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Post by kb on Jan 26, 2011 11:41:03 GMT 12
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jan 26, 2011 17:39:00 GMT 12
NAC anyone? Full circle.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 27, 2011 10:39:47 GMT 12
Paraparaumu Airport upgrade pays off 27/01/2011 8:04:01 Air Nelson has announced it will begin commercial flights between Paraparaumu and Auckland after a multimillion dollar upgrade of the terminal Upgrades to Paraparaumu Airport have paid off. Air New Zealand's subsidiary Air Nelson has announced it will be beginning commercial flights between Paraparaumu and Auckland from Labour Day this year. General manager Grant Kerr says this service is possible thanks to a multimillion dollar investment by Paraparaumu Airport to bring it up to standard. "We've had to upgrade the runway, navigational lighting and also install new airspace safety controls, and also build a new airport terminal." There will be three return services each weekday and three return services over the weekend, using a 50-seater Bombardier Q300 aircraft. www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyid=189711 |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 27, 2011 12:11:59 GMT 12
They'll need to offer cheaper fares than the cost of a train ticket to Wellington Railway Station, an Airport Flyer ticket to Wellington Airport, plus a cheap airfare from Wellington to Auckland.
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Post by thomarse on Jan 27, 2011 13:22:49 GMT 12
Has the uproar from the local residents started yet?
I would expect that the first departure is going to be pretty early in the morning. Thirty years ago they marched in the streets over an FU24 (2-blade, I concede. James' BXS for those interested) -what'll they do about a Dash?
I'm struggling to think of another NZ Domestic Airport where the final couple of miles of approach and first couple of departure are over such densely populated housing zones, no matter whether 16 or 34 is in use.
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Post by dakman on Jan 27, 2011 13:49:46 GMT 12
Hey Thomarse how did they cope with
those Viscount flights years ago ?
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 27, 2011 14:28:07 GMT 12
Hey Thomarse how did they cope with those Viscount flights years ago ? As far as I am aware, Viscounts never operated into Paraparaumu. The first Viscount was delivered to NAC in 1958, but operated exclusively on direct Auckland-Christchurch flights, although I have a vague idea they may have also operated into Palmerston North before the new Wellington airport opened in late-1959. From the date of Wellington airport opening, NAC's services moved from Paraparaumu, so the largest airliners to regularly operate from there were NAC's DC-3s, plus of course SAFE operated Bristol Freighters from Paraparaumu, but they likewise shifted to Wellington airport when it opened. The huge sheds adjacent to SH1 at Paekakariki (next to Steam Incorporated's locomotive depot) were the Rail-Air sheds used to transfer freight between the rail at Paekakariki and SAFE's Bristols at Paraparaumu. Several years ago, I can recall a Mount Cook Airlines HS748 diverting into Paraparaumu when Wellington was closed for some reason and when they attempted to taxi across the grass, the nosewheel sank into the dirt and the airliner came to a sudden halt. There was footage on the TV news at the time. |
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Post by luke6745 on Jan 27, 2011 14:44:05 GMT 12
Does all this mean the control tower is back in use?
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Post by thomarse on Jan 27, 2011 14:59:09 GMT 12
I don't recall a Viscount or F27, but if they did it was in the good ol' days when we accepted things the way they were, and got on with it.
The "Close PP Airport" crap started about 1970 from memory.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 27, 2011 15:15:36 GMT 12
I've just been doing a bit of checking (in NAC — The Illustrated History of New Zealand National Airways Corporation 1947-1978 by Richard Waugh, Peter Layne & Graeme McConnell) and Palmerston North did get Viscount services before Wellington. Viscount services between Auckland and Christchurch (direct) began on 3rd February 1958. From 6th April 1959, Viscount services operated between Christchurch and Palmerston North. Wellington didn't get Viscount services until 2nd November 1959, the day after NAC's services at Paraparaumu ceased.
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Post by philip on Jan 27, 2011 18:01:40 GMT 12
TV report said that the tower would be manned 16 hours a day to advise pilots runway and conditions at a cost of $250000pa. Unicom service?
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Post by sqwark2k on Jan 28, 2011 8:12:40 GMT 12
People will be prepared to pay for the convenience of not taking hours to get to Wellington airport via public transport or potentially hours driving through traffic congestion as well.
No, a full AFIS is to be setup using Airways Flight Info Officers
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 28, 2011 9:15:17 GMT 12
Air travel is almost always cheaper than rail travel over any long distance in this country. I don't know why anyone uses the train in NZ, a bus is the same level of comfort and speed and usually about 20% of the price. Flying is much quicker and usually about 70% of the price in my experience.
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Post by vs on Jan 28, 2011 10:41:54 GMT 12
Air Nelson used to go Wellington- Paraparumu in Metros. I think the flight then went to Wanganui or direct to Auckland. Cannot remember when it stopped although it would have been sometime in the early 90's
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Post by slackie on Jan 29, 2011 10:13:57 GMT 12
Actually Dave, the train is a fairly cool way to travel, even in New Zealand. We took the kids from Hamilton to Palmy North on the train a couple of holidays ago... was cool, you just don't want to be in a hurry. We boarded at 9am and got off in PN at 5:30pm (if memory serves). I think the tickets cost $49 each which was cheaper than the return trip in a rental car.
But you do get to experience the Raurimu Spiral, a couple of really spectacular viaducts, and some great scenery, all the while you're able to get up and walk around... even the food in the Buffet Car was nice (Wishbone Cafe supplies it), and you get to have (a somewhat rushed) lunch at National Park.
Realistically I wouldn't rush to do it again, but I think everyone should give it a try.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 29, 2011 14:21:53 GMT 12
People will be prepared to pay for the convenience of not taking hours to get to Wellington airport via public transport or potentially hours driving through traffic congestion as well. You'd be amazed at how many people from Wairarapa (including Masterton) catch the train to Wellington railway station, then the Airport Flyer bus to Wellington airport and fly to Auckland from there, rather than fly direct Masterton-Auckland (or vice-versa in the opposite direction), because they save a few dollars going via Wellington. Not so much the business market, but you're talking leisure travellers. I know, because we convey them on the rail portion of the journey. I'm picking the same will apply from Paraparaumu, especially amongst the elderly (Kapiti Coast isn't known as “God's Waiting Room” for nothing), many of whom tend to think of things in purely dollars & cents terms and which is the cheaper way of getting there. Personally, I prefer to pay a bit more to fly direct from Masterton if possible (sometimes there isn't a convenient flight and it is necessary to go via Wellington), but a lot of people don't think that way when travelling for leisure. |
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Post by planewriting on Jun 24, 2016 22:36:26 GMT 12
Looking through this thread; NAC never operated scheduled Viscount services to Paraparaumu however there have been two Viscounts land there. The first was Viscount G-AMAV during its visit to New Zealand at the time of the London Christchurch Air Race in October 1953. It called in there as a trial on its journey from Christchurch to Auckland (Whenuapai). NAC were considering Viscounts by that stage. Viscount ZK-BRF did a series of circuits and landings on 16 May 1962 to see whether Paraparaumu could serve as a diversionary field but it was deemed as unsuitable.
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