Originally Posted by
Fris B. Fairing
When Air NZ retired their Electras in 1972, only their DC-8s could operate into WLG whereas Qantas 707s could not. With the imminent retirement of the DC-8s in 1981, neither airline would have an aeroplane able to operate into WLG. .
I didn't know Wellington was good for the DC8 but not the 707. It's a surprising way round, because I always thought the 707 wing was better. Douglas had multiple goes at getting the DC8 wing right from the original arrangement, including a wholesale redesign for the DC8-62, but the ANZ fleet was DC8-50s. Boeing had invested in their own wind tunnel in the 1950s, in Seattle (TDR can probably tell us about it), but Donald Douglas would only buy time on NASA etc tunnels.
A UK business colleague had previously spent some years sent over to run the New Zealand office. He had all the stories about turbulent approaches into Wellington. He said more than once participants in national business meetings arrived from elsewhere with injuries and bleeding from being rolled around against the cabin wall on approach. He said it was accepted as a fact of New Zealand life. If I'm not mistaken they have never had an accident there.