Strait Across The Pioneering Story of Cook Strait Aviation

by - Richard Waugh, Graeme McConnell and David Phillips

Published by Richard Waugh and the Cook Strait Air Service Celebration Committee 1995 Soft Cover Book 80 Pages A4 Size

Cook Strait is New Zealand's great natural divide. This book tells how aviation conquered the barrier of rough water bringing communication and economic benefits of national significance. The first flight strait across in 1920 was considered a brave and courageous feat. Rapid aeronautical progress led to the viability of regular services by 1935. Nelson based Cook Strait Airways was the first scheduled airline to operate between Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson and the West Coast. Since that time many airlines have operated through periods of nationalisation and deregulation. Illustrated by many rare photographs this book tells the pioneering story of how aviation linked the two island of New Zealand with its most important air route.