Books: Airline.The Making of a National Flag Carrier., Tauranga in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty for sale
When the author completed his earlier book"Flightpath South Pacific"he was advised by Sir Leonard Isitt, who wrote the forward to that publication, that he had told only"half the story"Some years later he was"waylaid"by E A Gibson, another key figure in the early NZ civil aviation field, and asked when he was going to"finish the job!". Driscoll's second book"Airline"was the response to that challange and both Sir Leonard, who was chairman of NAC and TEAL --- the foundation stones for Air New Zealand --- while Gibson who served uin the RNZAF was another pivital figure in NZ aviation. Both feature in"Airline,"which traces the developments which led to the merger of NZ's internal and international airlines to establish Air New Zealand in 1978, by which time jet aircraft dominated the airways. But the story Driscoll tells begins well before that time, to the days of the early investigations into possible trans-ocean services being operated to and from NZ. These plans were being realised when WWII halted commercial operations. The book examines international and diplomatic issues that arose in creating these services, with the author also offereing his theories on the disappearance in the Pacific of Amelia Earhart in 1937. Events of WWII did much to advance aviation technology and this was to be of importance as civil air services resumed post-hostilities."Airline"also covers the political, international and diplomatic issues as they impacted on airline operations. particularly as they related to overseas aviation links. In addition to being signed by the author on the title page, a gift inscription on the half-title page is signed by E A Gibson, this ending with the line"I only wish Len Isitt was still alive to produce his sly grin over some of the incidents."First edition of 1979, 302 pages including key to references, chronology, pioneering aircraft, Air New Zealand board list, bibliography and index, 80 b/w photos centrally located, maps in text and end paper maps. Black hard covers with gilt spine titles are NF, ditto the text block. Wrap-round colour pictorial DJ is VG+. Size: 22cm By 14.5cm
Author
Ian H Driscoll
Title
Airline.The Making of a National Flag Carrier.
Publisher name
Shortland Publications, Auckland
Shipping time
2 - 4 days
Publication year
1979
Edition
First edition
Binding type
Hard cover
Vendor name
BOPBooks
Vendor rating
Key words
New Zealand, Aviation, Airlines, Civil National Carrier, Development, History
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