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Post by chinapilot on Mar 22, 2012 20:27:40 GMT 12
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Mar 22, 2012 20:36:09 GMT 12
Paraparaumu Airport?
That was Wellington Airport for a while.
I seem to recall reading somewhere about someone shifting a war-surplus Walrus from Paraparaumu to Nelson by either taxiing it across Cook Strait or even perhaps illegally flying it part or all of the way. Hence the reason why I thought of Paraparaumu straight away when I saw that last photo.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 22, 2012 20:46:05 GMT 12
Yes I think there were several ex-RNZAF Walrus at Paraparaumu for a bit in the late 1940's.
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Post by camtech on Mar 22, 2012 20:46:38 GMT 12
Paraparaumu for sure - fits in with the Walrus story - one was flown from Woodbourne - unregistered, and the second taxied over - took 7 hours.
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Post by chinapilot on Mar 22, 2012 20:57:53 GMT 12
Thought it might be Paraparaumu but wasn't sure. Walrus photo was in the photographers parent's family album so they must have know the owner. Canopied Tiger is interesting. Pilots name is 'Noel' evidently.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 22, 2012 21:11:08 GMT 12
Obviously during the Meteor's days, and after the Mosquitoes arrived.
The Tiger Moth is probably ex-ATC Flight, the RNZAF unit that flew them from Rongotai, they had the Canadian lids fitted.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 22, 2012 21:50:42 GMT 12
Agree with Paraparaumu. Union Airways/NZNAC flights operated from there from postwar until the upgraded Rongotai reopened in 1959.
I would suggest that these photos span a few years rather than all dating from the same time.
The first and second ones, C-47 in RNZAF camo watched by the model flyers. Remote possibility that it is a just-civilianized NAC freighter aircraft as some of these briefly flew with the camo still applied and the air force markings still visible. I would date this as immediate post-war.
The National Airways DC-3 shows the name 'Parera'. The first DC-3 to carry that name was ZK-AOE, but that was a freighter that crashed in August 1948, so i think we can discount that one.
More likely candidate is ZK-AZA, which was with NAC from October 1951. So 1950s for that photo.
A number of post-war Tigers were fitted with canopies, as aero clubs had little choice at that time but to use them as cross-country tourers as well as training machines. They were said to be more comfortable in that configuration, but having flown in one - ZK-AJP - I beg to differ!
The two Paraparaumu Walrus were NZ157 and NZ160, both owned by John Gould. NZ157 was flown Wbe-Pp 11Jun47 by Gould. He was told off for that, so NZ160 was taxiied across Cook Strait by Gould 23Jul47. If we knew which one carried the 'R' code, that would identify the aircraft. Neither saw any further use, and presumably lay derelict until broken up after his death in ZK-APL.
I would suggest that this is at Gould's Paraparaumu car garage not the airfield.
The Meteor carried out a nationwide tour 21Mar-9May46. The Mosquitos started to arrive in early 1947. Date of photo would then be somewhere between then and the Meteor's final flight on 16Sep50.
Nice set.
Update:
adfserials list NZ157 as 'K' and NZ160 as 'R', so that clears that up.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 22, 2012 22:22:09 GMT 12
Of course immediately postwar and for two years into the peace the national carrier was No. 40 Squadron. they then changed overnight their uniforms and name and became NAC, so the Dakota may actually be RNZAF, doing the same job.
Was John Gould an experienced Walrus or at least flying boat pilot?
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Post by angelsonefive on Mar 23, 2012 6:03:16 GMT 12
Paraparaumu for sure - fits in with the Walrus story - one was flown from Woodbourne - unregistered, and the second taxied over - took 7 hours. Yes, definitely PP. I recognise those ridges from my gliding days there. |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Sept 2, 2012 13:31:28 GMT 12
Here is an interesting photograph taken inside the terminal building at Paraparaumu in December 1960.... (click on the picture for more information)
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