Wednesday, 16 April 2014

Question time # 168 answer

Question time # 168 answer
Grumman G44A (Super) Widgeon ZK-AVM.
Seen here at Te Anau 17-03-1966.
This airframe has been well covered in previous postings. See :-
The selection of photographs below show ZK-AVM at Ardmore on 19-03-1980.
 




The "clue" photo was taken from this pic above.
See also :- 
http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/a-couple-of-recent-ownership-changes.html
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Other Helos at Mechanics Bay Heliport 12-4-2014

Apart from "Police 1" there were a selection of other helicopters at Mechanics Bay yesterday:

Helilink's AS 355 F1 Twin Squirrel ZK-HPA in their new Inflite markings.

Kawasaki BK 117 B-2 ZK-IPT flew in, in rather plain colours.  Ownership is shown as Search and Rescue Services of Taupo, but it may be at least temporarily based at Mechanics Bay as it was later towed into the hangar.  In the background is the rather posh Mikado restaurant.

And thankfully staying in their hangar were the Auckland Regional Rescue Helicopter Trust's two  Westpac Kawasaki BK 117 B-2's ZK-HKZ and ZK-HLN.  I say thankfully because that meant no-one had been badly injured out there.




Posted by at No comments:

Piper Cub ZK-BKW returns to Ardmore.

Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Christchurch imported a batch of eighteen Piper Cubs in early 1956
One of them became ZK-BKW on 09-02-1956.
C/n 18-4673 gained it CofA on the 28th and trundled up to join the Auckland Aero Club from 03-04-1956. They named it "Cliff Leys".
The photo below was taken at Ardmore on 09-02-1964.
 Ownership changed to A J and A V Rauner of Warkworth in October of 1964.
Then it was with the North Shore Aero Club briefly followed by the Mercury Bay Aero Club.
In early October of 1968 Pentair Associates of Ardmore became the listed owners.
Pic below was taken at Ardmore on 27-05-1971.
 It survived an incident at Waiau Pa on 16-02-1972 before being sold to K W Sample of Albany on 18-09-1974.
It did the big move down to Otautau in Southland for A F Sutherland in February of 1977 and is seen below
at Timaru on 27-02-1979
 On 13-03-1979 it was listed to A J Main at Twizel and then to Airwork (NZ) Ltd on 15-12-1980.
It was actually photographed outside Airwork at Christchurch (below) on 21-11-1980 - some time before the "official" change.
 Airwork moved it on to Jamison Contractors at Ashburton from 13-07-1981 who in turn sold it to Roger Gould of Pleasant Point from 02-06-1982.
Seen below at Timaru on 10-05-1983.
 And below - seen again at Timaru on 17-06-1989.
 It survived an engine failure at Orari on 27-11-1994.
 Seen above at Timaru on 08-10-2007.
Roger recently sold it and it is now in the good hands of Kevin Paulsen and Leanne Butler of Papakura.
Final photo - below - was taken at Ardmore today (13-04-1014) by Magnaman.

Posted by at No comments:

Taylor Monoplane ZK-DQG

Two pics from Magnaman taken at Ardmore today 13-04-2014.
Taylor JT-1 Monoplane ZK-DQG (c/n AACA/150) was built by Cliff Cragie and registered on 24-04-1975. Current owner is Bryan McAnulty of Manukau City.
 Check out:-
http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=dqg
 for an earlier posting on ZK-DQG.

Posted by at No comments:

Thanks for the memory.

Lou Grant.
 Sergeant New Zealand Police.
30-12-1953 to 26-11-1993.
Lou was a mate of mine.
.
Above (left) is a pic of Lou taken at Lake Vanda, Antarctica in 1987.
The reason for the dress uniform escapes me.
Lou was the leader of a small field team based for the summer months at the Lake Vanda Station in the Wright Valley, Antarctica.
 
Lou was selected to go to the US to gain an insight into police helicopter operations. On his return to NZ from the States he was instrumental in setting up the Eagle operation at Auckland.
 
One very vivid memory was of the hike we made to the western end of "The Dias".
Lou had a couple of young sons waiting back in Auckland with his wife Cathy at this time - one of whom had just lost one of his teeth. This was ceremoniously  placed under a rock on the western end of the Dias overlooking the Labyrinth, the Upper Wright Glacier and Airdevronsix Ice Falls..
It being Lou's hope that his son would someday retrieve that tooth.
 
"The Lou Grant Award".
 Lou's widow Cath Grant donated a bronze trophy which is awarded every two years for excellence and contribution to police SAR.
Lou Grant ran the Auckland Police SAR squad for many years, leaving SAR only to set up the Auckland Police air support unit.

Thanks for the memory Sir Minty.
 
The TAIC report on this accident can be found here :-
Click on "Download the report" at right hand side of page. 
http://www.taic.org.nz/AviationReports/tabid/78/ctl/Detail/mid/482/InvNumber/1993-020/Page/19/Default.aspx

Also check this out:-

 
This artists impression was drawn by Allan Campbell (a US visiting artist) and shows the Dias as seen - looking West - from Vanda Station.
The "Tooth" is at the far end of the formation - about 16km away.
 
You may have noted that this art work is drawn on a thermograph chart.
This is a two piece work. The other view is looking to the East.
A copy hangs with pride on my lounge wall.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)