The Final Flight Of Air Chathams Convair CV-580

Final flight of the Convair

It was bittersweet to see her go but nice to know we can visit her whenever we venture to Wānaka!


The Convair has been the ‘turbo-propped titan’ of our fleet since 1996, serving the Chatham Island community for many years. In that time the Convair has acquired a loyal group of fans on the way to becoming one of New Zealand’s oldest planes still in service.

It was a sad day for the Air Chathams whanau, when we said 'bon voyage' to our last Convair CV-580 in the fleet, before making the long journey to Wānaka to remain as a piece of New Zealand aviation history on display at the National Toy and Transport Museum. After 40 years of flying this special Convair, CEO Craig Enemy accompanied by Daron was very privileged to fly the aircraft to its final resting place for all to enjoy.