Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 13, 2008 22:10:45 GMT 12
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
As Gisborne deals with the aftermath of the December quake, historical records show it was the bigger Napier quake of 1931 that saw the beginnings of local air services.The newly-formed Dominion Airlines played a major part in quickly reaching the areas devastated by the February, 1931 quake, but five days later the airline had its own disaster when a Desoutter 1 crashed near Wairoa, killing all three on board -- the country's first civil airline accident.
Dominion had just established a regular Gisborne-Hastings link, but the fatal crash and its aftermath put the company into liquidation.
At the same time moves were afoot to form Gisborne Air Transport, and it was officially established in March, a few weeks after the big earthquake.
Seventy-seven years ago this week, on March 10, 1931, the local airline made its first flight -- again between Hastings and Gisborne, flown by Lieutenant W.H. Lett in a DH Moth Coupe.
Lieutenant Lett, who served with the RAF in Egypt during World War 1, was one of New Zealand's civil aviation pioneers.
In 1929 Lieutenant Lett said he was convinced commercial aviation was "bound to come", with New Zealand suitable for permanent-route flying to be established.
In those days there were only a handful of airfields in the country, so Gisborne was right in at the start when Darton Field became operational in 1930, and the Gisborne Aero Club also formed.
By Christmas of 1931 a proper airmail service had been set up linking Gisborne with other centres in both the North and South Islands.
Passengers and mails were flown by Gisborne Air Transport's first two planes -- a Desoutter 1 and DH Moth Coupe.
Some of these first airmails are among the most collectable in New Zealand postal history, with different coloured overstamps to indicate the different routes flown.
www.gisborneherald.co.nz/Default.aspx?s=3&s1=2&id=34f08205dd5b4e1ca7562ae65da5d6f2
As Gisborne deals with the aftermath of the December quake, historical records show it was the bigger Napier quake of 1931 that saw the beginnings of local air services.The newly-formed Dominion Airlines played a major part in quickly reaching the areas devastated by the February, 1931 quake, but five days later the airline had its own disaster when a Desoutter 1 crashed near Wairoa, killing all three on board -- the country's first civil airline accident.
Dominion had just established a regular Gisborne-Hastings link, but the fatal crash and its aftermath put the company into liquidation.
At the same time moves were afoot to form Gisborne Air Transport, and it was officially established in March, a few weeks after the big earthquake.
Seventy-seven years ago this week, on March 10, 1931, the local airline made its first flight -- again between Hastings and Gisborne, flown by Lieutenant W.H. Lett in a DH Moth Coupe.
Lieutenant Lett, who served with the RAF in Egypt during World War 1, was one of New Zealand's civil aviation pioneers.
In 1929 Lieutenant Lett said he was convinced commercial aviation was "bound to come", with New Zealand suitable for permanent-route flying to be established.
In those days there were only a handful of airfields in the country, so Gisborne was right in at the start when Darton Field became operational in 1930, and the Gisborne Aero Club also formed.
By Christmas of 1931 a proper airmail service had been set up linking Gisborne with other centres in both the North and South Islands.
Passengers and mails were flown by Gisborne Air Transport's first two planes -- a Desoutter 1 and DH Moth Coupe.
Some of these first airmails are among the most collectable in New Zealand postal history, with different coloured overstamps to indicate the different routes flown.
www.gisborneherald.co.nz/Default.aspx?s=3&s1=2&id=34f08205dd5b4e1ca7562ae65da5d6f2
