Happy Birthday Auckland International

Today it is 50 years since the opening of Auckland International Airport...

Check out this great clip of the big day...  https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/#inbox/1513340d848c65a3?projector=1

And here was the day's programme...

Saturday 29th January 1966 Flying Programme

Light Aircraft - Manufacturer's Handling Display

9.30am to 10.00am

Ultra Light Aircraft Club - Druine Turbulent Ultra Light Aircraft handling display

Airwork (NZ) Ltd - Piper Twin Commanche handling display

Aero Engine Services - Mooney 21 handling display

Seabrook Fowlds Ltd - Morane Saulnier Rallye handling display

Airwork (NZ) Ltd - Piper Cherokee 6 handling display

Victa (NZ) Ltd - Victa 115 aerobatic display

Auckland Flying School - Cessna 150 handling display

Light Aircraft - Agricultural Aircraft Display

10.30am to 11.00am

James Aviation Ltd - Tiger Moth Aerial Display

Glen Murray Syndicate - Piper PA18 and Airwork (NZ) Ltd - Piper Pawnee Combined Aerial Topdressing Display

Thames Aerial Topdressing Co. - Fletcher James Aviation Ltd - Ceres Combined Aerial Topdressing Display

Barr Bros. - Cessna 185 - Barr Bros. Beaver - Combined Aerial Topdressing Display

Thames Aerial Topdressing Co. - Piper Pawnee Aerial Spraying Display

Waitomo Aircraft Co. Ltd - Airtruck Aerial Topdressing Display

Marine Helicopter Ltd - Hughes Helicopter Aerial Spraying Display

Adastra Ltd - Snow Aerial Topdressing Display

James Aviation - Douglas DC3 Aerial Topdressing Display

Light Aircraft - Parachute Club, Gliding Club, Helicopter Display

11.30am to 12.00 noon

Combined Parachutes Clubs massed parachute display, 33 parachutists jumping from 2500 feet and landing on dropping zone on airfield

Auckland Gliding Club formation gliding display following release at 3000 feet

Alexander Helicopter Services helicopter handling display

Westland SRN 5 Hovercraft handling display

Official Opening

12.30pm

Introductory Remarks by Chairman of Airport Division, Auckland Regional Authority Mr. R. Bennett, MBE

Address by Mr. H.G. Lambie, Chairman Auckland Regional Authority

Address by the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Keith J. Holyoake, C.H.

Official opening by His Excellency The Governor General, Brigadier Sir Bernard Ferguson, GCMG, GCVO, DSO, OBE

Combined Aero Clubs and P-51D Mustang Display

1.30pm to 2.00pm

Auckland Aero Club mass take-off followed by a display of Formation Flying, Solo Aerobatics and Synchronised Aerobatics

Fox Moth - early passenger aircraft flying display

North American P-51D Mustang

Civil Transport Aircraft / Jet Turbine Aircraft and Hovercraft Display

2.20pm to 2.50pm

Air New Zealand Douglas DC8 take-off and climb

British Aircraft Company BAC1-11 (G-ASYE) take-off and climb

Westland SRN 5 Hovercraft handling display

British Aircraft Company BAC1-11 (G-ASYE) handling display

Air New Zealand Douglas DC8 handling display

Qantas Empire Airways Boeing 707 scheduled arrival from Sydney

Military Aircraft

3.00pm to 4.17pm

A streaming take-off of four RAAF Mirages.

A formation fly-past of 13 Harvard’s of the RNZAF followed by a co-coordinated solo and formation aerobatic display by four Harvard’s

A landing of an RAF Vulcan displaying drag chute

Fly-past by one RNZAF Short Sunderland

A co-coordinated fly-past of the following aircraft:

1 x RAF Avro Shackleton

1 x RAAF Lockheed Neptune (A89-309)

1 x USAF C-141 Starlifter (38090)

1 x RAF de Havilland Comet

A formation flying and solo aerobatic display by four RAAF Mirages

Handling display by a US Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion

Streaming take-off by two USAF McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms.

A handling display including take-off by the RAF Vulcan

A co-coordinated Air/Army tactical display demonstrating the operational deployment of the following aircraft:

1 x RNZAF Auster - Psychological Warfare

1 x RNZAF Douglas C-47 Dakota - Paratroop Drop

1 x RNZAF Canberra

1 x RAAF Canberra - Air Strike

4 x RNZAF Vampires

1 x RNZAF Hercules - Assault Landing - Troops

1 x RAAF Hercules - Assault Landing - Artillery

1 x RNZAF Bristol Freighter - Aerial re-supply

1 x USAF Hercules - Aerial re-supply

1 x RNZAF Bell 47G Sioux - Casualty Evacuation

Flight Refueling Demonstration by a KC135 tanker and two Phantoms of the USAF

A landing by the RNZAF Canberra

A Landing and take-off by a Qantas Boeing 707

Freefall parachute display by the FEAF team from an RAF Argosy

A coordinated high speed and handling display by two USAF Phantoms

Landing by Qantas Boeing 707

Formation aerobatic display by four RNZAF Vampires.