Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:53 pmHaving seen all the lovely pics of folks touring around in everything from Pipers, Cessna's, Beeches, Boeings, and Airbuses I decided to tour in a different way.
My journey is a trip around New Zealand in a 1930's vintage DeHavilland DH.89a Dragon Rapide. This lovely plane has the distinction of being the first aircraft to carry a reigning King of England - and showed the potential of air travel for the masses (a half dozen passengers at a time).
Flying in the Dragon Rapide poses many challenges - by today's standards, the instrumentation is crude and barely adequate for VFR flight (IFR is out of the question); it's two Gypsy Six put out just enough power to propel it to 110 knots - allowing even a Cessna 172 to leave it in the dust. Due to it's wood and fabric construction, bad weather can be not only unpleasant but downright dangerous. Another bit that takes some getting used to - no copilot, no flight engineer, and no flight attendants - it's just the pilot and the passengers - leaving the pilot to handle whatever emergencies may arise alone. Last and not least - human constraints dictate flight lengths - let's face it, there is only so long a soul can go without going to the loo.............
First leg is from Palmerston North to Wellington.
Sitting on the tarmac - looks like a rainy dreary mid-summer day
Preparing for takeoff:
A quick glance back at our passengers:
Climbing out of Palmerston North, heading towards Wellington in a summer squall:
Turning in towards the mountains to guide us on into Auckland in this muck:
Showing off the old gal's graceful lines:
No copilot to help out when things get hairy:
The squall gains strength over the mountains:
Closing on Welly in the downpour - let's hope we can make out the runway in this muck:
Almost there!
Finally, turning into Final Approach!
Engines off, passenger door open - let the poor souls get some rest - it's up at dawn for the next leg - from Wellington to Westport via Nelson for some sightseeing
My journey is a trip around New Zealand in a 1930's vintage DeHavilland DH.89a Dragon Rapide. This lovely plane has the distinction of being the first aircraft to carry a reigning King of England - and showed the potential of air travel for the masses (a half dozen passengers at a time).
Flying in the Dragon Rapide poses many challenges - by today's standards, the instrumentation is crude and barely adequate for VFR flight (IFR is out of the question); it's two Gypsy Six put out just enough power to propel it to 110 knots - allowing even a Cessna 172 to leave it in the dust. Due to it's wood and fabric construction, bad weather can be not only unpleasant but downright dangerous. Another bit that takes some getting used to - no copilot, no flight engineer, and no flight attendants - it's just the pilot and the passengers - leaving the pilot to handle whatever emergencies may arise alone. Last and not least - human constraints dictate flight lengths - let's face it, there is only so long a soul can go without going to the loo.............
First leg is from Palmerston North to Wellington.
Sitting on the tarmac - looks like a rainy dreary mid-summer day
Preparing for takeoff:
A quick glance back at our passengers:
Climbing out of Palmerston North, heading towards Wellington in a summer squall:
Turning in towards the mountains to guide us on into Auckland in this muck:
Showing off the old gal's graceful lines:
No copilot to help out when things get hairy:
The squall gains strength over the mountains:
Closing on Welly in the downpour - let's hope we can make out the runway in this muck:
Almost there!
Finally, turning into Final Approach!
Engines off, passenger door open - let the poor souls get some rest - it's up at dawn for the next leg - from Wellington to Westport via Nelson for some sightseeing
A great idea and another welcomed flight that we can watch over. I am looking forward to the next leg! 
