Historic Parking Spots For NZCH Pease

[Aharon]

Shalom and greetings all my pals,

All of NZFF forum members did WONDERFUl job giving me answers on parking spots of historic jets for NZWN Wellington as seen on this hyperlink:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=28688

Now because I just got BRAND NEW NZCH Christchurch airport by Godzone for use of FSX, I would once again please please need any assistance from all of you to tell me what gates did historic jets such as DC-10s, 747-100s, 747-200s, 747SPs, DC-8s, 737-200s, and 727s dock at so that I can recreate most realistic real world historic realism flights out of and into this NZCH airport.

Thank you for any assistance any of you might provide.

Regards,

Aharon

[Lindstrim]

Any of the older gates that they used have changed when the redevelopment happened in the mid 2000’s.

[Aharon]

Any of the older gates that they used have changed when the redevelopment happened in the mid 2000’s.

Yes I understand but any present gates that match or nearly match locations of older gates would be fine, please

Regards,

Aharon

[toprob]

Here's a couple of photos found online:

circa 1980

Showing the old domestic terminal in the foreground, and the new international.

[Radar88]

Here's a retrospective look back at the development of NZCH with some enhanced below images found on this link Old Canterbury Harewood Airport - Christchurch International Airport

Christchurch Airport History

1947



1952



Harewood Airport Control Tower original NZCH Control Tower





1965



Christchurch 1960's parking gates showing NAC's Viscount, Friendship & DC3 aircraft in front of the terminal building.



Christchurch late 1960's - 1970's in the below photo sees a parked 737-200 on the left. It is likely either National Airways Corporation NAC 737-200 Rego ZK-NAD or ZK-NAE, as they operated a full domestic air service from 1968 on the "main trunk sector routes" (Auckland–Wellington–Christchurch–Dunedin) on the right side with nose pointing towards the NAC 737-200 is likely to be a Mount Cook Airline Hawker Siddeley HS-748 which operated on regional South Island domestic tourist routes from 1968 to 1996 (Christchurch-Queenstown-Mt Cook and then out to the Chatham Islands from 1990 to 1992)



Historic parking gate spots are the darker grade tar seal patches seen in the photos, these dark patches had a heavier grade of seal to support the aircraft weight and turning on the parking spot. These parking gate spots are shown surrounding and parallel, to the horse shoe shape Domestic Terminal Building. Air-Stairs were used in historic parking gate spots to disembark passengers directly in front of the Domestic Terminal Building. Which has since been re-developed over time to accommodate for an increase of air traffic both Domestic and International. Now days Air-Bridges are more commonly used for passenger convenience, comfort and along with accommodating for more parking gate spots, within the surrounding area of the Terminal Building.

Qantas 747 Christchurch Apron parking gate 1978 ( Likely closest to current day Parking Gates 17 - 18 - 19 - 20. One can take a best guess on it's positioning, relative to the likely Taxiway A5 as seen in the background of the 747 nose cone.)



Christchurch Airport Control and Clock Tower circa 1970's - 1980's



Christchurch Airport Control and Clock Tower circa 1980's - 1990's



Christchurch Terminal circa 1990's



Christchurch Terminal circa 2000's

[Lindstrim]

The larger stuff try 28,29 30 for the 737 sized ones try 16-22 for domestic stuff and 26-35 for international flights. For regional flights eg ATR, Trash 8’s etc 4-12

[Aharon]

Thanks to lindstrim, toprob, and radar88 for FANTASTIC explanations and for awesome hyperlinks to more information that are of GREAT help to me to recreate historic flights out of new Godzone NZCH scenery for FSX use!!

Just saw hyperlink by toprob showing THREE Air New Zealand DC-10s at NZCH. How is it possible?? If it was NZAA, I would believe but THREE Air New Zealand DC-10s at NZCH?? Is it possible?

Regards,

Aharon

[Lindstrim]

Have a look at this forum https://tonymadgehjg.proboards.com/thre ... c10-digest for info on the routes from CHC

[Radar88]

Thanks to lindstrim, toprob, and radar88 for FANTASTIC explanations and for awesome hyperlinks to more information that are of GREAT help to me to recreate historic flights out of new Godzone NZCH scenery for FSX use!!

Just saw hyperlink by toprob showing THREE Air New Zealand DC-10s at NZCH. How is it possible?? If it was NZAA, I would believe but THREE Air New Zealand DC-10s at NZCH?? Is it possible?

Regards,

Aharon

Entirely possible.

In the 1970's Air New Zealand had an operational fleet of EIGHT Long Haul DC-10s and had a tragic loss of 1 in the November 1979 "Mount Erebus Antarctica disaster"

Here's a link to some background reading to the "Erebus Story"

This reduced the Long Haul DC-10 fleet to just SEVEN that were eventually sold off, in the early 80's, as the Boeing 747-200 fleet was phased in from 1981 on the Long Haul routes to be joined mid 80's by the Boeing 767-200 fleet.

Air New Zealand DC10 Fleet History

Air New Zealand Historic Fleet

Also Air New Zealand has Two Aircraft Engineering & Maintenance Base facilities one at NZAA and the other at NZCH for servicing large jet aircraft such as the DC-10s in the 70's and early 80's.

From a historic perspective NZAA served as the North Island's, International Airport Customs border gateway and NZCH served as the South Island's, International Airport Customs border gateway for both International Passenger and Cargo Aircraft, due to their respective longer runway lengths.

Both NZAA and NZCH runways were finished and commissioned to the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO standards during the 1960's and up until the mid 80's, they were the only Two internationally recognised International Airport's of New Zealand, that were capable of handling wide body large jet aircraft.


If you're interested in recreating historic flights, would suggest you look at the Historic Jetliners Group HJG and register for their Forums.

Mark C the HJG Administrator has done a magnificent detail written Air NZ DC-10 digest that includes pictures of the HJG Flight Sim DC10 models in Air New Zealand registration liveries. He goes into great detail of the real world history, that would be of interest in the recreation of historic flights.

AIR NEW ZEALAND DC-10 DIGEST

Some what interestingly in the Mark C HJG Forum DC10 Digest post written date Feb 5, 2015. Is a response posting underneath, also dated Feb 5, 2015 at 3:52pm from a HJG Deleted Member called Aharon

Could that be you by any chance, I wonder !!!!!

[Aharon]

linstrim and radar88,

Thanks for answers. I know that Air New Zealand had a sizeable fleet of eight or so DC-10s.

What I was trying to say was that I was asking if it was possible to have THREE Air New Zealand DC-10s AT SAME TIME at NZCH Christchurch airport. I thought it would be one or 2 at same time.

Amazed me to see three Air New Zealand DC-10s at SAME time at NZCH!!! Made me wonder where those three DC-10s were going to from NZCH.

Regards,

Aharon

[Radar88]

Yes it's entirely possible to have 3 DC-10's at NZCH at the same time.

Even though it is indeed, quite an un-likely, rare occasion to have them all captured at the same time in the aerial photo.

A likely scenario could either be to do with re-positioning for inter-connecting flights between Arrival and Departure resulting in a cross-over period or perhaps a overnight "lay-over", engineering and maintenance re-positioning etc, even a potential for a NZAA destination arrival flight that encounter bad weather, such as low level sea fog rolling in over the Manukau Harbour on arrival at NZAA (that has been known to happen from time to time, temporarily closing NZAA Airport to Air Traffic) resulting in an Alternate Fuel Reserve, Diverted, re- route flight to NZCH (who knows it's anyone's guess) with any number of possible scenario conclusions that could be inferred from the photo.

Since the following paragraph was found in this link about Christchurch Airport

"During 1963, the main runway was extended 427m southwest to 2,442 metres, providing for commercial jet operations. In April 1965, scheduled Boeing 707 jet services started, by Qantas to Sydney. Later in 1966, an international wing was added to the domestic terminal. In October 1968, NAC operated its first Boeing 737 to the airport. SAFE Air introduced a Chatham Island air link to Christchurch in December 1969. In 1972 the north-west runway was completely resealed and repainted. The first scheduled Boeing 747 service arrived on 3 December 1972, a Qantas flight from Sydney. Air New Zealand introduced its DC-10 aircraft to trans-Tasman services at the end of October 1973."

With all this in mind, it's highly likely that the Air New Zealand DC-10s had the following historic Trans Tasman routes across the Tasman Sea to the Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney from Christchurch International NZCH South Island Hub along with re-positioning flights of the DC-10 aircraft fleet with Main trunk Domestic Passenger flights to and from the main Auckland International NZAA North Island Hub.


A possible scenario for the Air New Zealand circa 1970's early 80's DC-10s flights in and out of NZCH are Trans Tasman Australian historic sector routes for Melbourne YMML

NZAA - YMML - NZCH - NZAA

NZAA - YMML - NZCH

NZCH - YMML - NZAA

NZAA - NZCH

NZCH - YMML - NZCH

NZCH - NZAA

A possible scenario for the Air New Zealand circa 1970's early 80's DC-10s flights in and out of NZCH are Trans Tasman Australian historic sector routes for Sydney YSSY

NZAA - YSSY - NZCH - NZAA

NZAA - YSSY - NZCH

NZCH - YSSY - NZAA

NZAA - NZCH

NZCH - YSSY - NZCH

NZCH - NZAA

If you're interested in a further insight, into the Air New Zealand DC-10s suggest either reading the following from.

Air New Zealand - Flight Engineer, Gary Sommerville’s written detailed perspective of our DC10-30 era in his pdf document DC-10-30 Experience. February 1974 - March 1981.

Or watch his 27 minute historic slide show tribute showcasing each of the eight Air New Zealand DC-10s and find out what happened to them after retiring from their operational service with Air New Zealand in his DC-10-30 Remembered video.

[Aharon]

Radar88,

Thanks for great explanations and great accompanying hyperlinks. I agree with your theories for scenario possibility about why there were three Air New Zealand DC-10s at same time at NZCH.

Surprised me via one of your hyperlinks revealing that DC-10 had emergency air driven propeller generator which reminded me of Air Transat A330 making successful emergency landing after losing power in both engines and flying for about 20 minutes without engines while using emergency air driven propeller generator!

Regards,

Aharon