New Zealand News

Helicopter accidents increased from 22 in 1992 to 28. Seven people died in five fatal helicopter crashes last year, compared with one death in the previous 12 months. Glider accidents were down last year to three with no deaths, compared with 13 non fatal accidents in 1992. New Zealand director of civil aviation, Kevin Ward says although the aeroplane accident figure of 68 was the second highest in the last nine years (there were 71 in 1990), little could be read into the bare statistics. The authority carried out detailed audits of the causes of accidents to pinpoint areas for possible safety improvements.

Such audits had uncovered recently a high proportion of accidents involving light aircraft and helicopters.

The authority had moved to give priority to new rules making quality management mandatory for operators of passenger aircraft of 30 seats or fewer.

Shades of Kingsford Smith!

Someone was watching over two pilots when they crossed the Tasman from Australia in a homebuilt aircraft recently. A Qantas 747 pilot also making the journey (with more speed and comfort) made radio contact with Peter Hodgens and Tom Lathouwers, both of Sydney, in their two seater to make sure things were all right.

The pilots said the flight took them 12 hours and 29 minutes. In September, 1928, it took the two Southern Cross pilots (plus navigator and radio operator) 14 hours and 25 minutes, to make aviation history by flying from NSW to Christchurch, the largest city (350,000 pop) in the South Island.

The homebuilt aircraft, a Thorp T18C, which has folding wings, is powered by a 180hp (135kW) Lycoming engine. The Thorp, with a 5. 5 hour endurance, has a cruising speed of 160kt (300kph).

The Thorp pilots took off from Wedderburn, near Sydney and island hopped the “Ditch” – Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, Whangarei (northern NI) and Paraparaumu, near Wellington.

Concerned they would not see Norfolk Island for the haze, the airport manager there kept in touch once they were within radio range. The Thorp encountered 45 knot (185kmh) winds near Whangarei and the trans Tasman travellers made an instrument landing. The long distance travellers were here for a Sport Aviation Expo.

The Thorp, built by Pete Hodgens, has won more awards than any other Australian homebuilt aircraft. It has even flown to the United States, where it won reserve grand champion at the Oshkosh air convention in Wisconsin.

to take a hard line against passengers found smoking in the toilets.

Air New Zealand would not give details of the incident that led to the dismissals, except to confirm the attendants were dismissed late last year. One of the attendants was a union member; neither is believed to be challenging the dismissal.

The union member is also understood to have been sacked by Air New Zealand previously for another offence, before winning a legal challenge and being reinstated late last year.

The Flight Attendants and Related Services Association has reminded members in its latest bulletin that the safety of aircraft crew is its paramount concern. The union’s national executive officer, Allen Pascoe wrote in the latest bulletin: “We will not compromise the safety of crew on this issue. If you are caught smoking in a toilet you are likely to be dismissed. ”

Air Force House Back in News

There’s a little bit of Australia in a special Royal New Zealand Air Force house at the Ohakea air base, lower North Island.

The house contains 66m2 of carpet from Australia. It costs $NZ228 a square metre whereas a similar quality New Zealand carpet would cost $NZ170 a metre, reports the Auditor-General, Jeff Chapman. The house, occupied by the base commander, Group Captain Frank Sharp, until early this year, has had well over $NZ500,000 spent on it although approval for spending only $NZ50,000 had been given.

An investigation by Mr Chapman found that the final sum spent on the property was $NZ632,434. He could not satisfactorily account for between $NZ100,000 and $NZ120,000 of the total refurbishment bill.

Group Captain Sharp, now at the Whenuapai air force base, Auckland, had not offered his resignation, the Defence chief, Vice Admiral Somerford Teagle, told Parliament’s foreign affairs and defence committee. The air force no provision not to pay him, said the Defence chief.

officer was on long term leave on full pay because there is Another former Ohakea air force officer involved in the house cost over run, Flight Lieutenant Bill Bundle, has been assisting the police with their inquiries. The Serious Fraud Squad is asking questions too.

Mr Chapman said the house size went from 175m2 to 330m2. It contains 60 power points, 17 telephone sockets and an elaborate lighting system which uses 50 switches and 11 dimmers. The Auditor General also said it was believed the bathroom had been replaced several times.

Contractors and air force staff have said some work on the house was done to meet the “requirements” of Group Captain Sharp and his wife.

Mr Chapman also criticises the “questionable” behaviour of some air force staff and wants to know how they were given the freedom to act as they did.

Airways Corp to Be Sued Over Tender

The Airways Corporation is being sued for misleading and deceptive conduct over its tendering of a flight The Thorp was one of about 80 on show at Paraparaumu.

Air NZ Sacks Two for Smoking in Toilet

Two Air New Zealand cabin crew have been sacked for tion unit after failing to have the application struck out in smoking in a toilet during an international flight.

The incident has embarrassed the main flight attendants union, which acknowledges having pressed the airline man- the High Court, Auckland.

Aviation operator Air Centre 1 Ltd, formerly Beechcraft Sales (NZ) Ltd is taking the civil action, alleging the breaches under the Fair Trading Act, reports Auckland’s daily newspaper.

The company was one of the unsuccessful tenderers for the calibration unit that checks air navigation aids used to guide aircraft. The Airways Corporation declared the Australian Civil Aviation Authority the successful bidder and a tenyear contract was signed in February, 1991.

A 20 month inquiry by parliament’s transport select committee found Beechcraft’s tender was more cost effective and technically superior than the Australian bid.

Last year the Auditor-General said the Corporation board’s judgment over the awarding of the contract could not be questioned.

Details of the legal action have come to light in a judgment by Justice Thomas. In it, he outlined how the Airways Corporation had applied to strike out in whole or in part four causes of action pleaded by Air Center 1. Justice Thomas declined to strike any out but did direct Air Center’s lawyers to clarify their causes in a new statement of claim and this has been done.

He said the first cause of action, alleging misleading and deceptive conduct, related to the activity of Dr Rob Edwards and the Flight Inspection Development and Planning Group which he headed in Airways Corporation. The parliamentary select committee report on the tenders outlined how Beechcraft and other tenderers were deprived of information given to the Australian Civil Aviation Authority. The Airways Corporation lawyer, Kimball Murray, said a number of the allegations were outside the three-year limitation period for taking such action under the Fair Trading Act.

But Justice Thomas said he did not believe the claim could be approached that way after hearing submissions from David Baragwanath QC (for the plaintiff) that Air Center was allegedly “misled over a substantial period of time. ” He also said communications, discussions and negotiations with representatives of the Airways Corporation continued until the tender of the Australian Civil Aviation Authority was accepted on October 26, 1990.

“Thus, tendering for the contract in issue represented what might be called a tender process which did not conclude until the contract had been let. ”

Book Out on Warbirds in NZ

Warbirds enthusiasts are delighted with Gerard Morris’s book, “Warbirds over Wanaka” which tells the story of New Zealand’s premier airshow.

Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd says the foreword has been written by Sir Tim Wallis, the noted Alpine Fighter collector who greeted Australians at Easter during a thrilling aviation gathering at Wanaka, lower South Island. The book, selling for $NZ34. 95, includes more than 100 colour photographs of all the aircraft and displays since 1988, as well as show details. There are also details of the history and specifications of each aircraft.

Morris’ book contains 140 pages and has brief contributions by Air Vice Marshal John Hosie, RNZAF, and Trevor Bland, president, NZ Warbirds Assoc. The works of 19 photographers are featured.

Air NZ Serves South America

Air New Zealand is promoting a service from Australia and New Zealand to South America under a marketing alliance with Lan Chile Airlines.

Travellers from Australia and New Zealand can take advantage of a new schedule on Fridays to Tahiti, connecting with the Lan Chile Airlines service to Santiago, Chile.

Matthew Boyd, Air New Zealand’s regional marketing manager says the two airlines have just opened new travel opportunities.

“South America is an expanding market and we expect to develop strong business in both directions from all sectors of the market. ” Australians destined for Santiago will board an Air New Zealand flight departing at 10. 45 from Sydney or 12. 15pm from Melbourne and take off from Auckland at 6. 30pm, arriving in Tahiti just after lam and Santiago at 7. 15pm. The return flight departs Santiago on Sunday at 6. 15pm.

And while in a globe trotting frame of mind, Korea has become the third largest Asian visitor market for New Zealand. Air New Zealand’s twice weekly Boeing 767 service to Seoul was initiated from Auckland last November.

Tourist arrivals from Korea reached 27,000 in the year to December. This is more than double those in the previous 12 months. Further growth is forecast as a result of the joint service agreement between Air New Zealand and Korea.

New Zealand Ace Returns to Normandy

A New Zealand Spitfire pilot who fought over the Normandy beaches on D Day 50 years ago will soon return to France to fly his old fighter over the invasion beaches one last time.

enemy aircraft during the D Day invasion: his Spitfire, pre- Squadron Leader Johnnie Houlton shot down the first served in Britain, will be part of June’s 50th anniversary D Day tribute.

Born in Christchurch, he flew with 485 (NZ) Squadron in the Royal Air Force. During WW2 Johnnie Houlton shot down nine aircraft – three in the week of the Allied invasion of occupied Europe.

His Spitfire was converted after the war into a two seat trainer for the Irish Air Corps. Later an English engineer, Nick Grace, rebuilt the Spitfire. Mr Grace died in an accident and his widow, Carolyn, took over the project, said Johnnie Houlton. She operated the Spitfire as a business, demonstrating it at airshows in Britain and Europe. Mrs Grace has offered Johnnie Houlton an expenses paid trip for the D Day 50th anniversary.

On the morning of June 6, 1944, Johnnie Houlton shot down a Junkers 88 inland form Normandy. He was credited with the first aerial kill of the invasion.

fighter are ready to take off again, a French government However, half a century on, while the same pilot and ruling means Johnnie can’t fly over the beaches on June 6, the anniversary date.

He says that “all kinds of dignitaries, including President Clinton, will be there, and the French have declared it a no-fly zone on the day. We’ll fly over the beaches again on the closest day possible. ” +