Rex Daniell sits in the cockpit of a DC3. Photo / Brett Phibbs.
Rex Daniell, DFC, AFC, pilot, airline pioneer.
Died aged 89.
In 1960, when Rex Daniell and his mate Bob Anderson decided to start South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand (Spanz), they knew they were taking a risk. New Zealand was heavily regulated then, and the government-owned National Airways Corporation (NAC) ruled the skies.
But Daniell and Anderson had been to
a number of overseas conferences; "all fired up" and full of confidence, the pair went ahead.
To get Spanz off the ground, they needed £120,000. They managed to raise £80,000 and then borrowed a couple of DC3s from Australian airline Ansett to make up their fleet.
Spanz flourished for several years in the early 1960s, opening up new routes to smaller towns such as Napier, Taupo, Masterton and New Plymouth. Spanz planes had bigger windows than those used by NAC, and it was the first airline to introduce in-flight food on secondary routes, offering cherries from Alexandra, or strawberries.
Although Spanz folded in 1966, it had impacted on the national carrier, forcing it to improve its service.
At its peak, Spanz could muster four DC3 aircraft and 12 flight crew.
The DC3 is famous in aircraft circles. Introduced in the 1930s, it was the first major passenger plane with a "stressed-skin" metal fuselage and wings instead of the old fabric-covered frame. "New Zealand is a rough country to fly in," Daniell said in a Herald interview in 2000.
"The fact that a DC3's wings stay on is very reassuring ... Those were the best years of our lives."
Daniell and Anderson were both familiar with DC3s, having flown the military version during World War II.
Born and raised in Masterton, Daniell enlisted the day war broke out, flying first with the RNZAF and then the RAF, rising to the rank of squadron leader.
He took part in the Battle of Britain and served in Bomber Command before transferring to Transport Command, serving in the Middle East, India and Africa. He towed gliders during the D-Day invasion of France and flew supplies to Arnhem during the Battle of the Bulge.
He was awarded the DFC and AFC, invested by King George VI after the war.
When Daniell returned home, he flew for Union Airways and later for the NAC before starting Spanz.
When the little airline folded, Daniell moved to Australia and worked as an operations manager for Ansett. He died in Maroochydore on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, where he had lived since retiring.
He is survived by his wife, Betty, four daughters and a son. Another son predeceased him.
