Wayne. I was the one that raised the doubt and after your confirmation I raise my hat to the man. That is one mean flight. As I mentioned previously the flight from Europe would have been straightforward except for the intertropical convergence zone but that Tasman crossing is no picnic.
As I am a bit closer to NZ I will see if I can get more info on the guy and in particular the Coupe. We need to rope the owner in on this group. This does add to my puzzle of a rumour that the NZ Airforce had some Coupes during the war. I have still not been able to confirm this but I wonder if the above occurrence added to the confusion. At 05:35 13/10/99 , you wrote: >Sometime back I related that I had heard that an Ercoupe was flown to New >Zealand from Europe. Somebody said that would be very difficult and doubted >that it had ever happened - I don't blame them - it sounds sort of unlikely! >So I wrote to my friend in New Zealand who originally told me the story and >asked him for confirmation. We are both Avid amphibian homebuilders and have >corresponded for years sharing problems and giving encouragement. We both >finished and flew them, by the way. Anyway he says Yes, it really happened. >Flt. Ltn. Harold Newton, DFC landed in Auckland in Oct. 1947 having flown >solo 13,000 miles on a 75HP engine from Antwerp, Belgium in an Ercoupe >weighing empty 750lbs. My friend goes on to say this was the smallest plane >to do this right up to 1989. My friend says he saw the plane soon after it >arrived and he recalls the cockpit filled with an extra fuel tank. He was >told the pilot was a flier in the Berlin Airlift and had, like many others, >had a "sideline business". Because of currency restrictions the only way to >get his cash into New Zealand was to buy the plane and import it. My friend >says the plane is still flying but the man who flew it from Belgium is now >dead, having spent the rest of his life as a farmer. I wish my friend had >quoted from some publication so the story could be researched, but he didn't. > I know my friend, Stuart very well and he isn't likely to be blowing smoke. >I believe!! Wayne Hannah N3544H, Shelton, WA > Regards Brian Garrett 5 O'Donnell St Viewbank 3084 Australia (613) 9459 1779 Sonerai II VH-JGB 415C VH-???
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