WHENUAPAI CLOSED TO BIG PLANES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28493, 24 January 1958, Page 7

WHENUAPAI CLOSED TO BIG PLANES

Queen Mother’s Pilot “ Puzzled ”

(New Zealand Press Association/ AUCKLAND, January 23.

Captain W. J. Craig, the New Zealander chosen to fly the Queen Mother to Nandi in the 8.0.A.C. DC-7C, is puzzled why he cannot bring his aircraft into Whenuapai on February 1.

Captain Craig, who is one of the top captains in 8.0.A.C. and is one of two check pilots on DC-7C’s, arrived in Auckland by Tasman Empire Airways last night Captain Craig flew out from London as a passenger. He will inspect Ohakea and Harewood, in case the Bristol Britannia, chosen to fly the Queen Mother from Nandi, Fiji, to Auckland, becomes unserviceable or some other emergency arises He would then have to fly his DC-7C into a New Zealand airport. Captain Craig said 8.0.A.C did not want to get into any controversy over the use of Whenuapai by a DC-7C. but he thought the isolated wheel loading of his airliner on landing at Whenuapai would have been about 40,0001 b. The Civil viation Administration has stated that no machine with a wheel loading over 45,0001 b may land. The captain, a foundation member of the Wanganui Aero Cltib and who crossed the Tasman 87 times as a Tasmrn Airways flying-boat captain, said that including himself, there would be three New Zealand pilots in the DC-7C.