Yaks Coming Back!

At JEM Aviation (aka Yak Central, Southern Hemisphere) they have made great progress in returning a couple of Yaks to the air after their accidents:

ZK-VVS Full Noise of Fighter Flights/Graham Frew is now back flying again with a different Full Noise and 35 fuselage logo and no registration visible.

While the ex Arthur Dovey ZK-YYY now owned by the Omaka Fighter Collection Ltd, has been fitted with a new starboard wing.

You can see a previous post on both of these aircraft with their histories HERE

ZK-WBL into Rangiora on 14-07-2025

 The first decent day for yonks on Monday the 14th gave me the urge to visit Rangiora.

It is always nice to hear the sound of a Cessna 185 in the circuit - It turned out to be the Anderson Family Trusts A185F ZK-WBL c/n 18503177 up from Queenstown.

As N93094 it was exported from The States to Sweden to become SE-IRI in December 1984.

This registration was cancelled on 03-07-2007 and it popped up in Bruce Drakes hangar at Barradale/Fernside and was allocated the NZ registration of ZK-JNH3 on 15-09-2008. 

Its rebuild took some time (over three years) so it became 'Just Not Happening' in Bruce's phonetic language. 

Nearing the end of the rebuild it was going to be re-registered - a couple of options where ZK-ORB for 'BRO' spelled backwards and ZK-JGF for 'Just Good Friend'.

At the end of the day, it became ZK-WBL on 21-06-2012 and ultimately went to the Anderson Family Trust at Queenstown from 06-12-2019.

I am still wondering what the WBL stands for ! 

A Couple of Replacement Tecnam P2008s for the NZ Airline Academy

A couple of ex Australian Tecnam P2008s have flown into New Zealand presumably to replace some of the NZAA P2008s lost in recent storms at Oamaru:

Mark Mabey photo'd VH-OFK2 (c/n 156) at Ardmore on Saturday 12 July.

While VH-AFZ3 (c/n 196) flew into Oamaru on the same day via Kerikeri and overnighting at Wanganui (thanks to Jordan Elvy for the info).

Earlier this year NZAA's P2008s ZK-TCT, ZK-TKT and ZK-TZT were cancelled after sustaining major damage in a storm at Oamaru on 4/3/25, and also ZK-TOT2 was cancelled after being damaged in a storm back in 8/5/24.

Two military visitors to Christchurch 10-07-2025

 Two military aircraft on finals for Christchurch on Thursday the 10th July from Tony McFarlin.

This Minnesota Air National Guard Lockheed C-130H 96-1007 c/n 382-5427 arrived in from Wellington, being ex Hawaii and the USA.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing P-8A Poseidon (Boeing 737-8FV) NZ4802, c/n 67018 first flew on 10-02-2022 as N788DS. It was delivered into Ohakea s N4802 on 20-03-2023.

It arrived in from Ohakea, did a couple of approaches and dithered around out in Pegasus Bay before heading home to Ohakea again.

Sport Helicopters of NZ - American Sportscopters Addendum - ZK-HJU

Back in November 2022 I posted about our American Sportscopters and in which I noted that we did not have photos of the Ultra Helicopters examples ZK-HJI3, ZK-HJU2 and HJX3  that were only registered here for a few months in 2009/10.  You can see that post HERE.  Recently a photo of one of them has appeared thanks to Janic Geelen:

Here is ZK-HJU2 (c/n 2040).  Not the flashest of photos and looking at the background is it even in New Zealand?  maybe someone can come up with photos of ZK-HJI3 and HJX3 (and also ZK-HIY3 - we can but live in hope!).

Homebuilt Helicopters of NZ - Mini 500Ks Addendum - ZK-HOZ and Others

Back in October 2022 I posted about our Revolution Mini 500K homebuilt helicopters of which we have had 8 registered.  You can see that post HERE

In that post I noted that we did not have a photo of ZK-HOZ2.  Well, now we do:

ZK-HOZ2 (c/n 0034)was registered to Colin F Hopkins of Papatoetoe on 8/5/96 and it is photo'd above at Ardmore.  It was withdrawn as Cancelled on 8/6/01.  Does anyone know why?

We also mentioned another Mini 500K that was short lived in the Motu area and that we didn't have a photo of which is ZK-HEW2 As it is the last Mini 500K we don't have a photo of, can anyone provide a photo?  Last Call!

The reason why we only need one more photo of Mini 500Ks in New Zealand (ZK-HEW2 as above) is because Mini 500K  ZK-HPN3 is still untouched in its kit in Christchurch, although it registration is still current.

Aircraft registration. Special paint schemes etc.

Following on from the blog post on the Cessna Bird Dog ZK-LAO on the 7th of July

(see  NZ Civil Aircraft: Cessna O-1A Bird Dog ZK-LAO )  

And in answer to several question about registration markings :-

Check out the CAA rules on this matter on this link

 https://www.aviation.govt.nz/rules/rule-part/part-47/subpart-c/#P47.104

Christchurch today 08--07-2025.

 A couple of photos from Tony McFarlin taken on the Aero Club side of Christchurch International Airport today 08-07-2025.

The Beechcraft B24R Sierra 200 ZK-DVD c/n MC-292 dropped in from Nelson and Woodbourne.

It has been previously mentioned in dispatches See Here

This Cessna 172R ZK-TAJ2 c/n 17281011 joined the Ardmore Flying School Ltd at Ardmore on 30-08-2001 and remained listed to them until a brief listing to Nicolai Moore from September 2022 until returning to the Ardmore Flying School in December of 2023.

About March of this year it was transferred to Roc On Aviation Ltd of Wellington.

Piper PA44-180 Seminole ZK-SWL

Noted at Ardmore this morning was the latest addition to the Southern Wings training fleet, Piper PA44-180 Seminole ZK-SWL.      Originally built in 2015 it was exported to Australia in November of that year and was operated as VH-OXP by Moorabbin based Oxford Aviation Academy.     

It was delivered to NZ on 7 May via a direct 7hr 40min flight from Canberra to Auckland.

 

Cessna O-1A Bird Dog ZK-LAO

Making a very brief visit to Pauanui airfield this afternoon was the Cessna Bird Dog ZK-LAO, an O-1A model c/n 21692 which was registered to the LAO Syndicate of Auckland in May 2024.

It was originally built in July 1951 under a US Army contract as serial 51-4807 and supplied to the Thai Army under the Military Assistance Program as serial 4807.    After service it lay derelict in Thailand for some years until 2013 when it was shipped to NZ for restoration.