Duo fly historic route to commemorate 100th anniversary of first Cook Strait flight

The pilots preparing the plane for its return journey. Photo / Katie Harris

Two pilots have celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the first flight across Cook Strait with a commemorative trip along the same route.

On August 25, 1920, World War I veteran Captain Euan Dickson completed the first air crossing of Cook Strait.

Euan Dickson (left) in front of his aircraft after the historic flight. Photo / Air Froce Museum

Today pilots Paul Hally and Aaron Patchett flew the same route to mark the event, with Hally completing the final leg across the Strait.

Hally said it was magical and very smooth flying over Cook Strait and they touched down at around 2pm.

"I was thinking while crossing the Cook Strait, well, there was a guy doing this almost to the minute 100 years ago, amazing."

Patchett said his turn behind the controls was great and there wasn't a breath of wind when he took off from Christchurch.

The pilots preparing the plane for its return journey. Photo / Katie Harris

The pair said the original plane- the Avro 504K - was too special to use so the 130 horse power Fox Moth was employed instead.

Patchett said the Fox Moth was built in Canada in 1947, but was written off near Kaikoura about 20 years later.

"[It was] rebuilt in the 2000s so it's been flying for about 10 years [and is] still hard at work doing scenic rides for the company PMH aviation."

The pair flew in different shifts - alongside a RNZAF NH90 flying chaperone- with Hally taking over from Omaka.

From Christchurch the plane went to Kaikoura, then on to Omaka (Blenheim) before reaching its final destination at Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt.

Avro 504k H5240, from the New Zealand Flying School. Believed to be at Hastings. Photo / Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Hally said his journey took about the same time as Dickson's trip - but said it could have been shorter if they'd taken a more direct route.

It took Dickson more than seven hours including stop offs, with the total flight time being 4 hours and 57.

Both pilots were impressed by their welcome in Upper Hutt with about 50 people turning out to watch the commemoration.

"Every stop we've done there's been a lot more support than I thought there would be, I thought this would just be a quiet little under the radar, but it's turned out to be quite a big thing," Patchett said.

News clippings and congratulatory telegrams to Dickson, including one from future Prime Minister Joseph Coates. Photo / Air Force Museum of New Zealand

The original pilot, who had served as a bomber pilot during the First World War said at the time the trip was more difficult than crossing the English Channel.

Dickson carried the first air mail between the South and North Islands.

Hally said the journey home in the Fox Moth would be a lot slower due to a headwind, and to celebrate he was going to have a big sleep.