Thousands See Inaugural Flights From Airport

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 50, 29 June 1965, Page 8

Thousands See Inaugural Flights From Airport

Taupo was a very important airport in Spanz's thinking, Capt. R. Daniell, manaffinR director of South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand told a gathering in Taupo on Saturday night. At this gathering, he announced that it was the company's intention to apply to the Air Services Licensing Authority to use the HawkerSiddeley Avro 748 turbo-prop aircraft on its routes from Auffust, 1966.

This announcement was the culmination of a day full of interest as Spanz aircraft tlew scenic and mountain tours almost from daylight to dark from the new Taupo airport. The glorious weather following a week of dismal rain, fog and cloud, could only have been a good omen for the future of the company and for the Taupo airport. To the south, the heavy snowfall on Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe glistened white and sparkling in the brittle winter sunshine. The blues and . greens of Lake Taupo were softened by a slight breeze which carried with it just a hint of the wintry weather of the past week. The new airport took on all the aspects of a busy air terminal from an early hour on Saturday as club aircraft and a Spanz Viewmaster DC3 flew on and off the runway. From the time of arrival 10 a.m.) to final take-off (5.10 p.m.), Spanz carried over 500 passengers, ,not including the party of crippled children brought down

in a co-operative effort between the Taupo and Auckland Lions clubs. These children spent a happy day seeing Taupo from the ground. Taupo Aero Club aircraft had to be supplemented by a James Aviation Cessna 172, and still a number of refundts had to be made on booked flights. The smaller planes carried some 240 passengers, taking about £130 for the day. Throughout the day a continuous line of cars flowed in and out of the airport and an estimated 3000 people visited the area. Taupo Legion of Frontiersmen were on duty during the day directing traffic in the new car park. On this occasion, the official parking area was too small to take the number of vehicles and use had to be made of the as-yet undeveloped grass surrounds. Taupo Aero Club used a hut almost on the site of the proposed new terminal building. A plan of the airport was displayed for the public to see.

On Sunday morning, the first two passengers out of Taupo on scheduled flights were Mrs E. Buchanan, the mother of Mrs J. Neill, Tauranga-Taupo, who was travelling to Dunedin, and Mr B. L. Nicholls, officer in charge of the Department

of Lands and Survey plaat nursery at Aratiatia. Yesterday, schedules all over New Zealand were interrupted and delayed by a mechanical check on one of the aircraft and the bad weather experienced at most other airports. Taupo'a airport was open all day.