Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 11, 2022 19:07:37 GMT 12
A great interview with Sir Harry Wigley about the early days of flying at Mount Cook, from the Press, 29 May 1958.
First Tourist Flights—String-And-Strut Planes
Alpine flying in New Zealand was pioneered by Mr R. L. Wigley, who established the New Zealand Aero Transport Company in 1920, and operated from Timaru with five former World War I aircraft.
But he was ahead of his time, and the company went into liquidation before scheduled services were established.
Two years before World War II Wigley launched another company which also went into liquidation, upon the outbreak of hostilities. Alpine flying was revived after the war by his son, Harry Wigley, who made this first snow landing in New Zealand on the Tasman glacier in September, 1955, greatly impressing Sir Edmund Hillary, leader of the New Zealand Antarctic expedition.
“My father first became interested in aviation when the British Government made a gift of former World War I military aircraft to the Colonies for the encouragement and development of aviation,” says Mr Harry Wigley. Through the Mount Cook Motor Company, of which he was managing director, R. L. Wigley applied for and was lent five of these aircraft —three Avro 504K’s and two D.H. 9A’s—“in spite of very strong opposition from a number of Christchurch interests.” Two more D.H. 9A’s were lent later.
The object of the company was to operate air services from Fairlie to Mount Cook and to other points in the South Island, and Wellington.
“The headquarters were at Washdyke, near Timaru, where a fairly large hangar was built, and the main servicing was done. Other hangars were built at Invercargill and Rongotai (I think this is correct, but I am relying on memory) as I have been unable to trace early records,” recalls Mr Wigley.
Famous Pilots
“The company received its first aeroplanes about September, 1920, and had for pilots a number of men who later became very well known in New Zealand’s aviation. The late Captain Bert Mercer, the late Captain Maurice Buckley, who in the last war was promoted to Air Commodore Buckley, Captain Phil Fowler, now of Palmerston North, Captain Bill Parke, Captain Mallard, and others.”
The New Zealand Aero Transport Company was known for a number of pioneering flights, the most outstanding of which was the first through trip from Invercargill to Auckland, which was done in a flying time of 8 hours 53 minutes, with Captain J. C. Mercer as-pilot, and R. L. Wigley and W. H. B. Fleming, of Gore, as passengers.
“R. L. Wigley was learning to fly at this time, and went out to the airfield one day to receive more dual instruction; but on arrival there, he found that no instructor was available. He asked the ground staff to push out an Avro 504K, and they said, ‘What are you going to do with it?’ He said, ‘I am going to fly it.’ When they pointed out that he had received very little dual instruction, he replied that it was enough!
“When the engine was warmed up, he asked the boy if he would like to come for a ride; and the boy, highly delighted, jumped in, and off they went.
“Although the landing was successful to the extent that they were able to walk away from it, they left the aircraft considerably bent!”
Shortly afterwards the company went into liquidation, and R. L. Wigley did not complete his flying training until May, 1937. Although the project was an ambitious one, the country was not yet sufficiently air-minded to give aviation the support it needed, and aircraft built for war purposes were not suitable for civil aviation. So the New Zealand Aero Transport Company, along with several other similar concerns, was wound up, and the aircraft went back to the New Zealand Air Board. Harry Wigley and Sandy Wigley, sons of R. L. Wigley, learned to fly in 1934, and this led to R. L Wigley’s renewed interest in flying, and to his getting hit pilot’s licence, and purchasing a light aircraft —a two-place B.A. Swallow, which he used very extensively to move about his points of interest at Mount Cook, Queenstown, and so on.
Queenstown-Mount Cook Airways was formed about two years before the war, to continue the aims and objects of the original New Zealand Aero Transport Company. Harry Wigley was the chief pilot, and the aircraft used was an American four-place Waco. Hangars and facilities were built at Timaru, Mount Cook, and Queenstown; Queenstown being the centre of operations. Scenic flying round the Sounds, and Queenstown and Mount Cook was carried out, and many hundreds of people will remember fine flights in the sturdy old Waco, which was comfortable and ideal for the work, if a bit noisy.
A limited schedule was operated on a regular basis from Queenstown to Mount Cook and Timaru for a period of about six months to test out the route, and plans were made for the purchase of new aircraft to give fuller service and cater for the demand for sight-seeing and taxi work which had been built up.
War Broke Out
With the outbreak of war, Bill Dinny and Alf Henry, of the ground staff, were recalled to the Air Force, Harry Wigley joined up early in 1940, the Air Force took over the Waco, and the company went into liquidation. R. L. Wigley died in 1946, and Harry Wigley came back to assume management of the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company, Ltd., and this, with a variety of other reasons, prevented the company from re-establishing its air business at Queenstown and the Hermitage as soon as they would have liked—with the result that another company became established at Queenstown, and carried on the development of aviation in this area, pioneered by Queenstown-Mount Cook Airways.
In 1947, a former Air Force light aircraft was purchased by the Mount Cook Tourist Company, and used as a communications craft to watch the company’s interests at Queenstown, Ohau, and Mount Cook. About 1954, licences were sought and obtained for the company to reenter aviation oh a commercial basis, and aircraft were purchased for passenger flying at Ohau, Mount Cook, and Timaru, and for aerial work such as rabbit poisoning, supply-dropping, and the sowing of fertilisers. The new company. Mount Cook Air Services, Ltd., was formed in 1955 to take over the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company’s aviation activities. This company now operates six light aircraft.
“For many years our association with Mount Cook has given us a keen interest in alpine regions, which we serve, and in the sport of skiing,” says Mr Wigley, “so it was only natural that the question of fitting skis to light aircraft was discussed at length and in great detail over a period of many years.
“Discussion led to action, and a set of retractable skis was designed, made, and fitted to an Auster aircraft, and the first landing on snow was made on the Tasman Glacier on September 22, 1955. It was highly successful, and greatly impressed Sir Edmund Hillary, who was in the district at the time.
“Our Southern Alps, throughout their length, have hundreds of large snow-fields and glaciers from which a ski-plane can operate, and the introduction of skiplanes to the area should open up fields of development previously unthought-of.
“Since then, two aircraft have been fitted with retractable skis and are permanently in the area; and they are being called on during every month of the year, and all winter and summer, to take climbers and skiers into high alpine huts, to take in supplies, and tourists and sight-seers, on the glaciers, and for alpine rescue work.”
First Tourist Flights—String-And-Strut Planes
Alpine flying in New Zealand was pioneered by Mr R. L. Wigley, who established the New Zealand Aero Transport Company in 1920, and operated from Timaru with five former World War I aircraft.
But he was ahead of his time, and the company went into liquidation before scheduled services were established.
Two years before World War II Wigley launched another company which also went into liquidation, upon the outbreak of hostilities. Alpine flying was revived after the war by his son, Harry Wigley, who made this first snow landing in New Zealand on the Tasman glacier in September, 1955, greatly impressing Sir Edmund Hillary, leader of the New Zealand Antarctic expedition.
“My father first became interested in aviation when the British Government made a gift of former World War I military aircraft to the Colonies for the encouragement and development of aviation,” says Mr Harry Wigley. Through the Mount Cook Motor Company, of which he was managing director, R. L. Wigley applied for and was lent five of these aircraft —three Avro 504K’s and two D.H. 9A’s—“in spite of very strong opposition from a number of Christchurch interests.” Two more D.H. 9A’s were lent later.
The object of the company was to operate air services from Fairlie to Mount Cook and to other points in the South Island, and Wellington.
“The headquarters were at Washdyke, near Timaru, where a fairly large hangar was built, and the main servicing was done. Other hangars were built at Invercargill and Rongotai (I think this is correct, but I am relying on memory) as I have been unable to trace early records,” recalls Mr Wigley.
Famous Pilots
“The company received its first aeroplanes about September, 1920, and had for pilots a number of men who later became very well known in New Zealand’s aviation. The late Captain Bert Mercer, the late Captain Maurice Buckley, who in the last war was promoted to Air Commodore Buckley, Captain Phil Fowler, now of Palmerston North, Captain Bill Parke, Captain Mallard, and others.”
The New Zealand Aero Transport Company was known for a number of pioneering flights, the most outstanding of which was the first through trip from Invercargill to Auckland, which was done in a flying time of 8 hours 53 minutes, with Captain J. C. Mercer as-pilot, and R. L. Wigley and W. H. B. Fleming, of Gore, as passengers.
“R. L. Wigley was learning to fly at this time, and went out to the airfield one day to receive more dual instruction; but on arrival there, he found that no instructor was available. He asked the ground staff to push out an Avro 504K, and they said, ‘What are you going to do with it?’ He said, ‘I am going to fly it.’ When they pointed out that he had received very little dual instruction, he replied that it was enough!
“When the engine was warmed up, he asked the boy if he would like to come for a ride; and the boy, highly delighted, jumped in, and off they went.
“Although the landing was successful to the extent that they were able to walk away from it, they left the aircraft considerably bent!”
Shortly afterwards the company went into liquidation, and R. L. Wigley did not complete his flying training until May, 1937. Although the project was an ambitious one, the country was not yet sufficiently air-minded to give aviation the support it needed, and aircraft built for war purposes were not suitable for civil aviation. So the New Zealand Aero Transport Company, along with several other similar concerns, was wound up, and the aircraft went back to the New Zealand Air Board. Harry Wigley and Sandy Wigley, sons of R. L. Wigley, learned to fly in 1934, and this led to R. L Wigley’s renewed interest in flying, and to his getting hit pilot’s licence, and purchasing a light aircraft —a two-place B.A. Swallow, which he used very extensively to move about his points of interest at Mount Cook, Queenstown, and so on.
Queenstown-Mount Cook Airways was formed about two years before the war, to continue the aims and objects of the original New Zealand Aero Transport Company. Harry Wigley was the chief pilot, and the aircraft used was an American four-place Waco. Hangars and facilities were built at Timaru, Mount Cook, and Queenstown; Queenstown being the centre of operations. Scenic flying round the Sounds, and Queenstown and Mount Cook was carried out, and many hundreds of people will remember fine flights in the sturdy old Waco, which was comfortable and ideal for the work, if a bit noisy.
A limited schedule was operated on a regular basis from Queenstown to Mount Cook and Timaru for a period of about six months to test out the route, and plans were made for the purchase of new aircraft to give fuller service and cater for the demand for sight-seeing and taxi work which had been built up.
War Broke Out
With the outbreak of war, Bill Dinny and Alf Henry, of the ground staff, were recalled to the Air Force, Harry Wigley joined up early in 1940, the Air Force took over the Waco, and the company went into liquidation. R. L. Wigley died in 1946, and Harry Wigley came back to assume management of the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company, Ltd., and this, with a variety of other reasons, prevented the company from re-establishing its air business at Queenstown and the Hermitage as soon as they would have liked—with the result that another company became established at Queenstown, and carried on the development of aviation in this area, pioneered by Queenstown-Mount Cook Airways.
In 1947, a former Air Force light aircraft was purchased by the Mount Cook Tourist Company, and used as a communications craft to watch the company’s interests at Queenstown, Ohau, and Mount Cook. About 1954, licences were sought and obtained for the company to reenter aviation oh a commercial basis, and aircraft were purchased for passenger flying at Ohau, Mount Cook, and Timaru, and for aerial work such as rabbit poisoning, supply-dropping, and the sowing of fertilisers. The new company. Mount Cook Air Services, Ltd., was formed in 1955 to take over the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company’s aviation activities. This company now operates six light aircraft.
“For many years our association with Mount Cook has given us a keen interest in alpine regions, which we serve, and in the sport of skiing,” says Mr Wigley, “so it was only natural that the question of fitting skis to light aircraft was discussed at length and in great detail over a period of many years.
“Discussion led to action, and a set of retractable skis was designed, made, and fitted to an Auster aircraft, and the first landing on snow was made on the Tasman Glacier on September 22, 1955. It was highly successful, and greatly impressed Sir Edmund Hillary, who was in the district at the time.
“Our Southern Alps, throughout their length, have hundreds of large snow-fields and glaciers from which a ski-plane can operate, and the introduction of skiplanes to the area should open up fields of development previously unthought-of.
“Since then, two aircraft have been fitted with retractable skis and are permanently in the area; and they are being called on during every month of the year, and all winter and summer, to take climbers and skiers into high alpine huts, to take in supplies, and tourists and sight-seers, on the glaciers, and for alpine rescue work.”
