D.C.3 Lands at Darton Field

Since regular air services were begun between Gisborne and the outside world, the sight of a D.C.3 plane landing at Darton Field has become a familiar one, and it will be with a touch of nostalgia that local air travellers will farewell the last of these homely and reliable passenger planes.

But progress is bringing its changes, and within a year or two there will be big changes at Darton Field. The present sealed runway will have to be lengthened to take the new Fokker Friendship passenger planes, and a modern air terminal building is to be erected at the field.

These pictures show a D.C.3 coming in to land on the existing sealed runway.

Coming in from the sea

First contact

Tail down

A fine sight

Gisborne's runway is unique.... it crosses the railway line.

On to the grass

Planes at the terminal

This is the Fokker Friendship, which can carry 36 to 40 passengers at a cruising speed of 270 m.p.h. These planes will reduce the present direct travelling time to Auckland, for example, by 45 minutes, from 1hr 35m. to 50 minutes.
The Friendship is pressurised and its operational altitude is from 15,000 to 20,000 feet.
It needs 4200ft of sealed runway. Present sealed runway at Darton Field is 2000ft.

Location of new terminal building at Darton Field is approximately where meteorological plot is located.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 73 : July 14, 1960

D.C.3 Lands at Darton Field