Audio tape of a talk given by Ray Gasparich to the Waitakere Historical Society in 1999 about Family history and New Zealand Aviation
Object detail
Accession number
09/040/180
Description
Abstract
Ray Gasparich talking to a meeting of the Waitakere Historical Society c.1999.
Family history on the Gasparich name - United States
Grandfather Anthony Gasparich associated with milling at Piha and Karekare
Bush railway from Piha to Karekare. Timber taken around the coast to the North head of the Manukau then by ship to Onehunga or overseas.
Relates stories of grandfathers arrival in NZ.and imprisonment for refusing to work because of the quality of the food.
Aviation in New Zealand
1941 - Teal Mechanics Bay.- apprenticeship. - Engineers assistant.
Earned Twelve and sixpence per week less tax 10 shillings and 3 pence.
Talks about what life was like in 1941.
Catching tram to the city from Mt Eden. Cost sixpence.
Talks about Auckland waterfront.
Catching 248 tram - Keys buses. Along the waterfront.
Railway yards.
Past Kings wharf water right up to the road.
Lidgards ship building yard.
BP Oil tanks - now container wharf.
Mentions Dick (Richard) Bolt - who became one of the top people in the air force.
Dick (Bolt’s father also in the air force.
Describes daily routine as an engineers assistance. Clean Overalls 8.00 am
Cleaning workshop - Morning tea
Painting aircraft - toilet seats.
TEAL - spares difficult to obtain.
Also involved in Air Training Corps.
Accident on James motorbike.
Lead to air joining the air force.
Spent 40 years service with the TEAL
TEAL early days
TEAL flying boats
‘C’ Class - Capt by Burgess 2 aircraft
Mentions Gerald Brown, and Bob McNamara
Auckland Sydney
April 30th 1940 International; Service started.
60th ANNIVERASARY [2000]
[MOTAT] Solent group to celebrate.
TEAL kept a regular service during the war.
Mentions a table kept by a private individual of trips made.
Carry 18 passengers, large number of troops.
Number of passengers carried determined by weather and mail load.
1946-47 - end of war, when Sunderlands were operated by air force,
Air force operated flights to pacific islands especially - Fiji.
Sandringham a modified Sunderland.
Increased carrying capacity from 18 passengers to 25.
Sunderland fitted with Catalina flying boat engines.
Talks of one flight where the aircraft because of engine failure shortly after take off was forced to ditch personal belongings including some that belonged to a Bishop, aircraft returned and landed safely.
1947 - 48 Problems with Sandringham discussion became political
TEAL bought Solents, wings and fuselage modified.
George Bolt TEAL Engineer
Modified wings and engines, fitted with modern instrumentation and radio gear.
Solent - First British Civil Aviation Aircraft that had a full certificate of Air worthiness in regards to modern standards.
[Metal, Aluminium] had to be treated in a special way, Ie Anodised aluminium.
Carried 45 passengers to Sydney.
Increased range and power.
Oil in aircraft burnt - Oil tanks filled from 44 gal drums, once mistakenly filled with tanning oil.
Aircraft safely returned to Sydney and tanks filled with correct oil.
Describes how engines were returned to N Z for repair.
Operating Auckland to Sydney
Sydney to Wellington and occasionally the Chatham Islands
Solents also began flying in the Pacific - Coral Route
Coral Route aircraft carried a clerk, [Apiani] Passengers disembarked for refuelling. Fuel pumped on by hand, passengers re boarded.
[Apiani ?] only international uninhabited airport in the world.
When Flying boats finished end of the Coral route.
Held a small reunion that marked the beginnings of the Solent Preservation Society.
Friends of the Flying boat, needed to form a charitable incorporated society to raise funds. Formation of the Solent preservation Society.
Refurbished aircraft.
Poses questio why is the oreservation of the Solent important. 1
1. First British aircraft issued with a certificate of air worthiness.
2. Only four of this model Solent ever built.
3. ZK-AMO (MOTAT) Fourth of the aircraft built.
Will never fly - One in San Francisco trying to restore to fly.
MOTAT - encourage younger visitors -
Talks about relative cost to the present.
Talks about crew on the aircraft - 5 crew plus service crew.
MOTAT Manager - Grant Kirby -
120 aviation volunteers.
Bigger hangar
Talks about MOTAT bill going through parliament.
Talks about funding.
Phone call from Germany and state of aircraft.
Talks about painting of Solent being commissioned and a limited edition of prints sold for fund raising.
Questions
Size of engines.
Ray Gasparich talking to a meeting of the Waitakere Historical Society c.1999.
Family history on the Gasparich name - United States
Grandfather Anthony Gasparich associated with milling at Piha and Karekare
Bush railway from Piha to Karekare. Timber taken around the coast to the North head of the Manukau then by ship to Onehunga or overseas.
Relates stories of grandfathers arrival in NZ.and imprisonment for refusing to work because of the quality of the food.
Aviation in New Zealand
1941 - Teal Mechanics Bay.- apprenticeship. - Engineers assistant.
Earned Twelve and sixpence per week less tax 10 shillings and 3 pence.
Talks about what life was like in 1941.
Catching tram to the city from Mt Eden. Cost sixpence.
Talks about Auckland waterfront.
Catching 248 tram - Keys buses. Along the waterfront.
Railway yards.
Past Kings wharf water right up to the road.
Lidgards ship building yard.
BP Oil tanks - now container wharf.
Mentions Dick (Richard) Bolt - who became one of the top people in the air force.
Dick (Bolt’s father also in the air force.
Describes daily routine as an engineers assistance. Clean Overalls 8.00 am
Cleaning workshop - Morning tea
Painting aircraft - toilet seats.
TEAL - spares difficult to obtain.
Also involved in Air Training Corps.
Accident on James motorbike.
Lead to air joining the air force.
Spent 40 years service with the TEAL
TEAL early days
TEAL flying boats
‘C’ Class - Capt by Burgess 2 aircraft
Mentions Gerald Brown, and Bob McNamara
Auckland Sydney
April 30th 1940 International; Service started.
60th ANNIVERASARY [2000]
[MOTAT] Solent group to celebrate.
TEAL kept a regular service during the war.
Mentions a table kept by a private individual of trips made.
Carry 18 passengers, large number of troops.
Number of passengers carried determined by weather and mail load.
1946-47 - end of war, when Sunderlands were operated by air force,
Air force operated flights to pacific islands especially - Fiji.
Sandringham a modified Sunderland.
Increased carrying capacity from 18 passengers to 25.
Sunderland fitted with Catalina flying boat engines.
Talks of one flight where the aircraft because of engine failure shortly after take off was forced to ditch personal belongings including some that belonged to a Bishop, aircraft returned and landed safely.
1947 - 48 Problems with Sandringham discussion became political
TEAL bought Solents, wings and fuselage modified.
George Bolt TEAL Engineer
Modified wings and engines, fitted with modern instrumentation and radio gear.
Solent - First British Civil Aviation Aircraft that had a full certificate of Air worthiness in regards to modern standards.
[Metal, Aluminium] had to be treated in a special way, Ie Anodised aluminium.
Carried 45 passengers to Sydney.
Increased range and power.
Oil in aircraft burnt - Oil tanks filled from 44 gal drums, once mistakenly filled with tanning oil.
Aircraft safely returned to Sydney and tanks filled with correct oil.
Describes how engines were returned to N Z for repair.
Operating Auckland to Sydney
Sydney to Wellington and occasionally the Chatham Islands
Solents also began flying in the Pacific - Coral Route
Coral Route aircraft carried a clerk, [Apiani] Passengers disembarked for refuelling. Fuel pumped on by hand, passengers re boarded.
[Apiani ?] only international uninhabited airport in the world.
When Flying boats finished end of the Coral route.
Held a small reunion that marked the beginnings of the Solent Preservation Society.
Friends of the Flying boat, needed to form a charitable incorporated society to raise funds. Formation of the Solent preservation Society.
Refurbished aircraft.
Poses questio why is the oreservation of the Solent important. 1
1. First British aircraft issued with a certificate of air worthiness.
2. Only four of this model Solent ever built.
3. ZK-AMO (MOTAT) Fourth of the aircraft built.
Will never fly - One in San Francisco trying to restore to fly.
MOTAT - encourage younger visitors -
Talks about relative cost to the present.
Talks about crew on the aircraft - 5 crew plus service crew.
MOTAT Manager - Grant Kirby -
120 aviation volunteers.
Bigger hangar
Talks about MOTAT bill going through parliament.
Talks about funding.
Phone call from Germany and state of aircraft.
Talks about painting of Solent being commissioned and a limited edition of prints sold for fund raising.
Questions
Size of engines.
Media/Materials
Physical description
1 sound cassettes (ca. 60 minutes) : analog.
Credit line
Audio tape of a talk given by Ray Gasparich to the Waitakere Historical Society in 1999 about Family history and New Zealand Aviation, 09/040/180. Walsh Memorial Library, The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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