UPDATED MARCH 2026
There is a background post on Rex Air Charter at http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2011/04/rex-air-charter-cessna-operator.html and a post on their Waiheke Island service at http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/rex-air-charter-waiheke-island-service.html.
Harry Jenkins, a Pukekohe bulldozer-driving contractor, started learning to fly with the Waikato Aero Club, gaining his PPL in 1960 and his commercial and instructor ratings in 1966. Moving into the aviation industry he started flying for Paraparaumu based New Zealand Aero Sales. When this company was sold he started the Paraparaumu Flying School, a branch of Jim Bergman's Auckland Flying School which was later sold to Rex Aviation.
Peter Bateman recounts in the AHSNZ Journal of November 1972 that The Rex Flying School and Air Charter Ltd commenced operations from Paraparaumu on the 1st of August 1967 using Cessna 150 ZK-CHH and Piper Super Cub ZK-BQY. BQY was replaced shortly afterwards by Tripacer BSG and CHH was replaced by Cessna 150 ZK-BWX. This aircraft was severely damaged when it overturned on 10 April 196 during the storm in which the Wahine sank in Wellington. Replacements arrived in the shape of Cessna 150s ZK-BVY and ZK-CTS was Tripacer BSG was replaced by Cessna 172 ZK-CFD.
Three Cessna 185s (ZK-CAN, -CHS and -CKO) have been operated at various times, Cessna 150 ZK-BVY was replaced by Cessna 150 ZK-CSV, which in turn was replaced by the rebuilt Cessna 150 ZK-CTE. Cessna 172 ZK-CFD was replaced by Cessna 177B ZK-DAO and CTB was replaced by Cessna 150 ZK-CXI. The Cessna 185 ZK-CAN was replaced by Cessna 207 which arrived late in 1971.
On the 31st of January 1972 Paraparaumu based Rex Air Charter Ltd and Westland Air Ltd (see http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/westland-air-and-its-air-taxi-services.html) started a new air service connecting Paraparaumu and Wellington with Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika using Rex Air Charter's Cessna 207 ZK-DFD supported by Westland Air's Cessna 172s ZK-CFD and ZK-CKN. Initially, the service operated from Paraparaumu south to Hokitika three times a week with the southbound flights leaving on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The aircraft overnighted at Hokitika and flew the northbound flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. Harry Jenkins, manager and chief pilot of Rex Air Charter, told the Greymouth Evening Star on the 31st of January 1972 that "the timetable would remain flexible until a pattern was established according to demand... If required stops will be made at Greymouth and Westport before going on to Wellington Airport where the scheduled arrival time is 9.50am. Mr Jenkins said the aircraft would bypass Greymouth or Westport if there were no passengers or freight to collect. ‘The whole thing is quite flexible.’” He also suggested in the Hokitika Guardian that “the service would also fill the gap left by NAC when it cuts its connection between Hokitika and Westport on May 30 1972.”
However, the new service was a surprise to Civil Aviation authorities. Rex Flying School Ltd, which traded as Rex Air Charter, was licenced to operate an air charter and air taxi service licence from Paraparaumu with one Cessna 177 and one Cessna 207, but it was not permitted to operate from Wellington. Westland Air’s licence allowed it to operate air charter and air taxi services licence from Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika with two Cessna 172s. Neither of the operators was licenced to operate a service as described in the local press reports.
The Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport acknowledged that theoretically the service could be conducted under the two air taxi licences. But they felt that if there was to be a regular service then it should be classified as non-scheduled service and appropriate licences needed to be sought. This fact was made known to both companies.
Meanwhile, the service was not proving particularly successful. Only 24 people used it in the first month, with Westland Air completing one return flight between the West Coast and Wellington and Rex Flying School flying five flights. The companies made the decision to reduce the service to two flights a week, on Mondays and Fridays southbound and Tuesdays and Saturdays northbound.
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| Greymouth Evening Star 2 February 1972 |
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| Just days after the service started Cessna was photographed at Greymouth on the 4th of February 1972. |
Westland Air subsequently withdrew from the partnership with Rex Air Charter. With Rex not being able to operate from Wellington it was dropped as a destination, as was Hokitika. Rex continued to operate the service for a number of years using its air taxi licence and an on a seat charge basis.
The service initially used Cessna 207 ZK-DFD (c/n 207-00188) with Westland Air Ltd’s Cessna 172D ZK-CFD (c/n 172-50279) and Cessna 172F ZK-CKN (c/n 172-52194) as back up aircraft. Occasionally, when lighter loads were carried, Cessna 177B Cardinals ZK-DAO (c/n 177-01530) and ZK-DIG (c/n 177-01876) were used. In June 1973 Cessna 337G Super Skymaster ZK-DRO (c/n 337G-1590) was also added to the Rex Air Charter fleet and used on the West Coast service.
Over the summer months, with the longer daylight evenings, the company operated a different schedule. The southbound flights were unchanged by the northbound service returned straight to Paraparaumu without overnighting.
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| The Dominion, 30 January 1974 |
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| Cessna 337 Super Skymaster ZK-DRO at Greymouth on 11 July 1974. |
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| Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1974 |
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