Goodbye To Electras

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32331, 24 June 1970, Page 18

Goodbye To Electras

.1 The South Island will say j goodbye to an aircraft that has served it for more than .'lO years when an Air New; I Zealand Electra leaves Christ-! church for Melbourne next ( (Tuesday. J The Electra will be “sal-! [ uted away” by uniformed air-' ( line staff—a ceremony which , once accompanied the departure of all Air New Zealand ! flights. The airline's assistant general manager and director of commercial services (Mr H.; M. Denton) will be present. The Electras, which began trans-Tasman crossings from Christchurch in January, 1960, will be replaced by Air New Zealand DCBs and Qantas Boeing 707 s with the opening of the new Tuliai(marine airport at Melbourne ; on July 1. , Captain G. R. D. Highet, a (former R.N.Z.A.F. wing com- ' mander, born in Dunedin, , ; will command the last flight. After taking off at 8.15 a.m. the Electra will make a low j . level circular farewell flight above the city before it , leaves for Melbourne. When he lands the Electra ■ at Esscndon on Tuesday and ] leaves for Auckland the same day, Captain Highet will be ; in command of the last overseas commercial service through Melbourne’s existing ■ airport. Captain Highet will trans- ! fer to DCBs in August. The i Electras will only be seen i in Christchurch again should i Christchurch be used as a diversion airport for Welling- i ton. i