List of Cook Strait crossings by air

This is a list of notable first crossings of the Cook Strait by air.

First crossings

Date Crossing Participant(s) Aircraft Departure point Arrival point Notes
25 August 1920 First aeroplaneEuan Dickson, C.H. Hewlett and J.E. Moore[1]Avro 504KBlenheimTrenthamFirst flight across Cook Strait
28 August 1920 First aeroplane (N-S) Euan Dickson and J.E. Moore[1]Avro 504K TrenthamBlenheim
8 May 1930 First womanAroha Clifford[2]Avro AvianChristchurchWellington
17 April 1946 First jetSquadron Leader R M McKay[3][4]Gloster Meteor Mk IIIParaparaumuWoodbourne, Blenheim
28 March 1956 First helicopterPeter Marshall Hiller UH-12BParaparaumuBlenheim Flight took 1 hour 17 minutes.[5]
31 October 1957 First gliderKeith Wakeman Slingsby Skylark 2Harewood, Christchurch,Freyberg High School, Palmerston NorthFlight distance of 290 miles, in under 4 hours.[6]
1 January 1975 First balloonRoland Parsons and Rex Brereton[7]Cameron Model O-77 Westwind Cape Jackson, MarlboroughWhitby, Porirua
28 September 1980 First invertedKurt Maluschnig Pitts S-1DDouble crossing, flying inverted from the time he crossed the North Island coastline till his return there.[5]
21 February 1982 First microlightKen AsplinTrevor BarrettMarty Waller Ultralight Flight MirageUltralight Flight MirageQuicksilver MXNorth IslandSouth Island Formation flight. Crossing achieved as part of a longer journey travelling from Cape Reinga to Bluff.[5]
28 September 1999 First autogyro (double crossing) Bill BlackTerry Tiffen 2 x autogyros Woodbourne, BlenheimPapaparaumu Duo made both crossings on the same day.[8]
PapaparaumuWoodbourne, Blenheim
2 March 2013 First paragliderMatt Stanford paraglider Tory Channel, Marlborough SoundsCape Terawhiti, WellingtonLaunched from a helicopter. Flight took 35 minutes.[9][10]
1 November 2021 First electric aircraftGary Freedman[11]Pipistrel Alpha ElectroOmaka Aerodrome, BlenheimWellington

References

  1. ^ ab"First flight across Cook Strait". New Zealand History. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  2. ^"Lady Aviator Arrives". Evening Post via Papers Past. 9 May 1930. p. 11. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  3. ^"Tour of Gloster Meteor: Arrival at Wigram This Week". The Press via Papers Past. 16 April 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  4. ^"Gloster Meteor". The Kaikoura Star via Papers Past. 15 April 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  5. ^ abcWaugh, Richard J. (1995). "Other Cook Strait Firsts". Strait Across – The Pioneering Story of Cook Strait Aviation. Invercargill, NZ: Craig Printing Ltd. p. 66. ISBN 0473034271.
  6. ^Craven, Wynn (October–November 2011). "The First Glider Crossing of Cook Strait - An Extraordinary Flight in 1957"(PDF). SoaringNZ. No. 24. Christchurch, NZ: McCaw Media Ltd. pp. 30–32.
  7. ^"Historic strait crossing was balloon enthusiast's last trip". Stuff. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  8. ^"Bill Black and Terry Tiffen flying in their gyrocopters". National Library. 28 September 1999. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  9. ^"Paraglider first to cross Cook Strait". Radio New Zealand. 3 March 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  10. ^"Final Glider: Crossing New Zealand's Cook Strait". Cross Country. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  11. ^"First Electric Flight Over Cook Strait". Sustainable Tourism. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2025.

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Cook_Strait_crossings_by_air&oldid=1332140672"