Wellington airport in NZ in the 1930s

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Some footage, mostly captured at Rongotai Aerodrome, Wellington, NZ, in the 1930s, but with a snippet filmed at Milson Aerodrome, Palmerston North showing a DH.86 Express.

Also, a visit to Wellington Harbour by Imperial Airways Short S.23 Empire flying-boat G-ADUT Centaurus.

WELLINGTON’S BUSY AIRPORT (ngataonga.org.nz) (https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/search-use-collection/search/F863/)

[thnarg]

Kia ora and thanks for that

[VictorGolf]

Really interesting to see all the UK aircraft companies that have long gone i.e de Havilland, Comper, Miles, Percival ,Hawker et al.. Still you got your own back as I own a Victa Airtourer which was built in NZ and re-assembled in UK as a Glos-Airtourer. Also interesting to see passengers boarding the Dragon Rapide while it was being re-fuelled. Times change.

[Planemike]

Also interesting to see passengers boarding the Dragon Rapide while it was being re-fuelled. Times change.

Victor Golf.... I am sure you do not do it that way at Duxford !!! 😉😉

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Thanks Kiwithrottlejockey - a lovely nostalgic film - what a distance 'Centaurus' had travelled - wonderful stuff.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Regarding that DH.86 Express ... Union Airways had three of them, but they handed them over to the RNZAF at the outbreak of WWII. They didn't fare well in air force service and only had a short operational life before being parked up and allowed to deteriorate, but at the end of WWII, Union Airways took the remains of two of them and rebuilt them into one good aircraft, then put it back into service as a civil airliner on the Gisborne-Tauranga-Auckland route for a short period of time. But it was replaced after a few months by Lockheed L.10A Electra airliners, so they handed it back to the RNZAF. And the RNZAF chopped it up, then burned the remains. The very last DH.86 Express in existence anywhere in the world and it was airworthy and registered, yet they simply discarded it. What a waste and what a loss. Just think, with a bit of foresight and preservation, that DH.86 could have been on display in the aircraft display hall at MOTAT in Auckland today, along with the other historic aircraft in their collection. One could say the same about the Short S.30 Empire flying-boat ZK-AMA “Aotearoa” S.886 which survived a few years longer than the other Empire 'boats, only to be cut-up for scrap after it had been on display to the public for a few years at Mission Bay in Auckland.

[VictorGolf]

With regard to the DH 86 Express, I well remember G-ACZP flying over our back garden in Blackpool plying it's trade on the Squires Gate to Isle of Man service in the 50s. I believe it ended up derelict in Spain after a landing accident although rumours still circulate that the bits are around "somewhere". And you are quite right PlaneMike, H and S would have a fit if we refuelled our Rapides at Duxford with passengers on board.

[Planemike]

The deH 86 Express has always fascinated me. Sadly I missed seeing CZP at Eastleigh but only just!! Great shame it was written off at Barajas. It suffered an undercarriage collapse but more damage was done by the firemen who were tasked with moving it so the airfield could reopen. Have never seen a photograph of it after it was damaged or in its derelict state. Do seem to recall seeing some "movie" on U-tube. ZK-AEG/NZ533/ZK-AHW was by no means the last "flier" or indeed the last survivor. Yes, indeed it is a shame did not survive to gain a place in MOTAT.<br />At least four survived to fly in Britain and the Middle East in the late 40s. Four 86s were sold to DHY Devlet Hava Yollari in 1937. Little has been recorded or published about their operation and demise. It is possible one (TC-ERK) may have been flying as late as 1963. This has never been confirmed. The Bellamy family had plans to rebuild an 86 at Lands End using recovered components, exact origins unknown. Sadly these plans came to nought. Final snippet: about a month ago I was speaking to two guys who had flown in CZP at Squires Gate.....
BTW The Wellington film was wonderful, contains some real gems....Thanks for posting.

[VictorGolf]

Crikey, for a minute there Mike I thought you had said that you'd spoken two guys who'd flown CZP IN to Squires Gate. I wondered what I'd missed. Definitely need new glasses.

[Planemike]

Crikey, for a minute there Mike I thought you had said that you'd spoken two guys who'd flown CZP IN to Squires Gate. I wondered what I'd missed. Definitely need new glasses.<br />Chris, Ha ha....!! Both my recent contacts would certainly have been under ten years of age when they were passengers!! Have probably met two people who flew CZP at Eastleigh, Viv Bellamy and the then CFI at Hampshire Aero Club Jimmy Douse: in 1962. .

[dduxbury310]

Yes, some wonderful stuff on this film, but to get the "GOOD" details in the introduction, completely ignore the first summary, and go straight to the second one, which is written by a cople of fellows who know what they are talking about. Ordering ANYBODY, and particulalry somebody who has not got a clue on the main subject of a film is a waste of time and money. They may be normal, well adjusted and probably reasonably intelligent people, but asking them to identify aircraft from another era is a HUGE ask, and frankly putting them in this situation is just so unfair. Thank goodness for Errol Martyn and the other person who were presumably asked to provide the vastly more informative second attempt at a good commentary!

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Yes, some wonderful stuff on this film, but to get the "GOOD" details in the introduction, completely ignore the first summary, and go straight to the second one, which is written by a cople of fellows who know what they are talking about. Ordering ANYBODY, and particulalry somebody who has not got a clue on the main subject of a film is a waste of time and money. They may be normal, well adjusted and probably reasonably intelligent people, but asking them to identify aircraft from another era is a HUGE ask, and frankly putting them in this situation is just so unfair. Thank goodness for Errol Martyn and the other person who were presumably asked to provide the vastly more informative second attempt at a good commentary!

You should make contact with Nga Tonga Sound & Vision NZ. They are generally really receptive to corrections to the information with their archived films on their website. You have to remember that they are archivists and not aviation enthusiasts, so unlike plenty of people who frequent messageboard forums such as this, they aren't experts. I have communicated with them in the past about errors in the descriptions with some of their archived films, and they have usually corrected those descriptions then let me know about what they have done.

[Fargo Boyle]

Found on Youtube - I think this is the film of ZP you were referring to, from Viv Bellamy's archive 8mm home movies, from 21 minutes on. Some amazing footage!

https://youtu.be/E8DjqbxTisA?t=1259

[VictorGolf]

Oh my, those pictures of the DH 86 in her duck egg blue Lancashire Aircraft colours took me back to the many hours I spent hanging over the fence at Squires Gate (Blackpool) airport in the 1950s. Thanks for posting the film and in colour too!