Don Collingwood dies at age 69
By JYOTI PRATIBHA
Our aviation industry is mourning the loss of one of their own, a pioneer for the industry – Donald (Don) Collingwood.
Mr Collingwood passed away on Saturday at the Lautoka Hospital at the age of 69.
Mr Collingwood, himself a pilot, came to Fiji soon after independence. The Nadi Airport-based Sunflower Airlines he founded and built developed domestic air travel in Fiji. It became Sun Air and then eventually was sold to Air Pacific to provide the foundation for its domestic subsidiary, Pacific Sun.
Pacific Sun general manager, Shaenaz Voss, who herself has a noted career in domestic aviation, remembers Mr Collingwood as family and not competition – such was their relationship.
“Don Collingwood was already an established aviator when I commenced my career in the aviation industry,” she said.
“Don and Robyne (his late wife) were close family friends so there was never any element of competition but lots of constructive feedback and advice.
“Don understood the domestic market like no one else.
“Don will always be remembered as a pioneer of domestic aviation in Fiji.”
Sunflower was initially established by Mr Collingwood to serve offshore island resorts. It began with a single small Britten Norman Islander.
Over the years Mr Collingwood built it into a head on competitor to the then dominant domestic airline, Air Fiji.
Mr Collingwood expanded its services. At its peak Sunflower’s fleet included a 30-passenger Short 330 operating Nadi-Suva-Labasa, and DH6 Twin Otters busily servicing tourism in Savusavu and Taveuni from Nadi.
Mr Collingwood was well-known in a range of communities thanks to his ownership of Sunflower and his development of air travel within Fiji.
Mr Collingwood made significant contributions to tourism through pioneering direct domestic fl ights from Nadi International Airport to destinations all over Fiji.
He also developed local pilots through his Pacific Flying School at Nadi Airport. He continued to run flying school, aircraft engineering and charter flight businesses from Nadi after selling his airline to Air Pacific.
He was also well known as a keen supporter of Fiji rugby.
Mr Collingwood has two children and nine grandchildren.
He will be certainly missed.
Fiji’s veteran aviation operator and founder of Sunflower Airline, Don Collingwood, has passed away.