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 aeroplane | Euan Dickson, C.H. Hewlett and J.E. Moore[1] | Avro 504K | Blenheim Trentham | |
| 28 August 1920 | First aeroplane (N-S) | Euan Dickson and J.E. Moore[1] | Avro 504K | Trentham Blenheim | |
| 8 May 1930 | First woman | Aroha Clifford[2] | Avro Avian | Christchurch Wellington | |
| 17 April 1946 | First jet | Squadron Leader R M McKay[3][4] | Gloster Meteor Mk III | Paraparaumu Woodbourne, Blenheim | |
| 28 March 1956 | First helicopter | Peter Marshall | Hiller UH-12B | Paraparaumu Blenheim | Flight took 1 hour 17 minutes.[5] |
| 31 October 1957 | First glider | Keith Wakeman | Slingsby Skylark 2 | Harewood, Christchurch, Freyberg High School, Palmerston North | Flight distance of 290 miles, in under 4 hours.[6] |
| 1 January 1975 | First balloon | Roland Parsons and Rex Brereton[7] | Cameron Model O-77 Westwind | Cape Jackson, Marlborough Whitby, Porirua | |
| 28 September 1980 | First inverted | Kurt Maluschnig | Pitts S-1D | Double crossing, flying inverted from the time he crossed the North Island coastline till his return there.[5] | |
| 21 February 1982 | First microlight | Ken Asplin Trevor Barrett Marty Waller | Ultralight Flight Mirage Ultralight Flight Mirage Quicksilver MX | North Island South 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 Black Terry Tiffen | 2 x autogyros | Woodbourne, Blenheim Papaparaumu | Duo made both crossings on the same day.[8] |
| Papaparaumu Woodbourne, Blenheim | |||||
| 2 March 2013 | First paraglider | Matt Stanford | paraglider | Tory Channel, Marlborough Sounds Cape Terawhiti, Wellington | Launched from a helicopter. Flight took 35 minutes.[9][10] |
| 1 November 2021 | First electric aircraft | Gary Freedman[11] | Pipistrel Alpha Electro | Omaka Aerodrome, Blenheim Wellington |
References
- ^ a b "First flight across Cook Strait". New Zealand History. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "Lady Aviator Arrives". Evening Post via Papers Past. 9 May 1930. p. 11. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
- ^ "Tour of Gloster Meteor: Arrival at Wigram This Week". The Press via Papers Past. 16 April 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "Gloster Meteor". The Kaikoura Star via Papers Past. 15 April 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b c Waugh, 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Historic strait crossing was balloon enthusiast's last trip". Stuff. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "Bill Black and Terry Tiffen flying in their gyrocopters". National Library. 28 September 1999. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ "Paraglider first to cross Cook Strait". Radio New Zealand. 3 March 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "Final Glider: Crossing New Zealand's Cook Strait". Cross Country. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "First Electric Flight Over Cook Strait". Sustainable Tourism. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2025.