitianga
farm at the northern end of Racecourse Road. The aero club, keen to get
something happening, agreed to form the airstrip on Boy’s farm for an agreed
sum of 450 pounds, which was to become the start of the club’s aircraft fund.
Soon to follow was the start of another fund by way of things such as
debentures and scrap metal drives to build a hangar on the land. A temporary
strip licence for dual flight training using an Auster aircraft based in Thames
was also sought from and approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.
On 26 June 1955, the Mercury Bay Aero Club’s
first official flying day took place when 30 club members were taken for dual
flight training by Mr B H Packer, an ex-Air Force instructor, who had been duly
elected as club instructor. With the runway complete and a hangar under
construction, an aircraft of their own was the next priority for club members.
They finally settled on a Tiger Moth purchased from the Waikato Aero Club for
the sum of 525 pounds.
After the Midland Air Services link to the
Coromandel ended members of the Mercury Bay Aero Club, and the local community
also believed the basing of an air service at Whitianga was essential. The club
had started operations with de Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-BFH registered to
the Mercury Bay Aero Club on the 31st of December 1956. With a growing
membership and interest the Tiger Moth was replaced in May 1960 when the Club
acquired a Piper PA-18-95 Super Cub, ZK-BWG. This in turn was replaced by a
more powerful Piper PA-18A-150 Super Cub, ZK-BRX in 1961.
In mid-1963, following the closure of Midland
Air Services, the Mercury Bay Aero Club applied for its own Air Transport
Licence. However, they were not the only one applying for a licence and in the
end what became Peninsula Air Travel was given rights for non-scheduled
and air charter services, with the proviso that it base at least one aircraft
at Whitianga, and that the Mercury Bay Aero Club be the first party approached
should an additional or replacement aircraft be required. The Mercury Bay Aero
Club won rights for scenic flights and joyriding from Whitianga, and if it had
the consent of the new airline, air charter services from there also. Meanwhile the Club had ordered a new Cessna
172D aircraft from the Cessna sales agents, Rural Aviation Ltd in New Plymouth
and Cessna 172D ZK-CDJ was registered to the Club on the 5th of December 1963.
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| The Mercury Bay Aero Club's Cessna 172 ZK-CDJ |
Relationships between the two operators soured
quickly. In March 1964, the Aero Club complained to the Licensing Authority
that Peninsula was using Cessna 172 aircraft hired from Executive Air Travel
Ltd (a subsidiary of the Auckland Flying School Ltd), to fly passengers into
Whitianga on its behalf. Peninsula in turn accused the Aero Club of operating
in quasi-commercial opposition by allowing members to hire the club's Cessna
for friends to fly to other centres, even if the hirer did not actually fly in
the aircraft.
Peninsula Air Travel was experiencing
financial problems and withdrew their hired Cessna 205 from Whitianga, in
breach of their licence. In the end the Air Services Licensing Authority resolved
the issue stating in its decision, "This Authority is not generally
favourably disposed to an aero club being in possession of a commercial licence"
but nonetheless, granting the Mercury Bay Aero Club non-scheduled rights for
services between Whitianga, Thames, Ardmore and Whenuapai, and air charter
rights from Whitianga, with one Cessna 172 aircraft and one additional aircraft
of similar capacity.
The Mercury Bay Aero Club flew its first
service, presumably in the Cessna 172 ZK-CDJ, on the morning of 9 November
1964. Geoff Norman flew three passengers to Whenuapai and returned with one
from there and also picked up another at Ardmore. To provide backup, the club
took delivery of a French built Morane-Saulnier MS.880B Rallye ZK-CDB just
eleven days later. The Rallye was the only aircraft of its type used on “airline”
service in New Zealand. The Piper Super Cub, ZK-BRX, was sold in January 1965.
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| The Mercury Bay Aero Club's MS Rallye ZK-CDB. I don't know the location. Can you help? |
From just after Christmas 1964 until late
January, the club flew the Auckland Star and 8 O'clock Saturday
evening sports paper from Auckland to Whitianga, with airdrops at Coromandel,
Colville, Whangapoua, Hahei and Tairua. They also flew the Waikato Times from
Hamilton with a landing at Thames and drops at Coromandel and Hahei, before
arriving at Whitianga. All drops were out the window and no wing racks were
used. Norman tried the Rallye several times on the paper drops but found it
unsafe because of the need to slide the canopy open to eject the papers. This
destroyed the airflow at very critical flight times. The Rallye was relegated
to club flying, training, and was utilised on the Auckland service.
The Aero Club was keen to purchase their own
airfield and on the 4th of May 1965 a proposal was put forward to obtain 200
acres of land owned by Mr R Rohrlach. The price was £15,000. After
arranging suitable finance, a resolution was eventually passed at a meeting on the
16th of February 1966 that the Mercury Bay Aero Club should take the bold step
to purchase the land. The Club constructed two long airstrips and a 5000 square
foot hangar, mostly with volunteer labour and the current airport was opened in November 1968.
By 1966 Owen Whiting was employed as
part-time commercial pilot because of the increasing workload. Another Piper
Super Cub, ZK-BKW, was on the line at the Club from January 1967 to October
1968. The Rallye was sold in June 1968 being replaced in the training role by AESL
Airtourer 115 ZK-CWD. In December 1968 Cessna 172 ZK-CXD was added to the
fleet.
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| The Mercury Bay's Aero Club Victa Airtourer ZK-CWD. |
After the sale of the Rallye the Mercury Bay
Aero Club's two Cessna 172s ZK-CDJ and ZK-CXD aircraft were the mainstay for
operating the twice-daily air service from Whitianga to Auckland. However, with
growing numbers using the air service the Club looked for a larger aircraft.
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| The Mercury Bay Aero Club's Cessna 172 ZK-CXD |
Selected was a three-engined de Havilland Australia
DHA.3 Drover ZK-DDD which was purchased in Australia in 1970 and flown to New
Zealand by Geoff Norman. From the introduction of the Drover on 14 November 1970
the airline service was
known as 'Mercury Airlines.'
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| Mercury Airlines' DHA-3 Drover, ZK-DDD, at Whitianga on 11 October 1971 |
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| Mercury Airlines' DHA-3 Drover, ZK-DDD, at Whitianga on 19 March 1973 |
The Club’s first Cessna 172, ZK-CDJ, was sold in February 1971. On
the 3rd of February 1973 the Club’s Airtourer ZK-CWD was destroyed at Whangamata
when it crashed during a cross country flight due to fuel exhaustion.
In August 1975
the Drover was replaced by Cessna 207 Skywagon ZK-DXT and this became Mercury
Airlines’ flagship. Supporting the 207 over the next 10 years were a number of
Cessna 172 Skyhawks being added to the fleet. ZK-DRT joined the fleet in June
1977, replacing Cessna 172 ZK-CXD. ZK-EJY was on the line from January 1978 to September
1980. ZK-DRT was sold in April 1981 and replaced by ZK-JAZ.
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| Mercury Airlines' Cessna 172 ZK-EJY at Hokitika in April 1980 |
By 1986
the Aero Club was looking to divest itself of the Mercury Airlines’ air charter
business and the air service to Auckland. To that end Air Services Whitianga
Ltd was established which traded as Air Coromandel. The new company took Cessna
207 ZK-DXT and Cessna 172 ZK-JAZ and began operations on the 1st of November
1986.
This
marked the end of the Mercury Bay Aero Club’s 22 year operation of the
Whitianga to Auckland air service.
Aircraft Operated
AESL Airtourer 115
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
ZK-BFH - c/n 83343
Cessna 172D
ZK-CDJ - c/n 17250492
Cessna 172I
Cessna 172M Skyhawk II
Cessna 172N Skyhawk
ZK-EJU - c/n 17269288
ZK-EJY - c/n 17269393
ZK-JAZ - c/n 17270686
Cessna 207 Skywagon
De Havilland Australia DHA.3 Drover Mk.3A
Morane Saulnier MS880B Rallye Club
Piper PA-18-95 Super Cub
ZK-BKW - c/n 18-4673
Piper PA-18A-150 Super Cub
ZK-BRX - c/n 18-5686
