Airlift (NZ) and its Air Service to Paraparaumu

Airlift (NZ) Ltd was the “flying-side” of Lynn (Mac) MacGregor’s Aircraft Engineering Co of NZ Ltd. MacGregor was the managing director of both companies. Airlift (NZ) was primarily involved in aerial topdressing but in 1955, with a topdressing base in Masterton, it was contracted by the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club to provide aircraft and flying services. The Club had been in recess since March 1951 due to financial constraints.

In June 1955 Paul Beauchamp Legg, who had just gained his Commercial Pilots Licence, was employed by Mac MacGregor to be the instructor and pilot for the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club operation and as well as to do some topdressing as an employee of Airlift (NZ). His first lesson as instructor was on the 8th of July 1955 from Masterton. Over the next few years he was to fly long hours in pilot training, aerial photography and air charter and ambulance flights, as well as aerial topdressing.

Further expansion came in early July 1956 when Airlift (NZ) took over Tom Withey’s, Air Contracts, Percival Proctor, ZK-AQJ, charter licence, photographer and photographic equipment. Paul Beauchamp Legg wrote, In addition to the aerial survey work, the Proctor was used for charter flights and a few of the club members checked out in this roomy four seater.

Airlift (NZ)'s Percival P44 Proctor V, ZK-AQJ, at Masterton

The following month, on the 1st of August 1956, De Havilland DH90 Dragonfly ZK-AFB (c/n 7560) was registered to Aircraft Engineering Co of NZ Ltd. The aircraft was to wear Airlift (N.Z.) Ltd Masterton titles and was used by Airlift (NZ) for air ambulance, air-charter and air-taxi, aerial photography work out of Masterton. Paul Beauchamp Legg recounts, I was employed as a topdressing pilot and part-time instructor but I became so busy instructing that I was very much full time with ultimately a Proctor, Piper 90, three or four Tigers, the Dragonfly and some private aircraft. Training, charter, ambulance, photography, experimental and anything else interesting that was offering in those heady "give it a go" days. 

A classic Bruce Gavin photo - Airlift (NZ)'s De Havilland Dragonfly and the Nelson Aero Club's De Havilland Dragon.

In August 1957 work started on the reconstruction of Wellington’s Rongotai Aerodrome. The closure of the Wellington airport required Wairarapa residents connecting with NAC flights to make a very long road and/or rail journey to Paraparaumu.

In his book, My Masterton Flying Years – the Memories of a Flying Instructor, Paul Beauchamp Legg, recounts Two NAC men came with Athol Fairbrother from Masterton to inspect the Dragonfly. They were very keen for us to start a regular service between Masterton and Paraparaumu. I wanted Mac to be in on the discussions but he was too busy to meet with us, so it was left to me to make all the arrangements. After much negotiating and canvassing I started a twice-weekly air service from Masterton to Paraparaumu and back. The flight time was around 25 minutes.

As a result Airlift (NZ) started a twice-weekly air service between Masterton and Paraparaumu to link up with NAC’s main trunk services. On the 3rd of December 1957 Paul Beauchamp Legg flew the first Masterton-Paraparaumu service in the Dragonfly ZK-AFB. The first passengers were Mr K H Ferguson, a purser on the Lyttelton to Wellington ferry  Hinemoa who was travelling to Christchurch and Mr Robert Saggers and Miss Doreen Taplin, representatives of a travel agency. Flights were offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The first passengers for the first flight on 3 December 1957. From left, Mr K H Ferguson, Mr Robert Saggers, Miss Doreen Taplin and pilot Paul Beauchamp Legg. Photo : Wairarapa Times Age, 4 December 1957

 

Continuing his account Paul writes, Flying that service was quite an event, well supported by the business community who, by Christmas 1957, were starting to offer loads that were too big to fit into the Dragonfly. From the beginning we held our own financially and with bookings ahead, the service looked to make a reasonable profit.

Three Paul Beauchamp Legg photos of DH Dragonfly ZK-AFB with Airlift (NZ) titles

If there was very little freight or just one passenger who was agreeable and nothing to come back I sometimes used a Tiger Moth or our new 90hp Piper Cub BQZ.

Piper PA18 Cub ZK-BQZ which was occasionally used by Airlift (NZ) on its Masterton-Paraparaumu service. Photo : Don Noble

Bruce Gavin prepared some notes from a letter Paul Legg wrote to him about the service.,, The service was also flown using a 90hp Piper PA18 Cub two seat trainer on occasion when there was only one passenger. Paul reports "hovering" for about twenty minutes over a farmers cow shed during a thunder storm. He could see straight below, but not ahead. Winds for a short while would have reached the Piper's cruising speed of around eighty miles per hour. Once the storm had passed, Paul and his passenger carried on over the ranges west of Pahiatua to Paraparaumu.

In My Masterton Flying Years – the Memories of a Flying Instructor, Paul writes extensively on the challenges of flying over the Ruahine ranges between Masterton and Paraparaumu and the winds and turbulence that were going to be the downfall of the service. (Paul records the following incident as occurring on December 14th 1958) but as he was already in Hokitika at that time and I believe it should read as I have reproduced it as January 14th). On January 14th 1958 I managed to fly above the turbulence with two passengers Paraparaumu. While waiting there I took five passengers for a joyride around Kapiti Island, then, as there was neither freight nor anyone wanting to go back to Masterton I took off empty and climbed in the clear directly towards Masterton. Because I was going downwind I had the speed reduced to ease the severity of the turbulence.

"Thank God I'm through that lot," I said to myself, relaxing as the air smoothed.

Without any warning there was a terrific thump. It felt as if I'd been hit on the head with a hammer, a large hammer. Fortunately I did not have any freight on board and apart from cushions on the empty passenger seats being tossed around, all seemed well. I landed back at Masterton and as I was getting out I discovered that the middle seat was loose.

Inspection showed that the spar had been split. Next day Bruce Reeves, who had joined us from Air Contracts as an engineer, found the main spar split in two places.

The day was not finished for me. There was dual to do, books to enter, (2 for every aircraft, my own logbooks, the flying sheets and the fuel sheets to balance as well as the money. That particular day I finished a photographic job in the darkroom at a quarter to two in the morning. For that day I had done 19 hours. My phone rang at 6.a.m. next morning! I am amazed now at the hours I worked to keep the outfit going.

With the Dragonfly out of the air and the service now becoming established, Mac said that he would allow me to hire another aeroplane, "so long as it does not run at a loss." As I already had bookings to make the service pay well, I arranged with Wally Harding to hire his Fox Moth but Mac would not pay the insurance. Mac and I had an argument during which I pointed out that in the three years I had been with him I had never had a holiday and with the Dragonfly out of the air and no other aeroplane to do the service, I was going to take my family for a week to the seaside. Mac called me a bloody something. I may have reciprocated. I hoped to meet Claude Stephenson on our way to or from our holiday and hopefully he would sort Mac and me out, but I missed him. When I returned to Masterton John Pearce said Mac was prepared to accept my resignation. Whether he fired me or I resigned I do not know. I think I resigned. From Masterton Paul and his family moved to Hokitika where he was employed by West Coast Airways.

In a final postscript Paul writes of the service, We went regularly on certain days when we had passengers or freight. Had Mac allowed me to continue the service would have been very profitable. So ended Masterton’s first air service.

In July 1960 Airlift (N.Z.) Ltd was placed into receivership.

 

Registered to Airlift (NZ) Ltd

Auster B.8 Agricola        

ZK-BMJ (c/n B.102)        09/04/1958 12/05/1960 
ZK-BMK (c/n B.103)        00/05/1957 11/05/1957  Destroyed Masterton

Cessna 180

ZK-BGO (c/n 31183)       05/04/1955 21/04/1960 

De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth      

ZK-AIT (c/n DHNZ64)      01/10/1954 00/00/1961  Withdrawn from use
ZK-ASY (c/n DHNZ130)  13/11/1953 13/03/1954  Crashed Matau, North Taranaki
ZK-BEY (c/n 84663)        05/05/1954 00/00/1965  Withdrawn from use
ZK-BFC (c/n 82301)        21/07/1954 03/05/1955  Crashed Toko, South Taranaki
ZK-BGV (c/n 85450)        17/12/1954 11/08/1957  Destroyed Masterton
ZK-BNA (c/n DHNZ169)  13/06/1956 22/05/1957 

Percival Proctor 5

ZK-AQJ (c/n Ae.50)         31/07/1956 24/03/1960 

 

Registered to Aircraft Engineering Co of NZ Ltd

Auster J/5F Aiglet Trainer

ZK-ATP (c/n 2650)          24/07/1950 26/06/1953

De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth      

ZK-BMY (c/n DHNZ101)  22/12/1955 09/09/1961
ZK-BNB (DHNZ171)       22/12/1955 14/02/1958 
ZK-BRH (c/n DHNZ120)  26/09/1956 09/10/1957  Destroyed Masterton
- Wairarapa & Ruahine Aero Club, Masterton...operator
ZK-BRL (c/n DHNZ123)  22/05/1957 06/09/1961  

De Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly

ZK-AFB (c/n 7560)          01/08/1956 17/08/1960

Piper PA-18-95 Super Cub

ZK-BQZ (c/n 18-5978)     26/03/1958 05/11/1959 

Piper PA-18A-150 Super Cub

ZK-BPE (c/n 18-6191)     19/12/1958 09/08/1960 
ZK-BPF (c/n 18-6192)     19/02/1958 15/03/1961