Malcolm C. McGregor

Captain Malcolm Charles McGregor (4 March 1896 – 19 February 1936) was a New Zealand born World War I flying ace. He was credited with 11 victories during the war. Postwar, he was an aviation pioneer in his home country, a competitor in intercontinental air racing and held the rank of squadron leader in the New Zealand Territorial Air Force.

Appointed a director, technical adviser and service manager for the new national airline, Union Airways which became NAC, he died in Wellington Hospital following a flying accident in a company aircraft just before his 40th birthday.

Early life Malcolm Charles McGregor was born near Hunterville, New Zealand on 4 March 1896 son of Ewen McGregor and his wife born Matilda Chubbin. He was educated at Hamilton Boys' High School. When grown, he was six feet three inches tall.

World War I MacGregor was granted his Aero Certificate in September 1916. His first aerial success came on 6 June 1917, while he was with 54 Squadron. He used a Sopwith Pup to destroy a German Albatros D.III fighter southwest of Cambrai, France.

McGregor would next turn balloon buster, destroying an enemy observation balloon east of Maretz, France on 8 October. He ended his string of triumphs by destroying another recon plane on 23 October 1918. His final tally was an observation balloon and five enemy airplanes destroyed, plus four planes driven down out of control. He was discharged from the Royal Air Force on 17 July 1919. He returned to New Zealand to farm. He also took part in civil aviation activities. He ran a "barnstorming" operation, Hamilton Airways. He flew some pioneering airmail routes throughout New Zealand.

The Great Depression McGregor established Air Travel with Francis Maurice Clarke in 1930 with a De Havilland DH.50. It was New Zealand's first regular air service between main centres, Christchurch and Dunedin but there was not enough demand for the service at what turned out to be the beginning of the Great Depression.

By the end of 1931 he was reported to be carrying air mail from Invercargill, New Zealand to Auckland in a Simmonds Spartan. He was appointed chief instructor to the Manawatu Aero Club in 1932 but he broke his back in a crash in December 1932 while popping balloons at the Manawatu Aero Club's first pageant and spent almost a year in Palmerston North Hospital. By 1934, he had 3,300 flying hours in his pilot's log. He and his copilot completed the course, Mildenhall to Melbourne, in 7 days 15 hours, in a Miles Hawk Major.

Following the race he and F. Maurice Clarke sold their vision of a national airline to Norrie Falla, the new managing director of Union Steamship, and Union Airways was the result. Weeks after the new airline began scheduled flights he was killed in an air accident while piloting a taxi flight.

McGregor died in hospital after the wing tip of his fast Miles monoplane hit the anemometer mast in gusty weather while landing at Rongotai airport, Wellington, New Zealand on 19 February 1936.