AIR CHIEF AS FERRY PILOT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27206, 25 November 1953, Page 10

AIR CHIEF AS FERRY PILOT

DOMINIE DELIVERED TO HAREWOOD Chiefs of Air Staff do not usually act as ferry pilots, but yesterday a de Havilland Dominie arrived at Harewood with Air Vice-Marshal D. V. Carnegie, Chief of Air Staff of the Royal Nev/ Zealand Air Force, as the pilot and sole occupant. The aircraft was on delivery to Airwork (N.Z.), Ltd., which has bought it to use on commercial passenger and freight services.

The Dominie, NZ-524, is the last of its type to be used by the Air Force, and yesterday, in the hands of the Chief of Air Staff, it made its last flight as a service machine. It was based for some time at the R.N.ZA.F. station. Ohakea.

Air Vice-Marshal Carnegie said yesterday he was “very fond of the little aeroplane” and had decided to "kill two stones with one bird” by satisfying his desire to be the last service pilot to fly the last Air Force Dominie and to, make an official visit to Wigram. Having delivered his charge to Mr C. Brazier, managing director of the purchasing company, the Air ViceMarshal congratulated him on his acquisition of a “very nice aircraft, walked to a de Havilland Devon machine from Wigram, and piloted himself on the Anal stage of his journey to Wigram. The Dominie, a twin-engined sixpassenger biplane, is probably better known to civilians as the DragonRapide, More enthusiastic and knowledgeable aircraft spotters will know it as the D.H.89. South Island Airways, a subsidiary of Airwork, Ltd., will use the Dominie, after refitting and repainting, for its services from Harewood to Ashburton, Timaru, and Oamaru, and, if its application for the route is granted, on a Christchurch-Nelson service. Tn e company now has two Dominies, tne first having been bought from the Air Force some time ago.