Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 27, 2006 19:59:32 GMT 12
This obituary comes from this site:
www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2006/06/art100012057.php
AVIATION historian and Air Pilot’s Guild chaplain, REVEREND RICHARD WAUGH, pays tribute to pioneering Pakuranga airline pilot James Goring Kennedy, who died recently, aged 84. “From biplanes to wide body jets, Captain Kennedy flew them all"
THE recent death of air Captain Jim Kennedy of Pakuranga, the last surviving pilot of New Zealand’s first licensed airline, severs a link with pioneering Kiwi aviation.
Born in Auckland in June 1921, he grew up on Waiheke Island where his father was a farmer and first postmaster. After attending Mt Albert Grammar School and Kings College, he learnt to fly with the Auckland Aero Club at Mangere, gaining his pilot’s licence in August 1939.
In February 1941, he joined Union Airways as a co-pilot flying Lockheed Electras on main trunk routes. Mr Kennedy married Billie Harding, who ran the catering at Mangere Airport, in 1942 and they had two sons, Ron and John.
In 1943, Mr Kennedy transferred to Tasman Empire Airways (TEAL) as a second officer on the Short S.30 Flying Boats and the following year he was seconded to Air Travel (NZ) Ltd at Hokitika.
This was New Zealand’s first licensed scheduled air service, established in 1934.
Mr Kennedy assisted legendary pilot Captain Bert Mercer flying Fox Moth and Dragonfly aircraft to South Westland and Nelson.
He returned to TEAL and his first flight across the Tasman in command as junior captain was on February 6, 1947, taking eight hours, 24 minutes. It was a fast crossing when compared to his longest, at 11 hours and 15 minutes.
He went on to fly the Short Sandringham and Solent flying boats, including the famous Coral route into the Pacific.
DC-6 and Lockheed Electras superseded the flying boats.
“At last to wheels,” he recalled.
From the late 1940s, the Kennedys leased a property just below Point View Drive on the road to Whitford and farmed tree tomatoes and grew flowers for the local market.
In 1950 they moved to Pakuranga to a house near Millen Ave.
While driving away from his Pakuranga home in 1959, Mr Kennedy had a brief dizzy spell.
He said: “I thought it was the right thing to tell the medical people at the airline. You have to be careful in this business.”
His licence was immediately withdrawn and he changed to flying as a navigator, eventually becoming TEAL’s Senior Flight Navigator, responsible for flight planning data and the navigational introduction of the new DC-8 pure jet aircraft.
With no recurring dizziness, Mr Kennedy applied for the return of his flying licence but was declined.
Following a five-year struggle he obtained renewal of his pilot’s licence and took command of an Air New Zealand DC-8 in October 1966.
Mr Kennedy’s integrity and dignity was enhanced by his Christian faith and active involvement in the Assembly of God Churches in Howick and Pakuranga.
He was always well respected by colleagues.
In February 1973, under the instruction of Captain Gordon Vette, he converted onto the new wide body DC-10.
His last flight was on June 16, 1976, completing 22,259 flying hours that included 2466 Tasman Sea crossings.
Retirement was spent at Lake Rotoiti and Pakuranga and following the death of his wife Billie he eventually remarried, to Nola Paterson of Howick.
During a unique career, Mr Kennedy flew on 19 different aircraft from fabric and wire de Havillands on the rugged West Coast to wide body jets on international routes.
www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2006/06/art100012057.php
AVIATION historian and Air Pilot’s Guild chaplain, REVEREND RICHARD WAUGH, pays tribute to pioneering Pakuranga airline pilot James Goring Kennedy, who died recently, aged 84. “From biplanes to wide body jets, Captain Kennedy flew them all"
THE recent death of air Captain Jim Kennedy of Pakuranga, the last surviving pilot of New Zealand’s first licensed airline, severs a link with pioneering Kiwi aviation.
Born in Auckland in June 1921, he grew up on Waiheke Island where his father was a farmer and first postmaster. After attending Mt Albert Grammar School and Kings College, he learnt to fly with the Auckland Aero Club at Mangere, gaining his pilot’s licence in August 1939.
In February 1941, he joined Union Airways as a co-pilot flying Lockheed Electras on main trunk routes. Mr Kennedy married Billie Harding, who ran the catering at Mangere Airport, in 1942 and they had two sons, Ron and John.
In 1943, Mr Kennedy transferred to Tasman Empire Airways (TEAL) as a second officer on the Short S.30 Flying Boats and the following year he was seconded to Air Travel (NZ) Ltd at Hokitika.
This was New Zealand’s first licensed scheduled air service, established in 1934.
Mr Kennedy assisted legendary pilot Captain Bert Mercer flying Fox Moth and Dragonfly aircraft to South Westland and Nelson.
He returned to TEAL and his first flight across the Tasman in command as junior captain was on February 6, 1947, taking eight hours, 24 minutes. It was a fast crossing when compared to his longest, at 11 hours and 15 minutes.
He went on to fly the Short Sandringham and Solent flying boats, including the famous Coral route into the Pacific.
DC-6 and Lockheed Electras superseded the flying boats.
“At last to wheels,” he recalled.
From the late 1940s, the Kennedys leased a property just below Point View Drive on the road to Whitford and farmed tree tomatoes and grew flowers for the local market.
In 1950 they moved to Pakuranga to a house near Millen Ave.
While driving away from his Pakuranga home in 1959, Mr Kennedy had a brief dizzy spell.
He said: “I thought it was the right thing to tell the medical people at the airline. You have to be careful in this business.”
His licence was immediately withdrawn and he changed to flying as a navigator, eventually becoming TEAL’s Senior Flight Navigator, responsible for flight planning data and the navigational introduction of the new DC-8 pure jet aircraft.
With no recurring dizziness, Mr Kennedy applied for the return of his flying licence but was declined.
Following a five-year struggle he obtained renewal of his pilot’s licence and took command of an Air New Zealand DC-8 in October 1966.
Mr Kennedy’s integrity and dignity was enhanced by his Christian faith and active involvement in the Assembly of God Churches in Howick and Pakuranga.
He was always well respected by colleagues.
In February 1973, under the instruction of Captain Gordon Vette, he converted onto the new wide body DC-10.
His last flight was on June 16, 1976, completing 22,259 flying hours that included 2466 Tasman Sea crossings.
Retirement was spent at Lake Rotoiti and Pakuranga and following the death of his wife Billie he eventually remarried, to Nola Paterson of Howick.
During a unique career, Mr Kennedy flew on 19 different aircraft from fabric and wire de Havillands on the rugged West Coast to wide body jets on international routes.
