Post by Dave Homewood on May 18, 2024 15:32:57 GMT 12
Here is an obituary from The Press dated 29th of June 1965 for one of New Zealand's pioneering pilots, Harold Piper.
Obituary Pioneer N.Z. Airman, Mr H. L. Piper
A pioneer New Zealand airman, Mr Harold Lord Piper, died in Christchurch yesterday at the age of 66. With Air Vice-Marshal C. E Kay, who was to become Chief of the New Zealand Air Staff but who was then a fellow flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, Mr Piper flew from England to Sydney in 1930. Their flight, the eighth over the route, was the first to be made by New Zealanders. In a single-engined Desoutter monoplane, they made the trip in six weeks and were dogged with bad luck.
Mr Piper began flying with the Canterbury Aero Club as a young man. His career ended when he was nearing 60, but still flying top-dressing planes.
He was born at Duvauchelle and educated at Christ’s College and Waitaki Boys’ High School. He worked for a few years on the family farm, “Peraki,” at Duvauchelle; but flying claimed much of his spare time. The rest of it was given over to a quest for speed on a motor-cycle, and he was a noted performer on the old Plumpton Park track.
In 1926 Mr Piper gained a short service commission with the Royal Air Force and went to Britain. There he became friendly with Air Marshal Kay and together they planned the flight to Sydney. Mr Piper returned to England and went into commercial flying, being an instructor with the aero club at Gravesend for a while before joining Short Brothers and Harland as a test pilot about 1933. He remained with them until 1947 and was chief pilot.
During the Second World War he flew all kinds of aircraft. They included Spitfires, Hurricanes, Lincolns, Lancasters, Halifaxes, Constellations, Fortresses, Blenheims, Fulmars, Walrus amphibians and Sunderland and Catalina flying-boats. His duties involved prototype, production and performance tests for his company and for the Air Ministry.
Before the war Mr Piper was in the news as one of the pilots when the first “pick-a-back” aircraft, the Mayo-Mercury, was tested. He flew the top seaplane which took off from an Empire-type flying-boat in flight.
Shortly after his retirement as a test pilot he returned to New Zealand and stayed here until 1959, flying topdressing aircraft. He went to Australia to live, but returned to Christchurch about two months ago. Mr Piper is survived by his wife and a daughter, who is in England.
Obituary Pioneer N.Z. Airman, Mr H. L. Piper
A pioneer New Zealand airman, Mr Harold Lord Piper, died in Christchurch yesterday at the age of 66. With Air Vice-Marshal C. E Kay, who was to become Chief of the New Zealand Air Staff but who was then a fellow flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, Mr Piper flew from England to Sydney in 1930. Their flight, the eighth over the route, was the first to be made by New Zealanders. In a single-engined Desoutter monoplane, they made the trip in six weeks and were dogged with bad luck.
Mr Piper began flying with the Canterbury Aero Club as a young man. His career ended when he was nearing 60, but still flying top-dressing planes.
He was born at Duvauchelle and educated at Christ’s College and Waitaki Boys’ High School. He worked for a few years on the family farm, “Peraki,” at Duvauchelle; but flying claimed much of his spare time. The rest of it was given over to a quest for speed on a motor-cycle, and he was a noted performer on the old Plumpton Park track.
In 1926 Mr Piper gained a short service commission with the Royal Air Force and went to Britain. There he became friendly with Air Marshal Kay and together they planned the flight to Sydney. Mr Piper returned to England and went into commercial flying, being an instructor with the aero club at Gravesend for a while before joining Short Brothers and Harland as a test pilot about 1933. He remained with them until 1947 and was chief pilot.
During the Second World War he flew all kinds of aircraft. They included Spitfires, Hurricanes, Lincolns, Lancasters, Halifaxes, Constellations, Fortresses, Blenheims, Fulmars, Walrus amphibians and Sunderland and Catalina flying-boats. His duties involved prototype, production and performance tests for his company and for the Air Ministry.
Before the war Mr Piper was in the news as one of the pilots when the first “pick-a-back” aircraft, the Mayo-Mercury, was tested. He flew the top seaplane which took off from an Empire-type flying-boat in flight.
Shortly after his retirement as a test pilot he returned to New Zealand and stayed here until 1959, flying topdressing aircraft. He went to Australia to live, but returned to Christchurch about two months ago. Mr Piper is survived by his wife and a daughter, who is in England.
