Capital Air Services' Wellington Aero Club Origins

Capital Air Services was an airline that was born out of the Wellington Aero Club. This post was originally written by Bruce Gavin and it explores the aero club origins of Capital Air Services. It has been reposted as more information has come to hand.

With its important position as the country’s capital city as well as being a major commercial centre Wellington has always been a very important factor in the development of New Zealand’s air services. These reasons plus the city bordering on Cook Strait and its geographical situation being approximately in the middle of New Zealand have further heightened its importance for the growth of air services.

As modern cabin aircraft suitable for air taxi work became available from the early1930s the Wellington Aero Club began to cater for a growing commercial market. In addition to its fleet of basic two seat open cockpit DH.60 Moths the aero club became the owner and operator of larger air taxi and air charter aircraft during the 1930s. Prior to World War II these aircraft included at times Waco QDC ZK-ACV (c/n 3580), Waco UIC ZK-ADE (c/n  3820) and Percival P.10 Vega Gull ZK-AFI (c/n K.63). During the war these aircraft were impressed into the RNZAF and the aero club’s operations were suspended.

Two of the Wellington Aero Club's Wacos, ZK-ACV above and ZK-ADE below

After the war the Wellington Aero Club resumed operations and aircraft used for air taxi and air charter operations included Percival P.44 Proctor 5 ZK-ARP (c/n AE97) and various Austers. In 1947 the aero club obtained its first twin-engine aircraft in the form of Miles M.65 Gemini 1Bs ZK-ANT (c/n 6322) and ZK-AQO (c/n 6472). Also in 1947 the Wellington Aero Club began flying the weekly Saturday evening Sports Post newspaper from Wellington to Blenheim and Nelson-its first regular air service. If possible these flights were made on Saturday evening if sufficient daylight was available but in winter were completed on Sunday mornings.

The two Wellington Aero Club's Miles Geminis at Wellington... ZK-ANT (above) and ZK-AQO (below)

Growth into a Commuter Airline and the Role of Murray Turley

During the 1950s and 1960s more modern American built single engine Cessna aircraft including Cessna 180s ZK-BKG (c/n 30376) and ZK-BUS (c/n 30949) and Cessna 172 ZK-BWW (c/n 36894) replaced these earlier machines. It was also during the 1960s the Wellington Aero Club’s executive realised that the co-operative aero club model was not suitable for the development of an expanding commercial aviation business as it diverted committee and staff attention away from the club’s membership and potentially left aero club members liable for financial losses.

Cessna 180 ZK-BUS at Wellington carrying Wellington Air Taxi titles

For this reason in 1963 the Wellington Aero Club registered a wholly owned private company named Capital Air Services Ltd although the company remained dormant and did not become operational until 1 April 1970 when the aero club’s commercial air service licences were transferred to it. 

From this time on the aero club’s commercial business began to be actively promoted. 

In 1963 and 1964, as Brian Souter recounts, the Wellington Districts Aero Cub as it was known in those days leased/hired three aircraft from a Wairarapa farmer John Meredith. Two Cessna 205's, powered with 260hp Continental IO–470's, ZK-CEZ (c/n 205-0134) and ZK-CFF (c/n 205-0412) and twin engine Cessna 310 ZK-CFG (c/n 310G-0085). The continued lease of the Cessna 310G ZK–CFG was conditional on the aircraft being approved for single-pilot IFR and for variety of reasons this was very very late eventuating. This state of affairs allowed the aero club to relinquish the lease contract without penalty which was the club's saving grace. At that stage I entered into negotiations with the view of purchasing the Cessna 310 but Fletcher Industries won the day and Peter Duggan-Smith and Peter Underwood crewed the 310 during Fletcher's ownership. 

With the departure of the 310 the aero club, in 1965, bought the Piper Aztec PA23-250 ZK–CEU from W S Shackleton in the UK and as they say the rest is history. It was in this aircraft that I became the first pilot to be cleared for single-pilot IFR following a check flight with CAA's airline inspector Ray Corrich. This made the whole operation an economically viable proposition for aero club charter operations. 

Piper Aztec ZK-CEU was use in the Club's charter operations as authorised in Air Service Licence 573. The Aztec, ZK-CEU, and Cessna 310, ZK-CFG, were often used to transfer patients from all over New Zealand to Dunedin where highly specialised brain surgery procedures were carried out. The Cessna 310, which had been owned originally by Fletcher's, was mostly flown by the Peter Duggan-Smith whose story is told in the book, "Don't tell My Mother."  At the time of his final flight in Cambodia in 1974 Peter had accumulated more than 17,000 flying hours in no less than 70 types of piston-engine aircraft.

Later the Aero Club employed Murray Turley, initially on a part time basis, to operate the Aztec under instrument flight rules in the carriage of the 'Sports Post' newspapers from Wellington to Blenheim each Saturday evening. Murray Turley was become Capital Air Service’s General Manager and a major influence in the development of the growth of IFR commuter air services in New Zealand.

From April 1966 Murray Turley was employed by the Aero Club on a full time contract basis to develop the IFR twin engined charter work. In 1967 Capital Air Services Ltd., became the instrument of the Wellington Aero Club in continuing the development of IFR twin engined charter flying from Wellington to Paraparaumu, and he was appointed General Manager and Chief Pilot.  

Cessna 205 ZK-CEZ at Rotorua on 28 October 1964.

Wellington Aero Club's Piper Aztec ZK-CEU.

In March 1970 a Piaggio P166B, ZK-DAI, was added to the Aero Club fleet to assist with charter work related to oil exploration around the New Zealand coast. On the 1st of April 1970 the Wellington Aero Club’s commercial operations were taken over by Capital Air Services Ltd which began to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Club.

The Wellington Aero Club were to return to operating a regular air service eleven years later following James Air's decision to move its base to Nelson in April 1981. The Club once again saw the opportunity for twin engined charter work from Wellington and obtained the lease of a Cessna 320 Skyknight, ZK-EGN. From the 27th of April 1981 the Aero Club commenced a Wellington-Blenheim-Nelson service for carriage of the Dominion. The Cessna 320 proved unsuitable for the work and on numerous occasions two flights had to be flown, a Wellington-Blenheim-Wellington flight followed by Wellington-Nelson-Wellington flight. As well, on many occasions freight, had to be left behind and either returned to the sender for on-forwarding by other means, or held over for carriage the next day. By mid-July the Club realised that the courier service, which operated on temporary licences, was becoming problematic and it was decided to discontinue the service. This was to lead the establishment of a new airline, Air Albatross, who took over the Wellington Aero Club Dominion service  in September 1981.

Cessna 320 Skyknight ZK-EGN at Hokitika while being used by Westland Flying Services in September 1979.

The Capital Air Services story continues at: 

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2011/05/capital-air-services-aero-club-to.html