BLUEGRASS AIRLINES

January 2007

Union Airways of New Zealand 1936-1937 by Bill Von Sennet

Dh.86 de Havilland Express ready for takeoff at Wigram Field, Christchurch, NZ

 

For the 1936 flights we have Lee Holmes Dh.86 Express

Download CLH_DH86Express.ZIP (2.3mb)

 

For the 1937 flights I used the FS Design Berlin L-10A Electra by Arik Hohmeyer  filename l104nwa.zip (12.3mb) and the Union Airways textures by Dale DeLuca and Arik Hohmeyer filename l104uni.zip (1.3mb)  Both are available at www.avsim.com and www.flightsim.com

 

 

Union Airways Lockheed L-10A Electra ZK-AFD at Palmerston North

 

 

On 16-March 1936 Union Airways started regular air mail service between Palmerston North, Blenheim, Christchurch and Dunedin.  They used three de Havilland DH-86 Express Airliners.  They were similar to the Dragon Rapide, but larger and with 4 engines.

 

On 27-June 1937 Union Airways began mail service between Wellington, Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Auckland.  For this route they used Lockheed Electras.

 

On 1-July 1937 Union Airways took over the East Coast Airways route between Palmerston North, Napier and Gisborne

 

The information above was found on Robert Clark’s web-site: New Zealand Stamp Images 

 

Article on early aviation in the Encyclopedia of New Zealand

 

 

By 1939  Union Airways was maintaining services on these routes:

 

Auckland–New Plymouth–Palmerston North–Wellington–Christchurch–Dunedin

 

Palmerston North–Blenheim–Christchurch

 

Palmerston North–Napier–Gisborne

 

Auckland–Tauranga–Opotiki–Gisborne.

 

1936 Flights

 

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

North Palmerton

North Palmerton

NZPM

198°

45.5 nm

Paraparaumo

PP 242.0

 

 

 

188°

15.8 nm

Titahi Bay

TY 234.0

 

 

 

214°

42.4 nm

Blenheim

BM 342.0

 

 

 

241°

5.8 nm

Woodbourne

WB 366.0

Blenheim

Woodbourne Mil.

NZWB

246°

1.1 nm

Runway 25

 

 

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

Blenheim

Woodbourne Mil.

NZWB

104°

21.9 nm

Cape Campbell

CC 286.0

 

 

 

190°

48.5 nm

Kaikoura

KI 350.0

 

 

 

195°

83.1 nm

Woodend

OD 262.0

 

 

 

173°

10.3nm

Fix 217° to  BU

BU 374.0

Christchurch

Wigram

NZWG

210°

4 nm

Runway 21

 

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

Chirstchurch

Wigram

NZWG

213°

39.1 nm

Ashburton

AS 254.0

 

 

 

203°

34.9 nm

Timaru

TU 366.0

 

 

 

162°

38.5 nm

Oamaru

OU 302.0

 

 

 

184°

58 nm

Swampy

SW 338.0

 

 

 

212°

7.9 nm

Mosgiel

MI 358.0

Dunedin

Dunedin

NZDN

212°

5.7 nm

Runway 21

 

Hypothetical 1936 Schedule Dh. 86 Express

Down

 

 

 

Up

8:30am

Lv

Palmerston North

Ar

2:20pm

9:25am

Ar

Blenheim

Lv

1:25pm

9:45am

Lv

Blenheim

Ar

1:05pm

11:05pm

Ar

Christchurch

Lv

11:45am

11:50am

Lv

Christchurch

Ar

11:00am

1:20pm

Ar

Dundedin

Lv

9:30am

 

1937 Flights

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

Auckland

Auckland Intl

NZAA

173°

123.6 nm

 

 

New Plymouth

New Plymouth

NZNP

 

 

 

NP 114.40

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

New Plymouth

New Plymouth

NZNP

119°

103.5

 

 

Palmerston North

Palmerston North

NZPM

 

 

 

PM 113.40

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

Gisbourne

Gisbourne

NZGS

206°

70.2 nm

 

 

Napier

 Napier

NZNR

 

 

 

NR 113.80

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

Napier

 Napier

NZNR

206°

76.9 nm

 

 

Palmerston North

Palmerston North

NZPM

 

 

 

PM 113.40

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

Palmerston North

Palmerston North

NZPM

190°

71.5 nm

 

 

Wellington

Wellington Intl

NZWN

 

 

 

WN 112.30

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

Wellington

Wellington Intl

NZWN

167°

194.0 nm

 

CH 115.30

Christchurch

Christchurch Intl

NZCH

 

 

ILS RW20

IHW 110.30

 

City

Airport

ICAO

Heading

Distance

To Waypoint

Navaid

Christchurch

Christchurch Intl

NZCH

187°

162.6 nm

Swampy

SW 112.70

 

 

 

 211°

13.7 nm

 

 

Dunedin

Dunedin

NZDN

 

 

ILS RW21

IDN 109.90

Hypothetical 1937 Schedule Lockheed L-10A Electra

Down

Down

 

 

 

Up

Up

6:30pm

 

Lv

Auckland

Ar

6:10pm

 

7:30pm

 

Ar

New Plymouth

Lv

5:10pm

 

7:40pm

 

Lv

New Plymouth

Ar

5:00pm

 

||

7:00am

Lv

Gisbourne

Ar

||

5:30pm

||

7:35am

Ar

Napier

Lv

||

4:55pm

||

7:45am

Lv

Napier

Ar

||

4:45pm

8:30pm

8:20am

Ar

Palmerston North

Lv

4:10pm

4:10pm

 

8:30am

Lv

Palmerston North

Ar

4:00pm

 

 

9:05am

Ar

Wellington

Lv

3:25pm

 

 

9:15am

Lv

Wellington

Ar

3:15pm

 

 

10:30am

Ar

Christchurch

Lv

2:00pm

 

 

10:40am

Lv

Christchurch

Ar

1:50pm

 

 

11:59am

Ar

Dunedin

Lv

12:30pm

 

 

 

 

Airport Information

Auckland Intl. NZAA elev 22’

Runways          5L        10,195’ Bitumimus ILS ISL 110.10

                        23R      10,195’ Bituminus ILS ITR 109.50

                        5R        11,926’ Concrete ILS IAA 110.30

                        23L      11,926’ Concrete ILS IMG 109.90

VOR/DME 114.80

New Plymouth NZNP elev 98’

Runways          5/23                 4,295’ Bituminus

                        5R/23L            2,300’ Dirt

                        14/32               3.940’ Grass

 

VOR/DME  114.40

NDB                370.0              

 

Gisbourne NZGS elev 15’

Runways          3/21                 3,772’ Gravel

                        9/27                 3,838’ Gravel

                        14/32               4,298 Bituminus

VOR/DME      114.20

NDB                346.0

 

Napier NZNR elev 6’

Runways          7/25                 3,993’ Grass

                        10/28               1,605’ Grass

                        16/34               4,927’ Bituminus

                        16L/34R          2,513’ Grass

 

VOR/DME      113.80   0.7nm North on RW 16 Final

NDB                354.0

 

North Palmerston  NZPM elev 150’

Runways          7/25                 6,272’ Bituminus

                        7R/25L            1,995’  Grass

VOR/DME      113.50

NDB                258.0

 

Wellington Intl NZWN elev 42’

Runways          16        6,762’ Asphalt  ILS IEB 110.30

34                6,672’ Asphalt ILS IMP 109.90

VOR/DME      112.30

NDB                298.0

 

Woodbourne (Military) NZWB elev 108’

Runways          10/28               3,878’  Gravel 

7/25                 4,668’ Bituminus

 

VOR/DME      115.60

NDB                366.0   (1.1 nm at 66°)

 

Christchurch Intl  NZCH elev 121’  

Runways          2                      10,781’ Asphalt ILS ICH 109.90

20                                        10,781’ Asphalt ILS IHW 110.30

11/29               5,680’ Asphalt

 

VOR/DME 115.30

NDB    262.0  12.7nm Final RW 20

NDB    374.0  8.7nm Final RW 2

 

Wigram NZWG elev 75’

Runways          3/21     5,184’  Bituminus

                        6/24     4,767’  Grass

                        13/31   3,888’ Grass  

                        18/36   3,215’  Grass

VOR/DME      115.30 (3.3 nm at 306°)

 

Dunedin NZDN elev 3’

Runways          3          6,295’  Asphalt ILS IHL 110.30  32°

                        DME 115.70    NDB   378.0 (1.3 nm final RW3)

 

21        6,295’  Asphalt ILS IDN 109.90  212°

                        VOR/DME 112.70 (13.7 nm final RW21)

                        NDB    358.0 (5.7 nm final RW21)