Reaching for the Skies - An End to Isolation

Made for the 50th anniversary of Air New Zealand, Reaching for the Skies takes a journey through New Zealand’s aviation history — from claims that Richard Pearse flew before the Wright brothers and early attempts at Trans-Tasman travel, to the establishment of Tasman Empire Airways and the modern airliner. Vintage aircraft feature, with biplanes and single engine aircraft, as well as rare Solent flying boats. Interviewees talk about their desire to form a new private airline after the war, only to be denied, and the importance of having a national carrier in New Zealand.

...I came back and I told the directors here, I said "We're known as Tasmanian Airways which is all wrong. Why don't we change — we're going a bit international now — why don't we change it to Air New Zealand?" and they said "Good idea, we'll put it forward at the next board meeting." And it was changed on my birthday, funnily enough.

– Ex Air New Zealand ground engineer Geoff Wells

Key Cast & Crew

Ann Andrews

Research, Archive Research

Lynton Diggle

Camera

Malcolm Hall

Director

George Andrews

Producer

Simon Sedgley

Editor

John Cathcart

Sound Mix