Way to Go Golden Bay Air!

Golden Bay Air is one of the most dynamic and progesseive airlines in New Zealand. This article by Gerard Hindmarsh in the Golden Bay Weekly updates what they've been up to...

This year marks the first winter of continuous scheduled flights on Golden Bay Air’s Takaka to Wellington route, thanks to two recent additions—a six-seat twin-engine Piper Seneca aircraft, and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) instrument approach procedure for Takaka Aerodrome.

Air service owners Richard Molloy and Lisa Sheppard say their $600,000 investment in improvements over the last year, which also included the construction of a two-aircraft hangar, was necessary to close the winter and weather gaps that stopped them achieving a year-round schedule. “Before we put in the GNSS approach we operated under Visual Flight Rules, which meant if the cloud base was less than 1,000 feet, or visibility less than five kilometres anywhere along our route, we couldn’t fly. Now we can take off and land in low cloud and low visibility on the main runway,” said Richard. This new approach procedure is linked to the rest of the country’s instrument navigation network, literally putting Takaka on the aviation map.

“Our new plane is more capable, too. In addition to state-of-the-art GPS navigation equipment required for GNSS procedures, it has weather radar and de-icing equipment, including pneumatic boots along the leading edges of the wings, heated propellers and windscreen, all to shed ice buildup. From now on we should only be delayed by very windy conditions or very low cloud or visibility.”

Over the last year, Golden Bay Air flew 3,200 passengers between Takaka and Wellington, running eight flights weekly over winter and up to four flights a day in peak season. That service represents around 90 percent of their work, the balance being Heaphy Track flights from Karamea, scenic and charter flights. They also operate a shuttle service and a rental car to complement their flight services. The two other planes that make up Golden Bay Air’s all-Piper fleet are both single-engined: a six-seat Saratoga (registration ZK-ZIG) and a four-seat Archer (ZK-ZOG). The company purchased its Seneca (ZK-ZAG) in Canada last year and had it shipped out to begin service in June this year.

Lisa says their airline is definitely more a commuter service than a tourist service. “Around 70 percent of our passengers are connected in some way to Golden Bay. Many fly with us to visit family, friends or their holiday homes, but quite a few are commuting for work. People tell us we make it possible for them to live in Golden Bay and work elsewhere. We appreciate the support of many long-term regular customers. There’s great potential on the tourism side, and we’ll be working hard to build that up over the coming years.”

While both Richard and Lisa have their pilot licences, they employ two pilots, Daryl Williamson (operations manager) and Alex Wilkinson, who are also based here. They are currently advertising for a third pilot for the busy summer season. Lisa flew solo when she was 17 and got her private pilot licence two years later. Her previous career in Wellington was with the Ministry for the Environment, managing work on climate change, seabed and foreshore and oceans policy, while Richard used to be a graphic designer.

They started their flying operation as Capital Air in 2005 in conjunction with the Wellington Aero Club, with flights to Takaka commencing in January 2006. After three years the operation was shifted to Takaka and renamed Golden Bay Air. Other operators before them on the same route included Takaka Valley Air Services and Vincent Aviation, whose last flights were in early 2000.

Richard and Lisa would like to see more improvements at Takaka Aerodrome, in particular an upgrade to the cross-wind runway, which is little used these days due to its poor surface condition. Originally it was laid with clinker from the Golden Bay Cement Company, but this has broken up. Resurfacing would allow more take-offs and landings during bouts of westerly winds, and instrument approaches and landings in strong northerly conditions, they say. “If the aerodrome infrastructure is brought up to scratch, this would give us the confidence to develop our service even further,” says Lisa. Adds Richard: “For some time now we have approached the council [the aerodrome owner] about upgrading the cross-runway, apron and taxiways, which get muddy during wet weather, but so far no joy. The volunteer Takaka Aerodrome Management Committee, which has been delegated responsibility by the council for the day-to-day running of the aerodrome, is very supportive, but they can only go so far, as they have to work within the income generated by landing fees and leases at the aerodrome. A lot does get done, like site preparation, gravel taxiways to the hangars and recent upgrades to the aerodrome power supply. But in the end the aerodrome is a strategic asset for the Bay with positive social and economic spin-offs, so it would be great to see the council engaging, without removing local control.”

Golden Bay Air’s twin engine Piper Seneca. From left; owners Richard Molloy and Lisa Sheppard, pilot Alex Wilkinson, pilot and Operations Manager Daryl Williamson. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.

Source : http://gbweekly.co.nz/, 16 September 2011

For more on Golden Bay Air see: http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2011/06/sun-is-shining-on-golden-bay-air.html

The Air Services of the Northland Districts Aero Club

The Northland Districts Aero Club started at Kaikohe in 1952 with 20 members. In 1954 a Tiger Moth was purchased for £600, the money raised by debentures. In 1957 it moved its headquarters to Whangarei, basing itself in an old tin shed on the southern side of the aerodrome which, in those days, was just a big grassy paddock. Over time the club made two moves, first to an old, nearby NAC building and then to the large spacious headquarters on the northern side of the airport next to the main terminal. Over the years the Club, in addition to pilot training, was involved in charter and scenic trips, aerial photography, supply drops and air ambulance work and so it developed a commercial division trading as Northland Air Taxis.

Sporting Northland Air Taxis titles, Piper Pa28-140 Cherokee ZK-BZH taken at Whangarei on 4 August 1966.

In August 1970 NAC replaced their Douglas DC-3 service to Northland with Fokker Friendships. As part of the timetable reshuffle Whangarei lost its early morning service to Auckland. The Northland Districts Aero Club took this opportunity to introduce a twice daily return air taxi service to Auckland on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The service, which operated under the name of Executive Air Taxis, started on the 21st of August 1970 using their newly imported Piper Pa32-260 Cherokee Six ZK-DBP (c/n 32-1117).

Executive Air Taxis' first Piper Cherokee Six, ZK-DBP, taken a long way from home, at Timaru on 10 February 1976.

Timetable effective, October 1970

By the end of 1974 the service was expanded to offer a twice daily Monday to Friday morning and afternoon return service. Other aircraft that were used on service included Piper Pa32-260 Cherokee Six ZK-DSQ (c/n 32-1012), Piper Pa28-181 Archer ZK-NDA (c/n 28-7990423) and Piper Pa32-260 Cherokee Six ZK-DUO (c/n 32-7400043) which originally belonged to Culham Engineering Ltd but was later purchased by the Club.

Executive Air Taxis' Piper Cherokee Six ZK-DSQ at Rotorua on 27 January 1984.

Timetable effective December 1974

The Club always saw their service as complementary to NAC’s Auckland-Whangarei service and providing Whangarei business people an early morning departure. The overnighting of a Friendship at Whangarei from the mid-1970s caused some competition for the Club but the service continued. In October 1980, however, the Air New Zealand schedule was changed and the early morning service to Auckland was withdrawn. The club realised it needed a larger aircraft for the expected increase in passengers on the Auckland service. In late 1977, Dave Culham, an aero club member and director of Culham Engineering Ltd, had purchased four De Havilland 104 Devons from the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Club introduced Devon ZK-UDO (c/n 04412) to the Auckland air service on the 27th of October 1980. Initially only a morning return service was operated but a late afternoon service was added later. A second Devon, ZK-KTT (c/n 04324), was also used on the service.

In 1983 a group of Northland rugby enthusiasts were following the Northland rugby team around the South Island in Executive Air Taxis' De Havilland Devon ZK-UDO. Unfortunately weather precluded them getting to one of the games and so the Devon flew them to the sunny West Coast. I was lucky enough to get on board a flight offered to local aero club members. Taken at Hokitika on 13 August 1983.

On its home patch, De Havilland Devon ZK-KTT at Whangarei on 1 November 1986.

By 1985 the service had been rebranded as Whangarei Air Taxis and by the late 1980s the Club was offering three return flights each weekday. Flights departed Whangarei at 6.50am, 9.00am and 3.00pm and return flights departed Auckland at 8.00am, 10.00am and 5.00pm. By this time the costs of operating the aging Devon aircraft were becoming prohibitive and the Club decided to replace the Devons with a 12 seat Nomad aircraft. The cost of introducing the new aircraft was a $300,000 project, which included the purchase price, training, ground support and advertising, and it sought to raise this capital by way of debentures, the same way it had financed its first aircraft. The GAF N22B Nomad, ZK-NDB (c/n N22B-37), was registered to the Club in mid-August 1988 and introduced to the service some time after this.

De Havilland Devon ZK-UDO rebranded as Whangarei Air Taxi in March 1985. Photographer unknown

Northern Advocate, 25 July 1987

Whangarei Air Taxis GAF N22 Nomad at Auckland in 1989. Photographer unknown

In addition to the Auckland service the Club also operated flights to Great Barrier Island in competition with Great Barrier Airlines. These were normally on a charter basis but in November 1990 the club commenced scheduled flights to and from the Island on Mondays and Fridays. Plans to operate the service all year around did not come to pass and the service remained a summer only service. The scheduled service was last advertised in the Barrier Bulletin during the summer of 1992/1993 though an air taxi air service continued on demand.

Barrier Bulletin, November 1990

Barrier Bulletin, April 1993

In 1988 Air New Zealand announced the withdrawal of the their twice daily Friendship service to Whangarei in favour of Eagle Air offering up to five Bandeirante flights a day. The Northland District Aero Club manager, Mr Alan Ward, told the Northern Advocate he “was shattered when he heard news of the service changes.” While the Club had seen off competition on the Auckland-Whangarei route from Southern Cross Airways and Great Barrier Airlines the competition from the new Eagle Air service had a major impact. To counter this the club reached an inter-airline fare agreement with Ansett New Zealand for fares between Whangarei and Wellington and Christchurch. Ansett New Zealand, however, would not establish a formal link with an incorporated society and so in November 1989 the Northland Districts Aero Club formed Northern Commuter Airlines Ltd which was 40% owned by the club with 60% of the shares being held by private shareholders.

Piper Cherokee 6 ZK-DUO at Palmerston North on 25 June 1988 (above) and at Hokitika on 7 April 1996 (below)

 

Piper Cherokee 6 ZK-DBP at Christchurch on 7 September 1985

The Northland Districts Aero Club's Piper Archer ZK-NDA taken at West Melton on 28 March 1987.

In mid 2012 the Northland Districts Aero Club merged with the Whangarei Flying Club.

A post on Northern Commuter Airlines will follow at a later date.

As with all my posts I am open to correction, addition or deletion. I would love to hear from passengers or pilots of there experiences on any of these airlines to I can put a human face to the histories of NZ's smaller airlines. Thanks Steve - westland831@gmail.com

3 x Rugby World Cup Jets

Aucklanfd had its share of Rugby World Cup jets through today...

Representing Emirates, A6-EDN - is it registered after Eden Park??? Photos taken at Auckland by W Grant on 16 September 2011

Representing Qantas, ZK-ZQF. Photo taken by S Lowe at Auckland on 16 September 2011

Representing Air New Zealand, ZK-OAB. Photo taken by S Lowe at Auckland on 16 September 2011

Indecisive Cessna 180

Having flown from Kempsey (about 40 km north of Prt Macquarie) to Lord Howe Island, Cessna 180 VH-UUM (a rather undecisive rego) flew from Lord Howe Island to Auckland today. Photo taken at Auckland on 16 September 2011. Photo : S Lowe

Air New Zealand's Harvard and a Safe Air Bristol Freighter hulk

I am looking for registrations for these two aircraft... can you help?

This Harvard was taken at Christchurch on 29 September 1985.,, What was its RNZAF registration? Photo : S Lowe

Taken at Woodbourne on 7 February 1987... What was the rego of this Bristol Freighter. Photo : S Lowe

New Air Ambulance

Wayne Grant captured Skyline Aviation's new Beech King Air at Auckland on 10 September 2011. The King Air is being used on air ambulance and charter work from its Napier base.

Mainland Conversion

Mainland Air is no longer flying scheduled services out of Dunedin, focusing instead on training and charter. Jordan Kean has sent a photo of Cessna 152 which has just undergone a tail wheel conversion. Jordan writes it... "was back brought online on the 6-9-11. The conversion had been taking place at Southair since March this year. Finding a kit and getting approvals etc proved difficult, but we got there! Ended up getting a 150 kit, and changing it to suit. ETD is proving very popular now with the students."

Cessna 152 taildragger ZK-ETD at Dunedin in September 2011. Photo : J Kean

Mainland Air's Charter fleet. Photo : Mainland Air

Auckland's Jet Fest...

Wayne Grant had a ripper of a day catching up with international and domestic jet movements through Auckland on Saturday including Singapore Airlines, Air National (or should it be Vincent Aviation?), DHL, Thai, Air New Zealand, China Southern, Qantas, Jetstar and Air Vanuatu.

All photos were taken at Auckland on 10 September 2011 by Wayne Grant