I was one of the last intake of Engineering Apprentices in January 1978. I was surprised by being awarded a certificate for my 3 months Service and Loyalty to NAC as we transitioned in March into Air New Zealand Mark 2. The Muldoon National Government merged the cash and asset rich NAC to save the nearly bankrupt Air New Zealand. I continued my Career with AirNZ for 36 years noting that at 31 years I had lasted as long as the entire time that NAC had existed.
Maybe I got this wrong (so feel free to correct me): But over time, haven’t Air New Zealand’s international and domestic operations just naturally segregated themselves anyway? I’m sure I remember hearing some documentary program about the NAC about 20 years ago on National radio and that’s the impression I got, and that Air NZ kept trying to amalgamate the operations in the name of efficiency and streamlining but that the two operations just naturally would run better independently of each other. If that’s true then it really makes me wonder why they bothered.
@@danieleyre8913 I agree. Seems the pendulum soon swung back to the the airline being two different entities - domestic and international. The domestic provincial services were contracted out to other operators like Air Nelson and Eagle Air. For a while, AIRNZ enjoyed having a multitude of ex NAC ticket offices under its wing but that's all changed now with online booking. It is ironic how COVID has made the airline return to its domestic roots, while the international arm has languished.
Loved this video. Makes you sooooooo proud to be a Kiwi and see the Humblness and Pride of the people of such a small but strong nation. Nick Australia
Thanks for posting! What a wonderful little time capsule....a -200 with eyebrow windows...the stewardesses in their 'lollipop' uniforms...."extinguish your cigarettes before take off"...the residual influence of BBC English on the New Zealand accent... A different world
Two of my first flights were in an NAC Friendship from Nelson to Wellington, then ZK-NAD to the then new Auckland Mangere, circa 1966 NAC planes hold a special place in my heart.
I agree, there's nothing better than the sound of a Fokker F27 coming in to the airport apron. You can still find plenty of Friendship videos on UA-cam. I also miss the Boeing 737's too - amazing aircraft with over 50 years being one of the longest service records of any airliner.
they were nice jets but made a lot of noise leaving Wellington they used to shake the ground.They fitted hush kits to try and cut down the noise these worked quite well.
At the time NAC's fleet of Jurassic B737-200s were still transitioning to the new lean burning smokeless engines. For environmental reasons, it caused a slight drop in engine performance for a small increase in fuel consumption. Those smokey engines ran better. I remember that the engine bypass duct clamshells were stenciled in large black lettering with the words Smokeless on both sides of the engine that had undergone the smokeless modifications.
The merger was a sad time for NAC staff as NAC was a smaller entity than AIRNZ and that "family" culture was lost in the merge with the big guys at AIRNZ. There was a lot of controversy too, politically as Muldoon (NZ PM) and Davis (AirNZ CEO) were old mates and the whole thing looked like a setup. Staff morale was bad for the first 18 months and then the Erebus DC10 crash happened! It took years before morale picked up but AIRNZ today is a totally different airline than the one that was born in those dark days of the 70's.
Inflight Aviation New Zealand National Airways began operations in 1947 and merged with Air New Zealand in 1978. That’s all I really know off the top of my head but if you want to know anything else just google it
I was one of the last intake of Engineering Apprentices in January 1978. I was surprised by being awarded a certificate for my 3 months Service and Loyalty to NAC as we transitioned in March into Air New Zealand Mark 2. The Muldoon National Government merged the cash and asset rich NAC to save the nearly bankrupt Air New Zealand. I continued my Career with AirNZ for 36 years noting that at 31 years I had lasted as long as the entire time that NAC had existed.
Maybe I got this wrong (so feel free to correct me): But over time, haven’t Air New Zealand’s international and domestic operations just naturally segregated themselves anyway? I’m sure I remember hearing some documentary program about the NAC about 20 years ago on National radio and that’s the impression I got, and that Air NZ kept trying to amalgamate the operations in the name of efficiency and streamlining but that the two operations just naturally would run better independently of each other.
If that’s true then it really makes me wonder why they bothered.
@@danieleyre8913 I agree. Seems the pendulum soon swung back to the the airline being two different entities - domestic and international. The domestic provincial services were contracted out to other operators like Air Nelson and Eagle Air. For a while, AIRNZ enjoyed having a multitude of ex NAC ticket offices under its wing but that's all changed now with online booking. It is ironic how COVID has made the airline return to its domestic roots, while the international arm has languished.
Loved this video.
Makes you sooooooo proud to be a Kiwi and see the Humblness and Pride of the people of such a small but strong nation.
Nick
Australia
Thanks for posting!
What a wonderful little time capsule....a -200 with eyebrow windows...the stewardesses in their 'lollipop' uniforms...."extinguish your cigarettes before take off"...the residual influence of BBC English on the New Zealand accent...
A different world
Two of my first flights were in an NAC Friendship from Nelson to Wellington, then ZK-NAD to the then new Auckland Mangere, circa 1966 NAC planes hold a special place in my heart.
I agree, there's nothing better than the sound of a Fokker F27 coming in to the airport apron. You can still find plenty of Friendship videos on UA-cam. I also miss the Boeing 737's too - amazing aircraft with over 50 years being one of the longest service records of any airliner.
Thank you so much for posting
they were nice jets but made a lot of noise leaving Wellington they used to shake the ground.They fitted hush kits to try and cut down the noise these worked quite well.
I was a passenger on that flight. there was another film of the flight that showed the passengers, has anyone aware of where i could find it
Be great to find that footage!
Sad day much history made sorry for old pilots that flew her gd bless
That was a very good watch mate :)
I enjoyed that, thanks for posting 👍💺
I luv the Nuw Zulund accent !!!!
From Sydney Australia 👍
Great video.
Modern passengers wouldn’t believe how much planes world wide stank of cigarettes in those days.
Why is only one engine smoking?
The other one wasnt working properly...
At the time NAC's fleet of Jurassic B737-200s were still transitioning to the new lean burning smokeless engines. For environmental reasons, it caused a slight drop in engine performance for a small increase in fuel consumption. Those smokey engines ran better.
I remember that the engine bypass duct clamshells were stenciled in large black lettering with the words Smokeless on both sides of the engine that had undergone the smokeless modifications.
The Air Hostess has the most beautiful diction
The merger was a sad time for NAC staff as NAC was a smaller entity than AIRNZ and that "family" culture was lost in the merge with the big guys at AIRNZ. There was a lot of controversy too, politically as Muldoon (NZ PM) and Davis (AirNZ CEO) were old mates and the whole thing looked like a setup. Staff morale was bad for the first 18 months and then the Erebus DC10 crash happened! It took years before morale picked up but AIRNZ today is a totally different airline than the one that was born in those dark days of the 70's.
Just for my knowledge, and it was a good watch, who was NAC?
Inflight Aviation New Zealand National Airways began operations in 1947 and merged with Air New Zealand in 1978. That’s all I really know off the top of my head but if you want to know anything else just google it
Ok Thanks!
Love it. Put your pre flight cig out. Ahhhh happy days.
the safety standards back then were i bit sus, did they not wear hi viz back then?
Before things became over zealous, I don't think any ground staff came to grief in all the years they didn't have hi viz.
No hearing protection worn by the marshals either.