Memories of NAC

[thomarse]

Masterton was stabilised metal in those days, with the grass allowed to grow back over it.

A lot of the smaller South Island fields were metal to some degree or other - Haast, Fox, Franz etc.

[shamus]

Yes, thomarse you are right. Have just dug out my old AIP from the seventies and note that, Haast and Franz Josef both had metalled runways. No doubt their were quite a few more.

[thomarse]

Straying from the subject a bit, but IIRC at one stage SPANZ operated from the Rangitaiki strip east of Taupo, the surface of which was rolled pumice? I guess ag-Daks did too, as the massive bin is still there.

I recall seeing TV footage of an RNZAF exercise there with Bristols and I'm sure Vampires kicking up clouds of pumice dust - great for engines' internals.

[htbrst]

Jan 15, 2013 18:16:42 GMT 12 alexjc said:

Jan 15, 2013 9:38:43 GMT 12 shamus said:

When they finally paved Kaitaia', NAC leased in from Mount Cook a BN Islander, ZK-MCD and painted it in 'Wings of the Nation' scheme...It landed on a grass strip while the pavers worked flat tack to get the job done.

A good writeup of those Islander operations alongside Mount Cooks is in this 1976 NZ Wings article by Ross Dunlop

www.pacificwingsmagazine.com/content/nac-and-mca-northland-islanders-north

[expatkiwi]

It's amusing here in USA telling folk here about a "metal surface". They think it's welded steel!

[b10m]

Sept 6, 2012 0:44:59 GMT 12 kiwithrottlejockey said:

Sept 5, 2012 16:39:20 GMT 12 dakdriver said:

I seem to remember checking in downtown and riding on a Johnston bus to the airport and I remember it was free so long as you were flying NAC

Similar in Hawke's Bay. NAC ran their own bus service from Hastings to Napier Airport via their office in Napier. They had a Flixible Clipper coach that was ex-Newmans, but painted in NAC colours. Newmans Coachlines provided the driver, so it's quite possible the coach was provided under contract by Newmans. NAC and Newmans Coachlines shared a depot in Hastings, and they shared a depot in Napier as well. The Hawke's Bay Motor Company (who ran coaches between Hastings and Taupo, as well as bus services between Hastings and Napier, and Napier city bus services) also operated out of both depots, in fact I think the Napier depot may have been theirs. If one was flying NAC, you could check in at either the Hastings or Napier NAC downtown depots and the bus transport to the airport was free. Likewise, each arriving flight at Napier was met by the NAC bus and passengers who wished were delivered to downtown Napier and Hastings. The Flixible Clipper coaches were a rear-engined American design that were also manufactured downunder by Ansett in Australia, which is where the NZ examples came from.







That NAC bus is still in existence as the only preserved example of a Flixible Clipper coach left in NZ (out of the six built by Ansett for Newmans Coachlines). It is on display at the Founders Museum in Nelson, but it is displayed in its original Newmans Coachlines colours.

Hi all ...a little late to this thread but this segment did grab my attention as I drove for Newmans out of Palmerston North for some years and yes that NAC coach was in fact a Newmans Coach under contract to NAC.

The other coach in the picture (the preserved one) was rebuilt for Newmans !00 Years anniversary and was displayed around the country as part of the celebrations and was driven around the Palm North area by me.
Compared to the Coaches we were running at the time it was pretty underpowered with a 160 h.p. Leyland Motor, as opposed to the American diesels which powered them in the States and in Aussie.
Crash Gearboxes with long connections from the gearbox to the driver make gear changing (especially in the older coaches) entertaining.

[expatkiwi]

I still think the best memory of flying NAC was walking straight out to the plane. No security checks, no skyways, and a single class seating system. I had read once that an official from a Communist country visited New Zealand and had to use an NAC flight to get from Auckland to Wellingron. He was disgusted by no First Class seating or service. Quite ironic, considering Communism was supposed to preach total equality...

[alexjc]

Jan 27, 2013 1:12:46 GMT 12 expatkiwi said:

I still think the best memory of flying NAC was walking straight out to the plane. No security checks, no skyways, and a single class seating system.

Pffft...so was Air NZ 'till 86 - thanks Ansett.

I had read once that an official from a Communist country visited New Zealand and had to use an NAC flight to get from Auckland to Wellingron. He was disgusted by no First Class seating or service. Quite ironic, considering Communism was supposed to preach total equality...

Yeah first class for Party officials!!! .

[zaphod]

Jan 25, 2013 12:49:44 GMT 12 b10m said:

Sept 6, 2012 0:44:59 GMT 12 kiwithrottlejockey said:

Similar in Hawke's Bay. NAC ran their own bus service from Hastings to Napier Airport via their office in Napier.

In Wellington the NAC buses were from Billy Higgs and there are some historic photos at www.omnibus.org.nz/history/higgs.html



Photo from Gail Higgs-West collection
The Omnibus Society also plans to restore a bus into the old NAC colours as time and money allow.

[alexjc]

Mainly for Expat, but everyone else who can remember flying on NAC's Viscounts...Using a bit of imagination, it would have looked and sounded something like this. I myself can't remember my first and only flight on the Viscount, so here goes...

[expatkiwi]

Alexjc, I appreciate that. Thanks!

[TS]

Feb 4, 2013 9:44:20 GMT 12 alexjc said:

Mainly for Expat, but everyone else who can remember flying on NAC's Viscounts...Using a bit of imagination, it would have looked and sounded something like this. I myself can't remember my first and only flight on the Viscount, so here goes...

Here you go another one but most of the clip is from the flight deck so thats pretty cool...

[pjw4118]

Here's a pilots list from 1959.
There's many familiar names from the RNZAF.
Although not perfect the list prints off clearly

[expatkiwi]

How I preserve my memories of NAC

[alexjc]

You've tidied that up something wicked! Looks good...now pose it with the rest of you're NAC fleet.

[TS]

Hey there expat your model is awesome

Came across this clip of models or die casts?? with all the different liveries worn through the NAC period.

Enjoy

[expatkiwi]

Feb 8, 2013 0:24:47 GMT 12 alexjc said:

You've tidied that up something wicked! Looks good...now pose it with the rest of you're NAC fleet.

Friendship ZK-BXE in the same livery is being constructed.

[TS]

Hey, Hey you have to look at this it's only a sim but I think it's very well done still the same...

[chinapilot]

pjw4118
Thanks for posting that list...what a marvelous find.
Andy Baggott and Hugh Findlater were still going strong in the early '80s in Lagos on 737s.

[TS]

Talking about memories who remembers this little song.?

I do... only problem is it makes me feel old.