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Bung

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#2163605 19-Jan-2019 10:35

eracode:
GeekGuy:
When you can remember seeing RNZAF de Havilland Vampire flying.

... and the RNZAF Sunderland flying boat based at Hobsonville taxiing under the Harbour Bridge, NAC DC3s and the de Havilland Herons that flew provincial routes.

Not to mention the TEAL Lockheed Electras that flew the Tasman out of Paraparaumu, pre-Rongotai.

And that Whenuapai was Auckland airport pre-Mangere.

I remember and actually saw all this.

You know you're old when your memory plays tricks on you :)

I think you'll find that the Electras arrived after Rongotai and it was probably DC6s that you saw.

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#2163637 19-Jan-2019 11:51

Bung:
eracode:
GeekGuy:

When you can remember seeing RNZAF de Havilland Vampire flying.

... and the RNZAF Sunderland flying boat based at Hobsonville taxiing under the Harbour Bridge, NAC DC3s and the de Havilland Herons that flew provincial routes.

Not to mention the TEAL Lockheed Electras that flew the Tasman out of Paraparaumu, pre-Rongotai.

And that Whenuapai was Auckland airport pre-Mangere.

I remember and actually saw all this.

You know you're old when your memory plays tricks on you :)

I think you'll find that the Electras arrived after Rongotai and it was probably DC6s that you saw.

I wrote a reply refuting your comment - but then deleted it because you may be right. Looking into this further just out of interest. TBC.

Edit: @Bung Sorry - I stand corrected. You are right because research just now shows that TEAL’s Electras did not arrive until Nov and Dec 1959 - and I’m pretty sure my parents flew before that - either 1958 or earlier in 1959. The DC6s preceded the Electras and were retired once the Electras were all operational (apparently after a few hiccups).

If anyone is interested, this is where I found the info - pages 143-146:

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10092/6371/thomson_thesis.pdf;sequence=1

Further Edit: Have just found that Rongotai officially opened on 25 October 1959 and my parents definitely flew in and out of Paraparaumu - so they flew before Oct 1959.

My parents took my brother and I to the opening of Rongotai - I was age seven. It was a really crap day and half the aerial events were cancelled. An RAF Avro Vulcan was going to land but came in too low and smacked one of its main undercarriage struts against the wall at the southern end of the runway, aborted the landing and flew on for an emergency landing at Ohakea.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Bung

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#2163684 19-Jan-2019 12:47

The plot thickens, it seems that Wellington dropped off the trans Tasman run when the flying boats retired and didn't resume until July 1960 p145 of your pdf.

My interest in your mention of Electras was sparked by having an uncle in Customs. As a schoolboy I joined him on one of the "inspections" at Rongotai. In those days NZ Customs sent staff to Australia for a week at at time to start on the passenger lists.

Edit. I was also 7 at time of opening. Living next to golf links the main stand was on the roof of the house.
The Vulcan landing attempt is on YouTube. Trying for max runway they just clipped the embankment at South end.

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#2163692 19-Jan-2019 13:00

gzt: ^I saw all this too.. only at Motat sorry.

I remember the amphibians landing at mechanics bay.

Coincidentally there's a light amphibian sight seeing plane running from the viaduct now.

Mr Pedant Strikes Again: It’s actually a floatplane, not an amphibian.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

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#2163743 19-Jan-2019 15:33

Bung: The plot thickens, it seems that Wellington dropped off the trans Tasman run when the flying boats retired and didn't resume until July 1960 p145 of your pdf.

My interest in your mention of Electras was sparked by having an uncle in Customs. As a schoolboy I joined him on one of the "inspections" at Rongotai. In those days NZ Customs sent staff to Australia for a week at at time to start on the passenger lists.

Edit. I was also 7 at time of opening. Living next to golf links the main stand was on the roof of the house.
The Vulcan landing attempt is on YouTube. Trying for max runway they just clipped the embankment at South end.

Thanks - saw that YouTube stuff earlier - here’s some more on that landing:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/8420667/Retired-wing-commander-remembers-near-miss

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

tdgeek

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#2163817 19-Jan-2019 20:15

eracode:
GeekGuy:

When you can remember seeing RNZAF de Havilland Vampire flying.

... and the RNZAF Sunderland flying boat based at Hobsonville taxiing under the Harbour Bridge, NAC DC3s and the de Havilland Herons that flew provincial routes.

Not to mention the TEAL Lockheed Electras that flew the Tasman out of Paraparaumu, pre-Rongotai.

And that Whenuapai was Auckland airport pre-Mangere.

I remember and actually saw all this.

Same!

I flew on the last Electra flight, Brisbane to ChCh. It was a DC8 going there, or maybe a Qantas 707, so I was miffed that it was JUST the Electra on the way back.

Edit

Not sure if it was BNE to ChCh or AKL, it was AKL on the way over

HP

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tdgeek

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#2163818 19-Jan-2019 20:19

GeekGuy:

When you can remember seeing RNZAF de Havilland Vampire flying.

Cannot recall that bit I do recall the Vulcan was on AKL when I was a kid

kingdragonfly

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#2173631 5-Feb-2019 19:44

Warning This video should only be watched by people with strong constitutions. It may cause nightmares for younger audiences.

This was TV in 1976, laugh track and all.

Donny & Marie Osmond - Top Of The World / 19th Nervous Breakdown / Turn The Beat Around

GeekGuy

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#2173687 5-Feb-2019 20:49

tdgeek:

GeekGuy:

When you can remember seeing RNZAF de Havilland Vampire flying.

Cannot recall that bit I do recall the Vulcan was on AKL when I was a kid

Around the late 60's or early 70's, I can remember a couple of times while at primary school in Hastings getting the odd Vampire doing a fly over.

Probably doing navigation training and were probably based at Ohakea.

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