” Hi, I’m Jumbo, the Argosy ZK-SAE. I used to fly around New Zealand, delivering everything from people, animals to trucks! When fully loaded, I weighed 20 tons! Imagine lifting that with my giant propellers and wings.”
Our Sunday drive to the Argosy was well worth the trip. My children enjoyed sitting in the plane and learning about its history and seeing how the plane was transformed from cargo to passenger transport. I grew up with these planes flying overhead when I lived in Christchurch.
Isaac (14) says, “It was fascinating learning about the engine and how the plane transformed from cargo plane to passenger plane. It had an informative video in the cabin and information about the engine in the cargo bay. You could even go up into the cockpit and see all the controls.
My family went for a trip to the Argosy. The plane was very interesting – I got to sit in the front of the plane where the controls are. They had the engine on display with some info. It was an awesome experience and a cool opportunity.
The Argosy Aircraft is a mecca for kids, who can visit supervised* by a parent or caregiver. Sit in the cockpit, where Captain Startup sighted the Kaikoura UFO’s in 1974! Explore the Argosy freight hold, which flew everything from chickens to horses, cars and even tractors to the Chatham Islands. Watch the movie in the specially built passenger pod.
Our Argosy is the biggest commercial plane on display in New Zealand, and the only plane where you can explore the flight deck, without a pilot’s license!
* Please take care: this is a working plane; there are exposed metal beams and many trip/fall hazards.
