Looking for John Roberts...

I received this email a while ago and just found it while cleaning my inbox... If anyone can put me in touch with John I will forward the contact details on...  

Cheers

Steve -  westland831@gmail.com  

Gooday there,

This is a shot in the dark but I am trying to locate a old friend, my Chief engineer from Darwin in the late '70s. John Roberts BEM moved back to NZ from Queensland about 10 years ago while I was living in the USA and I have lost him.

Just wondered if you might have any 'network' connections in GA.

North Island Air Ambulances

On my travels around the North Island following Masterton's Wings Over Wairarapa I photographed a few air ambulances

Taranaki Air Ambulance Piper Pa31 Navajo ZK-MJF at New Plymouth on 21 Januaray 2013

Callsign Phillips 06, Piper Pa31 Chieftain ZK-NSP at Gisborne on 23 January 2013.

Operated by Sjyline Aviation, NZ Air Ambulance Service's Cessna 421 Golden Eagle at Gisborne on 24 January 2013. 

Over at Tauranga on 25 January 2013 was Airwork's Fairchild Metroliner III ZK-LFT.

 

Final Boarding Call for Wanaka

Today Air New Zealand operates its final service to Wanaka. This is a post on the history of the 8 year service.

Late in 2003 Air New Zealand announced that its Link carrier, Eagle Air, would commence a new daily service between Christchurch and Wanaka using Beech 1900Ds in March the following year.

The first flight was operated by Beech 1900 ZK-EAP on the 19th of March 2004. On board was the Air New Zealand Group General Manager of Marketing, Network and Sales, Norm Thompson. He was reported as saying that "Flying in today was a great occasion because it marks the start of a new era for the Wanaka region. This is an exciting opportunity for Wanaka locals, regular travellers and holidaymakers to Wanaka, and we need their support to make this service an on-going success."

The initial timetable had a Monday to Friday departure from Christchurch at 10.45am which arrived at Wanaka an hour later at 11.45am. The return journey departed at 12.05pm and arrived back in Christchurch at 1.00pm. The Sunday service departed Christchurch at 10.55am and Wanaka at 12.15pm, while the Saturday schedule had a 1.10pm departure from Christchurch and a 2.30pm departure from Wanaka.

Over the peak summer period of 2005/2006, from December 26 to January 20, Air New Zealand increased the weekday flights to twice a day. A similar expansion of flights was made during the 2006 ski-season with extra Christchurch-Wanaka services operated during the peak of the season from the 7th of August to the  21st of September 21. From this time on extra Friday and Sunday services operated year round. Over the next three years the service operated with between 7 and 9 flights per week.

After taking over the Wanaka Airport in 2009 the Queenstown Airport Corporation approached Eagle Air about the possibility of increasing flights to Wanaka, and in particular to explore whether there would be more demand for earlier and/or later flights in and out of Wanaka. This moved was very much supported by Lake Wanaka Tourism and the Wanaka Chamber of Commerce who were buoyed by visitor statistics released showing that Wanaka had the highest proportional increase in tourist numbers in New Zealand. In March 2010 some 50 local representatives met with Eagle Air’s chief executive, Carrie Hurihanganui. At the meeting, which was reported in the Otago Daily Times, Carrie Hurihanganui said that, Eagle Air's daily noon flight schedule into Wanaka Airport was "unprofitable". The Wanaka flight to and from Christchurch was "marginal at best" and although it was not Eagle Air's "lowest-performing route" it was in the bottom half of the domestic carrier's 21 destinations. There had been a "reasonably static" demand for the existing flight service, with passenger numbers staying at about 70% of capacity during the past six years. Increasing capacity or changing flight schedules to Wanaka presented significant challenges to Eagle Air's overall domestic flight network, although these challenges were “in no way insurmountable.” The president of the local Chamber of Commerce, Leigh Stock, was reported as saying  the noon timing of Eagle Air's existing flight service was unsuitable for local business travellers and, as such, was "virtually ignored" in favour of travelling to fly out of Queenstown. Many business owners at the meeting asked if Eagle Air would consider a change in flight scheduling to allow for morning and afternoon flights in and out of Wanaka Airport.

Later the same month, FlyDirect, a new charter company, announced its intention to fly charter flights from Wellington and Christchurch into Wanaka using Vincent Avaition’s Dash 8 and Air Chathams’ Convair. The flights, scheduled to begin on the 1^st of July, were aimed at offering package skiing holidays that included air fares, accommodation, ski passes and rental cars. By June that year FlyDirect had collapsed but Wanaka’s desire for an air service had only increased. Whether it was Wanaka’s enthusiasm or the perceived threat of some other FlyDirect-type competition, but in July 2010 Air New Zealand announced a three to six month trial of new flights to Wanaka with the number of flights increased by 40%. The new schedule, which began on the 30^th of August 2009, offered two flights each way on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and one flight each way on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Eagle Air’s General Manager, Carrie Hurihanganui, was reported as saying The solid patronage of the direct service between Christchurch and Wanaka clearly showed us that one non-stop flight per day needed to be reviewed to serve the needs of both business and leisure travellers. The additional flights reinforce Air New Zealand’s commitment to the Wanaka region, helping to grow the region’s business and tourism links. We have been working closely with local stakeholders since March, including Wanaka Chamber of Commerce, Lake Wanaka Tourism and Queenstown Lakes District Council, who are confident that there will be strong demand for the additional services. The trial will give us the opportunity to gauge the level of local support we receive for the retimed and additional flights. The retimed early morning flights offer improved timings for business travellers. While the new Friday and Sunday afternoon flights provide great options for weekend visitors.

The Monday, Wednesday and Friday services had departures out of Christchurch at 8.30am and 3.50pm and the return flights departing out of Wanaka at 9.50am and 5.10pm. The single Tuesday and Thursday flights followed the morning schedule of the other weekdays while the weekend services saw a Saturday and Sunday service leaving Christchurch just before 11.00am and leaving Wanaka just after noon with a second flight from Christchurch on Sundays at 1.55pm and leaving Wanaka at 3.15pm.

By the end of November 2010 Carrie Hurihanganui said there was no doubt more passengers were travelling but it was too early to make any definite decision on the success of the new service. By March 2011 the Eagle data showed inbound flights to Wanaka were not as well frequented as outbound flights and the general sentiment from Eagle Air was that while the response to the improved service has okay that it could do better. The expanded service remained until June 2011 when the Monday afternoon service was cut, and then in December 2011 it was announced that the service would reduce to a daily service from the end of January 2012.

Eagle Air's Beech 1900D ZK-EAR at Wanaka on 8 January 2013

Carrie Hurihanganui was reported as saying Eagle worked hard with the local business and tourism sectors to try to make the new schedule work. While the schedule changes over the past year have seen some growth in the market, other influencing factors such as seat factor, fare levels etc have not grown. Consequently with escalation in fuel costs and increases in operating costs, the poor performance of the route has significantly escalated.

The Wanaka service continued to struggle and on the 14th of November 2012 Eagle Air announced it was suspending it from the 30th of January 2013. Carrie Hurihanganui said the service had always struggled commercially and had lost “hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years" and was "not projected to break even in the near future". The withdrawal of the air service from Wanaka meant the loss of three part-time jobs at Wanaka Airport.

The final Wanaka timetable - January 2013

The final flight was operated today, the 30th of January 2013, by Beech 1900 ZK-EAG.

There are two major reasons why the Wanaka service failed to perform. Foremost was Wanaka’s close proximity to Queenstown where direct flights with cheap fares were available to the three main centres as well as to the main east coast Australian cities. A second reason was that Air New Zealand never seemed to grasp who the Wanaka service was for. The initial 2004 timetable had a departure out of Christchurch about 11.00 am with the return from Wanaka 80 minutes later. Was the timetable an attempt to target tourists or business people or was it determined by the fact that an aircraft was free after the morning services between Christchurch and Hokitika? When the more twice daily business timetable was introduced it was late for Wanaka business people arriving into Christchurch at 10.45am and leaving southbound at 3.50pm. Eagle is not a dedicated tourist airline as Mount Cook Airlines once was. Certainly the Beech 1900 was not an ideal machine for skiers with their snow boards and skis. Nor is the Beech 1900 a big enough aircraft to offer a range of reduced fares as can be offered on a Boeing or Airbus service.

For a pictorial on the flight to and from Wanaka see...

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2013/01/welcome-aboard-air-nz-link-flight-2011.html

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2013/01/and-return-flight-nz2010-out-of-wanaka.html

Wanaka's terminal... 

It was to be almost eight years before Wanaka received a new air service in the form of Sounds Air in November 2020. In that time the Lake Wanaka/Lake Hawea areas have experienced rapid growth. It will be interested to see if Sounds Air finds the right formula for the niche there to be filled.

And the return flight NZ2010 out of Wanaka.

Tomorrow marks the of Air New Zealand's service to Wanaka. This is an account of my flight out of Wanaka on the 8th of January 2013... 

Wanaka's terminal... 

Lake Hawea across the aisle

The Cadrona Valley

Wanaka

Lake Wanaka

Lake Hawea

A left turn looking back to Lake Wanaka

The upper reaches of Lake Hawea looking at The Neck where the Haast Pass crosses the ridge to follow Lake Wanaka on the other side.

The Ahuriri Valley 

Lake Ohau

The Ohau Canal left joining the Pukaki Canal right flowing into the headwaters of Lake Ruataniwha

Twizel

Pukaki Airport

Mount Cook left and Mount Tasman right

The Rakaia River again

Hororata with the gliding airfield clearly visible

Safely back in Christchurch

Bad Luck for Island Airline

  

Two aircraft have been seriously damaged in separate incidents on Great Barrier Island. No-one was injured in the incidents involving 10-seat Britten Norman Islanders operated by Fly My Sky, airline CEO Keith McKenzie said. The first incident occurred on Friday as the plane was landing at the Okiwi airstrip in the north of the island because the main airfield at Claris had been closed due to a large bushfire nearby. McKenzie said the plane had suffered significant structural damage and it could not be flown off the island. They would have to sling the plane under a helicopter and fly it 120 kilometres back to Auckland International Airport. McKenzie said there was no need for an investigation into the accident. "We are aware of what it was," he said. "It was wind sheer, just on touchdown, that created that problem." Yesterday at Claris a fire truck reversed into the back of another Islander causing serious damage to the tail. McKenzie said it would take several days before the plane could be repaired and flown back to Auckland. He said the airline, which had four Islanders, was able to use other aircraft to maintain schedules.

Nothing obvious... BN Islander ZK-DLA at Okiwi after its heavy landing.

Source : http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8231524/Rough-landing-grounds-plane

Welcome aboard Air NZ Link Flight 2011 to Wanaka

On Wednesday of this week Air New Zealand withdraw's it air service to Wanaka. Before it ended I  wanted to take the opportunity to fly the service. Grabaseat fares of $45 each way and Airpoints made it possible for me to fly one of New Zealand's most scenic routes on the 8th of January 2013...
 

My ride to Wanaka... Beech 1900 flying NZ2011 flown by Brett and Alister...   

Our flight path today took us south towards Ashburton with great views of Lake Ellesmere

The changing face of the Canterbury Plains... green and circles as dairy becomes more prominent

The braided Rakaia River.

Ashburton

The headwaters of the Rangitata River

Mount Cook and Mount Tasman

Fairlie

Approaching Lake Tekapo with Mount Cook and Mt Tasman behind

Lake Tekapo

Lake Pukaki looking up towards Mounts Cook and Tasman

Top left, Lake Ruataniwha with the hydro canal flowing down into the headwaters of Lake Benmore while in the top right is Lake Pukaki

Lake Ohau

Benmore dam was spilling water - it must have been a spectacular sight on the ground.

Real Central Otago scenery on the GPS approach into Wanaka

The Clutha River

Bouncing along as we approach Wanaka airport and pass the Pisa Range with is dusting of new snow

Flying the News - Nairn Air

Nairn Aviation Ltd was registered on the 12th of October 1972 by Bryce and May Nairn. Bryce had been with the Nelson Aero Club for six-and-a-half years and, at the time the company was established he had had 15 years of commercial flying experience and 5,500 flying hours behind him.

Trading as Nairn Air, the company started operations in November 1972 and initially offered flight training and charter work such as aerial photography, air ambulance, supply drops and power line surveying using two Cessna 172s and a Cessna 150 out of Nelson though later training was also provided at Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika between 1974 and 1977.

Bryce Nairn and the Nairn Air fleet at Nelson in November 1972. Photo : Nelson Photo News, No 145, 11 November 1972

Training with Nairn Air - Cessna 150 ZK-COI at Greymouth on 29 November 1973. Photo : I Coates

On the 8th of September 1975 Nairn Air commenced a scheduled service between Nelson and Westport for the carriage of the Westport newspaper, “The News”, which was printed in Nelson. Previously Capital Air Services had flown the newspaper to Westport but when Capital moved to their summer timetable the newspapers arrived too late to catch the country buses north as far as Karamea and south to Charleston. The Nairn Air flight from Nelson was scheduled to arrive at Westport, Monday to Friday, at about 2.45 p.m. and depart immediately after on return to Nelson. Passenger seats were available northbound and on the southbound flights subject to space. At the time this meant there were ten aircraft movements to and from Westport each week day; four operated by NAC, four by Capital Air Services and two by Nairn Aviation.



Nairn Air's Cessna 172 ZK-CDS at Greymouth on 12 January 1975. Photo : B Whebell



The Westport News continued to be printed in Nelson until 1977. Did Nairn Air continue to operate the Nelson-Westport service until then?

Nairn Air's Cessna 172 ZK-DEP at Hokitika in 1978. Photo : S Lowe

In 1980 Associated Aviation (Nelson) Limited took over Nairn Aviation and this new company continued to offer flight training, air charter and air taxi work from Nelson.

Fleet Included

Cessna 150

ZK-CKS (c/n 150-61567)                              

ZK-CSV (c/n 150-66005)

ZK-COI (c/n 150-62870)

ZK-CXF (c/n 150-68392)
ZK-CXK (c/n 150-68247)
ZK-CXL (c/n 150-68308)

Cessna 172

ZK-CDS (c/n 172-50524)

ZK-CWK (c/n 29604

ZK-DAT (c/n 172-59648)

ZK-DBL (c/n 172-57339)
ZK-DEP (c/n 172-58879)

ZK-DUK (c/n 172-66203)

ZK-ERB (c/n 17268887)

Morane Saulnier MS880B Rallye Club 

ZK-CKL (c/n 5347)

Piper Pa28R-201 Arrow

ZK-EIF (c/n 28R-7837132)