Thanks to Terry Hodges for the photos of the vintage aircraft that were in Nelson this weekend to celebrate a 100 years since the first aeroplane landed in Nelson. On the 11th of November 1921 the Nelson received its first visit of an aeroplane, the New Zealand Aero Transport Company 's Avro 504K E9429. There is coverage of the first flight here... http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2018/11/flying-dom-it-began-97-years-ago.html
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Four vintage aircraft were at Nelson to mark the occasion...
The first, coming from the deep south, was the Croydon Aircraft Co Ltd's de Havilland DH89B Dominie ZK-AKY
Across from Blenheim was De Havilland DH 83C Fox Moth ZK-APT
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| The front office of the Fox Moth enables to pilot to peer into passenger cabin |
From the other end of the country, Stan Smith's de Havilland DH 84 Dragon ZK-AXI
For AXI it was a homecoming, it used to operate with the Nelson Aero Club
Classic de Havilland, with the Fox Moth folded back...
and the quick little question, Which airline operated all three types?
And the fourth aircraft, Avro 652A Anson Mk I ZK-RRA
Was it Air Travel? I dont think West Coast Airways had the Fox Moth by then..
ReplyDeleteIt was Air Travel... During WWII they operated the air service from Hokitika through to Nelson and to South Westland using DH Fox Moth and Dragonfly aircraft. After Dragonfly AGP was lost in sea off Westport on 21/12/1942 Dragon AHT was obtained. Sadly that too was lost on the Hope Saddle on 30/06/1944 with one of the dead being Bert Mercer founder of Air Travel. The replacement was Dominie/Dragon Rapide ZK-AHS... The chocolate fish is in the mail
ReplyDeleteHaha thanks Steve ;) I had a feeling it was Air Travel. What a great time for Aviation on the Coast! It all seems so dull nowadays doesnt it!
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