SAFE in the skies

Dr Paul Davidson - Marlborough Historical Society Inc

A remarkable chapter in Marlborough’s aviation history started 75 years ago this month, when the airline STRAITS AIR FREIGHT EXPRESS LIMITED was registered at the Companies Office on 8th of November 1950. The company was formed to operate a Rail Air service across Cook Strait, carrying rail freight between the railways of the North and South Islands.

Later called SAFE AIR, the airline flew many lumbering Bristol Freighters between Woodbourne and Paraparaumu, and the sky above Blenheim was filled every day with the distinctive sound of their roaring piston engines. A little later the Bristols were joined by two giant Argosy aircraft, and the Bristol roar was gradually replaced by the distinctive Argosy look and sound – the “whistling wheelbarrow” as they came to be called.

The two people whose vision led to the new company were former RNZAF men Tom O’Connell and Robert Hamilton, who became SAFE’s first General Manager and Chief Pilot respectively. O’Connell also designed and patented a unique freight loading system - the “Cargon” - which made loading the Bristol Freighters a much quicker and easier task.

Tragically both men and co-pilot Helge Torgerson were killed seven years later when the Bristol they were flying lost a wing and crashed on to Russley Golf Course, near Christchurch. It was the only fatal accident in forty years flying by Safe Air.

Des Lynskey joined the company in 1958 and was General Manager for 25 years. The unique Chatham Islands passenger service and later Argosy aircraft were introduced by Des, who was awarded an OBE in 1976. Well-known Hollywood actress Melanie Lynskey, recent star of the film “Pike River” is his granddaughter.

Safe Air grew to be a large employer and huge part of the Marlborough economy. It later became a wholly owned subsidiary of Air New Zealand and flying ceased in September 1990.

More recently the company was absorbed into Airbus Industries. Nowadays little sign remains of Marlborough’s unique airline except for the Bristol Freighter parked at Omaka Airfield and the last Argosy on display at Woodbourne.

Filmmaker Paul Davidson told the remarkable story of Safe Air in his television documentary “The Final Flight” and currently owns the Argosy on display at Woodbourne.

A small museum on the same site will be open to the public by Christmas.