Images:

Air craft: The Short Solent was the civil adaption of a more powerful Sunderland aircraft. This painting was based on the ZK-AML which was christened ‘Aotearoa ll’ by H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth in 1949. In addition to being operated on the trans Tasman Sea routes, the Solents were also used on the glamorous “Coral Route” from Auckland to Fiji, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Tahiti.

Stars: Representing the Southern Cross and the New Zealand flag

Godwit: The two white bird motif’s represent the godwit or in the Maori language ‘kuaka’.

Aotearoa Airlines Ltd logo/wings:  Inspired by the five ‘wings’ insignia of the NZ provincial airline main trunk operators.

Kowhaiwhai (scroll design): The inspiration for this Kowhaiwhai came from Ngaru, a traditional Maori design representing the cutting of the waves as the ‘waka’ moves through them and by the famous koru motif from Air New Zealand

Haast Aeronautical Society: A logo I created introducing the Haast eagle to refer to the first largest flying ‘thing’ in the skies over New Zealand.