A range of community celebrations are planned to commemorate this historic anniversary for 11-13 November 2021. Please visit the Nelson Airport website for more information.

General Information

Note: All events are subject to Covid-19 lockdown levels, weather conditions, and historic aircraft serviceability - and may be changed by the committee

Thursday 11th November 2021 will mark the 100th anniversary of the first aircraft to fly to Nelson. Captain P.K. ‘Shorty’ Fowler in Avro 504K (of New Zealand Aero Transport Co.) with passengers Tom Newman (who sponsored the flight) and mechanic Ted Ranish, flew the pioneering flight from Wellington in just over two hours on 11 November 1921.

Due to strong winds and flying low - and with fuel running out - the Avro 504K aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Greenmeadows Stoke. Soon after, the aircraft continued to its destination of Spring Grove, near the Newman farm.

Nelson-Tasman’s geographical isolation was never the same again after this pioneering 1921 flight.

After early 1930s aero club beginnings a pioneering scheduled airline (Cook Strait Airways) was established at the Stoke Airfield in 1935. The opening of Nelson’s new airport at Tahunanui in 1938, close to the city centre, was a key milestone for the region’s social, economic and tourism future. The airport led to a wartime air force station and a growing post-war airline scene. It became the main commercial aviation centre for the upper South Island, including helicopter work.

The 100th anniversary of Nelson/Tasman aviation provides the opportunity to celebrate the contribution of aviation to the region – to honour the pioneers, recognise the aircraft, personalities, innovations and events – and how the important aviation industry has helped develop the whole Nelson/Tasman province.

For background details of the pioneering 11th November 1921 flight please refer the book, ‘The Story of Nelson Aviation’ (2013) by Richard Waugh & Graeme McConnell. ISBN: 978-0-473-26578-6

Copies are available in libraries and for sale in local Nelson/Tasman bookshops. The book covers the 1921 pioneering flight in detail and with many photographs.

Website:

See:www.nelsonairport.co.nz/100thAviationAnniversary

Voluntary Organisers:

Richard Waugh and Graeme McConnell instigated planning for the 100 years of Nelson/Tasman aviation celebrations and have been working since 2019 to organise the celebrations for November 2021.

Many volunteers are involved in planning for the 100th anniversary events.

For further information: Ph Richard Waugh 022 5339400 Graeme McConnell 027 3486507. Richard and Graeme are well-known aviation historians with extensive research and publishing of books on many aspects of NZ civil aviation and with a focus on the Nelson and West Coast regions. Graeme’s late father ‘Hec’ McConnell was a pre-war Nelson (Stoke Airfield) trained pilot and later based at RNZAF Base Nelson during WWII. Richard’s late father, Brian Waugh, was a WWII RAF pilot and later in the 1950s helped pioneer the first Nelson to Christchurch scheduled service.

Sponsor Support:

Important sponsors of the Nelson/Tasman 100th Aviation Celebrations are:

Rata Foundation, Tasman District Council, Nelson City Council/Nelson Regional Development Agency, Nelson Airport Ltd, Move Logistics Ltd and Port Nelson Ltd.

Crew of the pioneering 11 November 1921 flight:

Captain P.K. ‘Shorty’ Fowler - see page 24 in ‘The Story of Nelson Aviation’ for detailed biography of Fowler, a former WWI pilot or was the pilot of the first aircraft to Nelson. Many Fowler family members are planning to be in Nelson for the 100th anniversary. These include Captain Fowlers’ elderly daughters Philippa Novak and Janet King. Family contact is Janet King – Ph 06 8778838 or 0210505458.

Tom Newman: Well-known Nelson transport pioneer who sponsored the flight from Wellington. Many Newman family members are planning to attend the anniversary including granddaughter of Tom Newman,April Bamford (in her late 80s). Ph 06 3775026. Or Juliet 021 217 3801.

Ted Ranish was the young aeronautical mechanic on the 1921 flight with Captain Fowler and Tom Newman. Two Ranish family will be attending. Contact is: Leigh Oliver (granddaughter) Ph 0274160014

Aircraft for Re-enactment on 11 November 2022:

Story of de Havilland DH83 Fox Moth ZK-APT:

ZK-APT - will re-enact the first flight to Nelson on the 100th anniversary and fly over Nelson/Stoke/Richmond/Waimea on 11th November 2021. Times over Nelson city will be 1pm, Stoke 1.10pm and Brightwater/Spring Grove at 2.30pm.

The Fox Moth first flew in NZ in November 1947 and was officially registered to the Marlborough Aero Club. The Club used it for freight and charter work including many trips to Nelson/Tasman. It flew extensively on the West Coast from the mid-1950s. Withdrawn from use in the 1960s and stored. Restored in the early 2000s by Stan Smith (ex Nelson) at North Shore Airfield.

The DH83 Fox Moth type is historic in New Zealand as it was the aircraft type that flew the first licensed scheduled air services in New Zealand from December 1934 with Captain Bert Mercer and his Hokitika-based Air Travel (NZ) Ltd airline. Air Travel’s Fox Moths regularly flew to Nelson from the late 1930s.

Owner: Pip & Paul Hally (Pip is ex Nelson, now living in Blenheim) Ph 0277870017

Story of DH89 Rapide/Dominie ZK-AKY:

The Dominie ZK-AKY will pay tribute to Nelson’s airline pioneers. De Havilland DH89 Rapides were selected by Nelson-based Cook Strait Airways (CSA) to be their new aircraft type from late 1935. In December of that year CSA pioneered regular scheduled air services from the Stoke Airfield. These were the first services from Nelson to Wellington, Blenheim and later the West Coast. In the process CSA inaugurated the first air services with DH89 aircraft linking the South Island to the North Island by air. The DH89 Rapide/Dominie type was the first airliner to use the new (present) Nelson Airport from late 1938.

After WWII the DH89 aircraft type were used by NZ National Airways Corporation (NAC) and DH89 Dominie ZK-AKY was actually used on the Nelson service from the late 1940s. The DH89 Dominie type with South Island Airways from 1954 pioneered the first Nelson to Christchurch air services.

ZK-AKY first flew in New Zealand in October 1943 and was used by the RNZAF as a wartime communications aircraft (NZ525) – so a genuine warbird! ZK-AKY flew regularly for NAC on NZ air services until the early 1960s. Since that time it has been mainly based in Southland/Fiordland, fully restored in recent years, and is now owned and operated by the Croydon Aviation Heritage Trust and continues to be available for hire and is in pristine condition.

Contact : Pilot Jordan Kean 0273219735

Aviation Historian on the DH89 Rapide/Dominie type: Richard Waugh 022 5339400 (whose late father flew the type extensively including helping to pioneer the Nelson to ChCh service with DH89 aircraft from 1954).

Story of DH84 Dragon ZK-AXI

Dragon ZK-AXI was a pioneering post-war Nelson-based aircraft and first air ambulance in the region. Manufactured in Australia during WWII as a navigation trainer (1943), the de Havilland DH84 type first flew in 1932 and in 1935 the type was introduced by East Coast Airways on its inaugural Gisborne to Hawkes Bay scheduled air service. It was the first twin engine aircraft on scheduled services in New Zealand. It is a pioneer small airliner.

ZK-AXI was purchased by Nelson Aero Club in April 1954. It was a pioneering air ambulance aircraft in Nelson and used for a wide variety of charter work during the 1950s and to the late 1960s including supply dropping to the Mt Robert ski-field, aerial photography, and local flight training. Long-time club pilot was the late Don Price. The Dragon was later purchased by well-known Nelson pilot Arthur Bradshaw. After an accident in Auckland in the late 1960s it was withdrawn from use, but in the 1990s was fully restored by Stan Smith at North Shore Airfield. Stan is an ex Nelsonian (grew up in Ranzau/Hope area) and is delighted to bring the Dragon back to Nelson where he first knew it when part of the aero club fleet in the late 1950s.

The Dragon is one of only about five Dragons airworthy around the world.

Contact: Stan Smith: 0274 775475

Drama Groups

Drama Play ‘First Flight’ (story of Captain Fowler and first flight). Planned for performing in Nelson in November 2022. Contact:

Justin Eade: jeade@xtra.co.nz Ph 027 488 7524

Giles Burton: gilesburton@me.com Ph 0223503130

Histrionics drama group are also planning to perform a short drama play about Mr Marsden at Stoke not being happy about the pioneering 1921 aircraft landing on his farm paddock! Contact is Penny Taylor 0273373684.

Further Information on Nelson/Tasman 100th Aviation Anniversary, see website: www.nelsonairport.co.nz/100thAviationAnniversary