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Post by kiwibeavers on Jan 19, 2011 17:59:02 GMT 12
Hey Ryan, Harley says post more photos..........  |
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Post by starr on Mar 10, 2012 18:44:04 GMT 12
After going through this forum, I thought the following may be of interest. i loaded on the AG Daks part time from 1960 to 1962 at Ardmore and then full time from 1962 to 1969 when I started flying. First with Airland NZ Ltd and then James.
My first flight ever was in AZL off Ardmore with Jack Humphries. The pilots I loaded over the years were Jack Priest, Jack Humphries, Dick Brooks, Murray Eastman (Australian), Gerry Oman, George Allan, Don Clow, Bruce Thompson (Lodestar), Bill Peterson and Gerry Kluck.
I loaded AZL BYF, CQA, AOI, and BJM (Lodestar). I flew AZA for the first month that it was in operation as an Ag aeroplane.
Bill Peterson and I were the first to carry a Fiat 500 in the back of the aeiorplane in 1965. After I left driving the Fiat was exchanged for a Mini.
Airland NZ Ltd was formed by Fieldair Ltd, (Lodestars) James Aviation Ltd, (1 DC3) Rural Aviation Ltd, (1 DC3) and Air Contracts Ltd (silent partner). Air Contracts pulled out early in the piece, and James in December 1962.
In the lower North Island area there were quite a few strips used.
The places I worked both for Airland and James were, Kaitaia, Kaikohe, Whangarei, Ardmore, Hamilton, Waharoa, Tauranga, Whakatane, Rotorua, Galatea, Rangitaiki, Wanganui, Ohingaiti and Tangiwai.
Single Pilot operations started probably late 1959 or early 1960. The undercarriage and flap levers were modified so that the pilot could reach them without having to bend down. The feathering buttons were shifted to a position to be reached easily from the left hand seat. Also the hopper controls were changed to complete hydraulic operation using the old cowl flap operating levers. Later this was changed to electric/hydraulic with the opening and closing operated by an electric switch.
In the early days entry was only from the hatch in front of the port engine. an extention ladder was used to enter and exit. Later entry was from a hatch from the port wing. A short ladder at the trailing edge of the wing.
There are several photos on the website kiwibeavers.com which I have supplied.
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Post by starr on Mar 10, 2012 19:00:30 GMT 12
Fogot one pilot. Reg Plane. Loaded for him in 1966 when Bill Peterson was off work with broken bone in his foot. Slipped off the ladder after re fuelling.
Reg was the first pilot on AZL.
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Post by eieio on Mar 11, 2012 7:33:45 GMT 12
Starr,did you fly fert or carrots off Galatea?
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Post by flyernzl on Mar 11, 2012 8:05:02 GMT 12
Thanks for the memories Starr.
Something that we will never see again.
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Post by starr on Mar 11, 2012 15:46:12 GMT 12
Reply to eieio. Sowed fert on to two farms at Matawai.
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Post by eieio on Mar 11, 2012 21:05:43 GMT 12
Well travelled fert,railed to Horomanga siding from the Mount , unloaaded by clamshell, 10 miles by Bedford to Galatea field and then 70 miles by Dak at [by my chart] no less than 3000 feet A S L. Probably we can guess why it did not become a regular occurence.
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Post by thomarse on Mar 12, 2012 6:28:57 GMT 12
Dave, was there a political reason for not doing Matawai out of Gisborne?
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Post by starr on Mar 12, 2012 6:36:06 GMT 12
thomarse, not that I know of. Think it was all on price. In later years the same jobs were done off Whakatane.
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Post by fadge on Mar 12, 2012 10:00:53 GMT 12
What sort of swath width did you work on, Dave? About a wingspan?
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Post by starr on Mar 12, 2012 15:48:38 GMT 12
About a wingspan, John.
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Post by fadge on Mar 12, 2012 18:35:46 GMT 12
It always looked like a nice pattern, from sowing pictures I have seen. What sort of hourly rate was the DC 3 returning at the end? |
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Post by starr on Mar 13, 2012 15:34:21 GMT 12
John. Don't know what the hourly rate was at the end. I last flew AZL in 1974.
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Post by lovethe400noise on Mar 13, 2012 16:33:26 GMT 12
You mean you had money back then Dave? ;-D
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Post by kiwibeavers on Mar 14, 2012 7:03:42 GMT 12
John. Don't know what the hourly rate was at the end. I last flew AZL in 1974. I have asked you this before Dave but you are the only person to have flown a Dak on a Private Pilots Licence ;D |
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