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Post by alexjc on Sept 23, 2012 9:20:07 GMT 12
I was only two when I flew for the first time...and it was on an NAC Viscount, IVC-CHC-AKL. Apparently my father said I was all excited untill we got past the departure gate, took one look at the big scary Vickers, and promptly demanded to be returned to the safety of my grandmother in the terminal. After one god-almighty tussel with my highly embarrased and angry father, was soon calmed down once we made it over the threshold of the aircraft's door - the hostess gave me a lollie. Did the trick, no doubt much to the relief of my fellow passengers. Interestingly our brood of Mom, Dad, two small kids and a baby got to sit in the facing seats? Apparently there was a family seating area?...anyone?
Anyway I obviously reconciled my differences with the Viscount as I do think they were beautiful aircraft. Agree with 'expatkiwi' that the Viscount would've look great in 'Wings of the Nation' colours if they were not sold off. Would've even made it into Air NZ blue if retired in the mid 1980's.
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Post by expatkiwi on Sept 24, 2012 6:31:42 GMT 12
Anyway I obviously reconciled my differences with the Viscount as I do think they were beautiful aircraft. Agree with 'expatkiwi' that the Viscount would've look great in 'Wings of the Nation' colours if they were not sold off. Would've even made it into Air NZ blue if retired in the mid 1980's. Like this, alexjc? The upper pic is of the 1978-1979 interim scheme.  |
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Post by alexjc on Sept 24, 2012 8:56:14 GMT 12
Anyway I obviously reconciled my differences with the Viscount as I do think they were beautiful aircraft. Agree with 'expatkiwi' that the Viscount would've look great in 'Wings of the Nation' colours if they were not sold off. Would've even made it into Air NZ blue if retired in the mid 1980's. Like this, alexjc? The upper pic is of the 1978-1979 interim scheme. Ahh yes! Very smart looking...Thanks expatkiwi. Interesting to see it took twenty years for the Viscount's natural successor, the ATR72, to show up in Air NZ colours in 1995. An aircraft far more suited to mid sized provincial routes (like the Viscount) instead of the 737. |
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Post by expatkiwi on Sept 24, 2012 12:54:22 GMT 12
I wonder how the passengers boarding this viscount would have liked the current boarding bridges...?  Note: picture taken from www.airliners.net |
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Post by expatkiwi on Sept 24, 2012 12:59:47 GMT 12
ZK-BRF "City of Christchurch" in for servicing.  Note: picture taken from www.airliners.net |
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Post by alexjc on Sept 24, 2012 19:44:39 GMT 12
I wonder how the passengers boarding this viscount would have liked the current boarding bridges...? True!...but then Wellingtonians are a hard bunch. Interesting to see that NAC used to use both port and starboard doors. |
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Post by expatkiwi on Sept 28, 2012 22:33:57 GMT 12
I wonder how the passengers boarding this viscount would have liked the current boarding bridges...? True!...but then Wellingtonians are a hard bunch. Interesting to see that NAC used to use both port and starboard doors. Well, that way you don't have what you get at airports these days: long lines at the gate. |
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Post by expatkiwi on Oct 5, 2012 6:54:26 GMT 12
But those covered gates would make it easier to enter the airplane, which for a windy place like Wellington is a definite plus.
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Post by ngatimozart on Oct 5, 2012 9:39:27 GMT 12
But those covered gates would make it easier to enter the airplane, which for a windy place like Wellington is a definite plus. And they take away all the entertainment of watching the shelias chasing their hats across the tarmac ;D |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Oct 5, 2012 16:01:01 GMT 12
But those covered gates would make it easier to enter the airplane, which for a windy place like Wellington is a definite plus. And they take away all the entertainment of watching the shelias chasing their hats across the tarmac ;D Or the mini-skirts being lifted up by the wind! ;D  |
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Post by alexjc on Oct 5, 2012 18:52:32 GMT 12
;D Oh yeah, I've seen a few 'short skirt, windy day' moments at Wellington. |
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Post by expatkiwi on Oct 6, 2012 11:47:21 GMT 12
;D Oh yeah, I've seen a few 'short skirt, windy day' moments at Wellington. This looks like one of those days...  Note: picture taken from www.airliners.net |
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Post by expatkiwi on Oct 6, 2012 13:48:23 GMT 12
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Post by expatkiwi on Oct 6, 2012 13:50:40 GMT 12
Dolled up interior of ZK-BRE for Her Majesty The Queen during one of her official visits to New Zealand.  note: pics taken from www.vickersviscount.net |
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Post by alexjc on Oct 6, 2012 15:40:30 GMT 12
Dolled up interior of ZK-BRE for Her Majesty The Queen during one of her official visits to New Zealand.  Aah yes the good 'ol days of NZ being a mini-clone of England! Try explaining that kind of spending to the tax payer now! - Nice 'executive interior though.  Where was the Air Force? Wern't they operating the ex TEAL DC-6s by then?(1963) |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Oct 6, 2012 20:32:56 GMT 12
Look at those BIG windows.
That's one thing I can definitely remember from the one & only Viscount flight I ever undertook with NAC.
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Post by alexjc on Oct 7, 2012 9:36:31 GMT 12
Did this really happen? Apparently when the first Viscount arrived at Whenuapai way back in 1958 all shiny and new parked up for inspection...Everyone who was anyone in NZNAC were milling around in the cockpit when someone pulled the undercarriage lever...guess what happened? ...Or is that just an urban myth?
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Oct 7, 2012 10:55:10 GMT 12
Did this really happen? Apparently when the first Viscount arrived at Whenuapai way back in 1958 all shiny and new parked up for inspection...Everyone who was anyone in NZNAC were milling around in the cockpit when someone pulled the undercarriage lever...guess what happened? ...Or is that just an urban myth? The culprit was Captain ‘Johnny’ Walker and it occured on 12th November 1958, but it didn't occur while the Viscount was parked. Captain Walker was flying the Viscount from the right-hand seat, and on landing at Whenuapai, he went to retract the flaps but grabbed the undercarriage lever instead. There are a couple of photographs (with captions explaining what occured) on page 106 of “ NAC — The Illustrated History of New Zealand National Airways Corporation 1947-1948” by Richard Waugh with Peter Layne & Graeme McConnell. |
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Post by alexjc on Oct 7, 2012 11:43:58 GMT 12
Did this really happen? Apparently when the first Viscount arrived at Whenuapai way back in 1958 all shiny and new parked up for inspection...Everyone who was anyone in NZNAC were milling around in the cockpit when someone pulled the undercarriage lever...guess what happened? ...Or is that just an urban myth? The culprit was Captain ‘Johnny’ Walker and it occured on 12th November 1958, but it didn't occur while the Viscount was parked. Captain Walker was flying the Viscount from the right-hand seat, and on landing at Whenuapai, he went to retract the flaps but grabbed the undercarriage lever instead. There are a couple of photographs (with captions explaining what occured) on page 106 of “ NAC — The Illustrated History of New Zealand National Airways Corporation 1947-1948” by Richard Waugh with Peter Layne & Graeme McConnell. Thanks...I'm getting a copy of the NAC book this week via trade me - well timed!!  ...Gosh the actuall truth sounds even more painfully embarrassing and expensive!  |
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Post by expatkiwi on Oct 8, 2012 22:20:32 GMT 12
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Aah yes the good 'ol days of NZ being a mini-clone of England! Try explaining that kind of spending to the tax payer now! - Nice 'executive interior though. 
Where was the Air Force? Wern't they operating the ex TEAL DC-6s by then?(1963)
...Gosh the actuall truth sounds even more painfully embarrassing and expensive! 
