Amazing Mount Cook NZ
NZ Aero Transport Co. was established in 1920 at Timaru by Rodolph Wigley, who in 1906 had driven the first motor car to The Hermitage. Wigley leased five surplus Royal Air Force aircraft from the NZ Government for sightseeing. It was the first company of its kind in the country.
NZ Aero Transport Co. was established in 1920 at Timaru by Rodolph Wigley, who in 1906 had driven the first motor car to The Hermitage. Wigley leased five surplus Royal Air Force aircraft from the NZ Government for sightseeing. It was the first company of its kind in the country. The first aeroplane to land in Fairlie was war surplus Avro 504K biplane E4242 in May 1920, still carrying RAF roundels. Passenger and freight routes served areas between Wellington and Invercargill. In October 1920 with Captain JC Mercer, Wigley flew on the first one-day flight from Invercargill to Auckland. After a series of mishaps, such as damage during forced landings in paddocks, the company went into liquidation in 1923
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| Founded | 1920 | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | 9 December 2019 | ||||||
| Hubs | Auckland Christchurch Wellington |
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| Frequent-flyer program | Airpoints | ||||||
| Alliance | Star Alliance (affiliate) | ||||||
| Fleet size | 30 | ||||||
| Destinations | 15 | ||||||
| Parent company | Air New Zealand | ||||||
| Headquarters | Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||
| Key people | Kelvin Duff (GM of Regional Airlines) | ||||||
| Website | www.airnz.co.nz | ||||||
Former United Airlines fleet
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-200 | 1995 | 2006 | |
| Auster J/1B Aiglet | 1951 | Two aircraft | |
| Auster J/5P Autocar | 1956 | Two aircraft | |
| British Aerospace 146-300 | 2001 | 2002 | Eight aircraft |
| Bell 206B Jetranger | 1980 | 1985 | One helicopter |
| Britten-Norman Islander | 1970 | Six aircraft | |
| Cessna 180 | Four aircraft | ||
| Cessna 185 Skywagon | Now operated by Mount Cook Ski Planes. | ||
| Cessna U206 Stationair | Three aircraft | ||
| de Havilland DH.98B Dominie | Three aircraft | ||
| de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Ripide | One aircraft | ||
| de Havilland Tiger Moth | Two aircraft | ||
| De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | 1969 | 1998 | Three aircraft |
| Douglas DC-3 Dakota | 1961 | 1978 | Four aircraft |
| Eurocopter AS.350B Squirrel 1 | 1997 | 1998 | One helicopter |
| Fletcher FU.24 | Six aircraft | ||
| Fokker F27-100 Friendship | 1991 | One leased aircraft | |
| Fokker F27-200 Friendship | 1981 | Three aircraft leased from the Department of Civil Aviation. | |
| GAF N22C Nomad | 1993 | 1998 | One aircraft |
| GAF N24A Nomad | 1993 | 1998 | One aircraft |
| Grumman G-21A Goose | 1972 | 1975 | One aircraft |
| Grumman G-44A Widgeon | 1975 | Six aircraft | |
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | 1968 | 1996 | Eight aircraft |
| Kawasaki BK 117 Helicopter[22] | 1996 | 1998 | Three helicopters |
| Miles M-11A Whitney Stright | One aircraft | ||
| Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter | 1982 | Four aircraft. Now operated by Mount Cook Ski Planes. | |
| Piper PA-18A Super Cub | 1956 | Two aircraft | |
| Piper PA-22 Tri Pacer | 1956 | One aircraft | |
| Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain | 1993 | 1997 | Three aircraft |
Current Aircraft Inventory Mount Cook NZ Airline
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers (Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 72-500 | 7 | 0 | 68 | Being replaced by ATR 72-600s |
| ATR 72-600 | 23 | 6 | 68 | Replacing ATR 72-500. |
| Total | 30 | 6 |
Laird Swallow 1920-23 Replica
E.M. Laird Airplane Company was formed in Wichita, Ks in 1920. The staff included Matty Laird, Billy Burke and Jake Moellendick. The group’s first airplane, the Wichita Tractor, took flight April 8. A young man observing the test flight, William Lassen, is believed to have remarked, “She flies like a swallow, boys.” From that point on, the plane was known as the Laird Swallow and is considered to be the first commercially produced aircraft in the U.S. Only 43 copies were built.
The aircraft at KAM is a re-creation of the Laird Swallow as no original copies of the aircraft are known to exist.
Specifications:
Seats: 1 pilot, 2 passengers
Engine: Curtiss OX-5 eight-cylinder V-8, water cooled, 90 shp
Weight 1075 lbs.
Speed 86 MPH
Climb, 4000 ft. in 10 minutes with two passengers, pilot and fuel
for 2 1/2 hrs.
Climb, pilot alone, 3000 ft. in 4 1/2 minutes.
Click here for more info Laird swallow J-5
United Airlines, Inc. is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois
The Swallow Airplane Swallow is an American-built general purpose biplane of the mid- to late 1920s
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| Role | Turboprop regional airliner |
|---|---|
| National origin | France/Italy |
| Manufacturer | ATR |
| First flight | 27 October 1988 |
| Introduction | 27 October 1989 (Finnair) |
| Status | In production, In service |
| Primary users | Wings Air IndiGo Azul Linhas Aereas Air New Zealand TAROM |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1988–present |
| Number built | 1,800 as of 23 October 2023 |
| Developed from | ATR 42 |
