PIET VAN ASCH -
New Zealand's Aerial Mapping Pioneer
Piet van Asch
with his pride and joy Monospar ZK-AFF
Bridge Pa Aerodrome,
Hastings, is the home to
many of Hawkes Bay's aviation activities.
One company that made Bridge Pa its base of
operations
prior to WW2 was NZ Aerial Mapping,
founded in early 1936 by Piet van Asch.
Piet was from a
farming background in Havelock North, HB.
He had a great interest in photography and
aviation
from an early age, and decided to make his
interests his occupation.
Receiving
wide support locally with his plans to form a company
providing aerial photographs for clients'
survey requirements, he left for England four days after
the company was formed to find a suitable aircraft.
An autogyro was
soon rejected after testing.
A little twin-engine aircraft at the same
airfield soon aroused his interest.
Produced by the General Aircraft Company and
reasonably priced - a Monospar.
Cyril
Whitaker on the prop,
Piet van Asch in the Cockpit
Piet
acquired the NZ agency for the aircraft and the approval
of his original shareholders to purchase it.
It was to provide such a wonderful, reliable foundation
for his new company.
Those who flew it, had a lasting respect and affection
for its reliability and performance. Ideal for aerial
photography.
Piet
named the Monospar "Manu Rere"
(Maori for Flying Bird)
and it was registered ZK-AFF.
It had Pobjoy Niagra 111 Radial engines.
ZK-AFF
over Cape Kiddnappers.
They
began with a survey of the Richardson Range near
Queenstown for the
Department of Scientific & Industrial Research
(DSIR).
Further contracts were forthcoming from local bodies,
(town planning purposes), and from private surveys.
In the early stages of WW2, the NZ Government found it
necessary to update maps of 'special areas'
for defence purposes. The RNZAF contracted NZ Aerial
Mapping to take on this important task,
and provided the airforce bases & refuelling
facilities for the company's use.
Aerial
Mapping's Beechcraft
over Hawkes Bay's "produce
gardens"
ZK-AHO
"on take off " Bridge Pa
Aerodrome
In 1943, NZAM
took delivery of an AT-11 Beechcraft - imported
by the RNZAF.
It was the first time a new military aircraft had
been passed over to
a private company - thus demonstrating the
special link
and trust in Piet van Asch and NZ Aerial Mapping.
It was registered ZK-AHO.
ZK-AHO taking
off Milford Sound
With
the arrival of the AT-11, the Monospar was put into
storage at Bridge Pa and came out of retirement
at times for displays at various aviation events around
New Zealand.
It was
in preparation for one such event, a
proposed 50th Anniversary flight, that ended in tragedy. June 1986 - whilst
testing and calibrating the aircraft's
fuel tank,
a spark, (created by static electricity
from one of the engineer's acrylic
trousers),
set the whole hangar alight. Every effort
was made to move the Monospar out of the
hangar, but it quickly caught fire and
was a total loss.
CLICK BELOW TO HEAR THE STORY Narrator: Cyril Whitaker
Aerial
Mapping's three aircraft
(Cyril Whitaker 2nd from left).
National
film unit with ZK-AHO
(Piet van Asch 2nd from right others to
be ID'd).
Tragic
for those who had been invloved with it over the years -
devastating for Piet, who had a special
association with ZK-AFF for nearly 50 years. It had been
the foundation of a great company
that continues to flourish into the 21st. Century.
Bridge
Pa aerodrome. The Monospar ZK-AFF, ZK-CDK and ZK-AHO.
We wish to thank Cyril Whitaker for
granting us permission to copy his wonderful collection
of photos
and memorabilia - thus helping to preserve HB's aviation
heritage.
A great photo of the
Monospar
Bridge Pa Hastings Date unknown
