New A 22LS Foxbat ZK-JTF at Stratford

The Finer/Hardwick-Smith Syndicate of Eltham's new Aeroprakt A 22LS Foxbat ZK-JTF (c/n 346) was at Stratford on 20 April.

ZK-JTF was first registered on 5/2/19.

But wait!  There is more!  The Finer/Hardwick-Smith Syndicate also owns Foxbat A 22 ZK-FTA (c/n 136) that was first registered back on 29/11/05.  Here they both are at Stratford on 20/4/19.

Thanks for the use of the photos Nick.

Omaka

 Both the relaxed Friday and the full on Saturday mornings began like this.

Calm and clear with just a hint of frost and/or heavy dew and with the sun pushing the moon above the horizon.

Harvard row - with covers removed and waiting for some heat from the sun to soak up the heavy dew.

And a time for the pre flight checks and last minute adjustments.

Pauanui

The flow of interesting visitors over Easter to the Pauanui airfield continued with the Cessna U206 ZK-EDI up from Blenheim,  and looking very smart for being 50 years old

And from down the coast came Opotiki Helicopters'  MD500N ZK-IPR

Polikarpov PO-2 takes flight

Polikarpov PO-2 ZK-POL/2, registered just a few days ago to a Wakefield, Nelson address, took to the skies above Ardmore for the first time yesterday. More photos HERE

Thanks to Agairnz for the photos!

Pauanui

A fine start to the Easter long weekend has brought a steady stream of visitors to the Pauanui airfield including up from Dannevirke the local Flying Club's PA28-140 ZK-EBL,  which was accompanied by PA28-180 ZK-DGL.    After lunch they departed for Great Barrier.

Up from Tauranga the Solo Wings Aviation Pipistrel Alpha ZK-JAT

From the RNZAF Whenuapai Aviation Sports Club the Cessna 172N ZK-JAZ in a smart new paint scheme

And on a Great Barrier charter Sunair's Piper Aztec ZK-PIX

Kaitaia Aero Club's Cessna C 162 Skycatcher - ZK-KTC

Another aero club 2 seat trainer is the Kaitaia Aero Club's recently imported low time C 162 Skycatcher ZK-KTC (c/n 16200148).  This aircraft is powered by a 100 HP O-200D engine rather than the ubiquitous Rotax 912 and the Kaitaia Aero Club reckons it will be a great trainer for their needs.  It is registered as a LSA.

ZK-KTC was flown across the Tasman from Brisbane via Lord Howe Island, arriving at Kerikeri on 28 December 2018 and being registered here on 8/1/19.  It was first registered in the US as N6028R in September 2011 and then went to Australia as VH-OCM. 

Hawera Aero Club's Aeroprakt A 32 Vixxen - ZK-VHC

The Hawera Aero Club has had their A 32 Vixxen ZK-VHC on line since late 2017.  It is registered as a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) and was delivered in all white.

ZK-VHC at Hawera recently.  It now sports some nice trim.

PA-18S-105 Cub on Floats - ZK-KSS

I had not remembered about this Cub although it has been posted on the blog previously at https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2016/02/zk-kss.html , but this was when it was on wheels.

It has now been advertised for sale at Hangar 247 Global Aircraft Marketing, from where the photos below were obtained.

ZK-KSS on and over Lake Wanaka (I assume).

Nice!

Pauanui

A fine autumn weekend on the Coromandel brought a steady stream of visitors to the Pauanui airfield in and amongst the 4 locally based Yak 52s practising their formation aerobatics.

Included were the Auckland based Schweizer 269C-1 ZK-HVK

And North Shore based Corby Starlet U/L  ZK-YGL

New Zealand Breweries Colt Airship ZK-ALE

There has been some discussions over recent years regarding the Colt AS-105 HA Airship ZK-ALE/2 c/n 886 that was imported by New Zealand  Breweries Ltd., Auckland, in 1987.

This was a new aircraft, having been registered in the UK as G-BNCP to the manufacturers, Thunder & Colt Ltd., Oswestry, on 9/1/1987. It first flew on 14/4/1987 and after test flying had been completed the UK registration was cancelled on 15/5/1987, with the NZ registration then being issued on the 19th of the same month.

The Colt was intended to be used as a promotional item for the Breweries products with Lance Hislop being hired to fly it, hence the ZK-ALE registration. New Zealand test flights were carried out in November 1987 and possibly earlier.

I understand that the airship's planned promotional activities were often curtailed by weather-related issues, and the aircraft had only clocked up 64 hours by January 1996.

The airship was eventually sold to M H Painter of Auckland, with the change of ownership being recorded on 10/1/1997. It would appear that it did little if any flying under his ownership, and the registration was cancelled as with drawn on 24/12/1997.

Can anyone add to or elaborate on this airship's activities?

ZK-ALE/1 was a Miles M.11A Whitney Straight c/n 503 ex ZK-AGB and NZ577 that passed through the hands of John Gould on to the Auckland Aero Club in 1946/47. It was destroyed in a crash near Fitzgerald Glade, Mamaku Range, 7Sep53.
There is also a static display R22 at Te Kowhai airfield marked up as 'ZK-ALE' used as a promotional item for the micro-brewery based there.