Auckland Aero Club clubhouse fire 1938

[Dave Homewood]

In April 1938, 70 years ago, the Auckland Aeroclub at Mangere had a special guest who flew a display with CFI Dave Allen, a dance and then a devastating fire. here are some interesting reports from the Herald.

[flyjoe180]

I remember old Merv the Club patron talking about this fire. Dave, you should try to get to Auckland Aero Club on a Sunday and see Merv if you can, he has much to tell and talk about. He earned the very first post-war PPL in NZ at Mangere, and his father built that Tui homebuilt aeroplane. Unfortunately Merv's health hasn't been too good the last year or two and he is getting frail, but his mind is sharp.

[Dave Homewood]

Here are some great photos from the New Zealand Herald from when the clubhouse opened.

AUCKLAND AERO CLUB'S NEW CLUBHOUSE TO BE OPENED TO – DAY.
The fine new building at the aerodrome at Mangere, which is to be officially opened this afternoon
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 30 MAY 1931




NEW CLUBHOUSE FOR THE AUCKLAND AERO CLUB OPENED AT MANGERE ON SATURDAY.
Top: A view from one of the windows of the lounge.
Lower: An aeroplane descending; in front of the handsome new clubhouse.
Inset: The Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, who Performed the opening ceremony photographed with the club president, Mr. S. R. Mason.
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, VOLUME LXVIII, ISSUE 20887, 1 JUNE 1931

[nuuumannn]

Interesting special guest who flew aerobatics, Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton was the younger brother of the Duke of Hamilton Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, who flew one of the aircraft, the Westland PV.3 biplane, over Mt Everest in 1933. A model of the Westland PV.3.

MoF 57

[gibbo]

Going to hi-jack this old thread as it popped up when searching for info on the Auckland Aero Club at Mangere. I've always been curious exactly where the old airfield was ...knew it was in the vicinty of the AirNZ engineering base (more a base-let now) and found this image which appears to show the latter (post 1938 fire?) clubrooms & hangars sitting amongst the works for the new (current) runway etc... no doubt they were abandoned at this point & probably used by construction teams. The runway & taxiway layout is largely still 'as built' and looks to be pinpointing the location of the clubrooms. Fascinating stuff... we're talking Jean Batten; Kingsford Smith... some real aviation history on this site.

collection.fletcherarchives.co.nz/objects/72123/winstone-ltd-aerial-photographs-1963-mangere-airport-auckland-laying-the-runway#&gid=1&pid=1

[Dave Homewood]

Gibbo, here is Mangere aerodrome in 1942. From the Air Force Museum of New Zealand MUS0902345

Aerial oblique view of RNZAF Station Mangere.

[Antonio]

Winstone Ltd - Aerial photographs: 1963 Mangere Airport, Auckland - laying the runway

I hope you don't mind Gibbo.

[gibbo]

Nov 16, 2023 7:49:27 GMT 12 Antonio said:

Winstone Ltd - Aerial photographs: 1963 Mangere Airport, Auckland - laying the runway

I hope you don't mind Gibbo.

LOL course not...great photo eh, gosh NZ's aerial phto archives are amazing 

[gibbo]

Nov 15, 2023 22:32:05 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Gibbo, here is Mangere aerodrome in 1942. From the Air Force Museum of New Zealand MUS0902345

Aerial oblique view of RNZAF Station Mangere.

Awesome Thx Dave, hadn't seen that one.  AIUI the lighter patch closer to the coastline at camera end was a WW2 extension for B17 & other larger a/c if required.  There was quite a little settlement on the site in the day.

[Dave Homewood]

I did not know it had been extended for the use of larger aircraft, that would have been interesting if anything large when in there, even a Hudson or Dakota.

[gibbo]

Nov 16, 2023 15:14:07 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I did not know it had been extended for the use of larger aircraft, that would have been interesting if anything large when in there, even a Hudson or Dakota.

Ah yes, actually to be fair I realise now I took that away from a wiki page 'Mangere Aerodrome' so who knows if that is accurate 

[Dave Homewood]

I cannot imagine B-17s and B-24s needing to land there, Waharoa was purpose built for them. And they could use Whenuapai. But, who knows?

[davidd]

I think only dromes intended for B-17s and B-24s in South Pacific were Ohakea, Whenuapai, Nadi (Nandi), and Norfolk Island (latter for transitting only), plus the dispersal dromes of Rotherham, Galatea, and Te Parita. And of those, only first three mentioned were ever used by these aircraft types, all for ferrying only, although some aircraft were armed. I think Tonga, etc, also saw some heavy bomber use, as did many Australian and PNG dromes.

Note, my use of the term "South Pacific" above is rather loose, I am including mainly the south eastern portion of it, and ignore most things much north of Fiji, etc.

[delticman]

Nov 17, 2023 8:20:19 GMT 12 davidd said:

I think only dromes intended for B-17s and B-24s in South Pacific were Ohakea, Whenuapai, Nadi (Nandi), and Norfolk Island (latter for transitting only), plus the dispersal dromes of Rotherham, Galatea, and Te Parita. And of those, only first three mentioned were ever used by these aircraft types, all for ferrying only, although some aircraft were armed. I think Tonga, etc, also saw some heavy bomber use, as did many Australian and PNG dromes.

Note, my use of the term "South Pacific" above is rather loose, I am including mainly the south eastern portion of it, and ignore most things much north of Fiji, etc.

Maybe not in the same field, but why was Kaitaia so big. Not intended for "heavies"?

[Dave Homewood]

Kaitaia was set up for fighters, I believe, as was Paraparaumu.

But I am pretty sure Waharoa was also meant an an auxiliary field for heavy bombers, built at the same time with the same purpose as Te Pirita.

I am not even aware of where Rotherham is. And I have not seen anything on Galatea in wartime.

[delticman]

Nov 17, 2023 12:37:40 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Kaitaia was set up for fighters, I believe, as was Paraparaumu.

But I am pretty sure Waharoa was also meant an an auxiliary field for heavy bombers, built at the same time with the same purpose as Te Pirita.

I am not even aware of where Rotherham is. And I have not seen anything on Galatea in wartime.

Rortherham is the district just north of Culverden. On the northern outskirts of Culverden is is an airstrip, long enough to support topdressing DC-3's in the day.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks.