Can anybody help me out with a positive identity for this Cessna 172.
Easier one this time !
Bell 47G VH-UTQ , c/n 3337 , was registered to Helicopter Utilities in 1965 and served in Fiji as VQ-FBN and DQ-FBN. It returned to Mascot, Sydney in 1976 and is shown here parked outside the Airfast Helicopter Hangar on 25-11-1976.
And blow me down; here it is again. This time as ZK-ICJ at Tauranga on 10-02-2007. It was first listed in NZ to Clark & Jolly at Taupo on 01-10-2002. Then to Helilink on 17-02-04; Harbour & Gulf on 30-06-05 and now with Kiwi Kopters Tauranga Ltd from 15-12-05.
Ive been unpacking boxes of photographs recently and sorting them into some sort of order and came across this one which shows the damage done to the C180 Patrille (better known to most of you as ZK-BJB) when the driver pulled back on the control column as the fence approached. This off course gives up elevator but also places the elevator balance horns below the level of the tailplane handy for the #8 wire to hook onto. Note there is a significant length of #8 still attached to the tail wheel and extending out to the bottom left of the pic (taken 21-04-1969 at Invercargill).
What you are looking at is the overhead panel in the cockpit of the Cessna 180E , c/n 51144 , now ZK-TUA. I believe this was a local Aussie mod.
Anybody tell me where this Sidewinder is now located ?
What are we looking at ?
I seem to have the infinite capacity to have aircraft flock off before I get into a good position to photograph them. However today Robinson R44 Clipper ZK-HDD/4 c/n 0299 kindly turned across my nose. It is listed as being with Skyline Trust Ltd of Nelson.
Beautifully finished Rans S6S Coyote II of Chris E Reid uses his initials for its registration of ZK-CER. c/n 11021465. A real slippery machine with many small personal mods to ease its passage through the air. Here it is having adjustments made to its Warp Drive prop.
Absorbing the UV's in the late afternoon sunshine was the Fleet 16B ZK-AGC/2. With a c/n of 668 it started life in the Royal Canadian Airforce in March of 1941 as #4793. It later entered the US civil register as NC128H and later to N128H. It arrived at Omaka in May of 2004 for Graham Orphan and joined our register on 11-05-2007.
Tuesday had me pottering around on Stephens Island watching Helipro's AS355F1 Twin Squirrel ZK-HYN , c/n 5286.
At work lifting supplies up from the barge to the station at just over 600 feet above sea level; and back loading retro.
Sidling in towards the heli-pad close to the light house and auto weather station.In less than two hours all the lifting was done. This used to take yonks when supplies arrived at the landing rock on the east coast of the island by boat and lifted by crane (before the crane was decommissioned) and then loaded manually onto a very steep railway line. At the top of the railway items were then handled onto a trailer for dispersal as required. It is all much quicker, safer and probably cheaper these days.
Britten-Norman BN2A Mk111-1 Trislander ZK-LOU c/n 322 in Great Barrier Airlines scheme at Auckland on 13-07-08. Interesting life this has had. I recall seeing it at Cairns in about 1976 in Bush Pilots scheme before becoming Air Queensland in 1982. It all began as G-51-322 back in 1972 with the manufacturers to become G-BAFF(still with the manufacturers) on 17-10-1972 for delivery to IAS of Lakembla NSW on 05-12-72. It then went for a short lease as DQ-FBY with Fiji Air Service from Feb 1973. By 29-06-1973 it was VH-BGS with Barringer Surveys of Sydney and was fitted with a tail magnetometer (MAD tail) and underwing fuel tanks for mineral survey work. After its Air Queensland duties it moved up to PNG and became P2-DNX for Douglas Airways out of Port Moresby in August of 1983. About mid 1995 it retuned to Australia (I think using the trade plate registration of VH-CYC) and became VH-MRJ and served mostly in West Australia with Murchison Relines and Bushstar Pty Ltd. It was crated into North Shore in December of 2003 and carried out its first GBI service on 22-10-2004.
BAe Jetstream Srs 3200 Model 3201 ZK-ECI with c/n 946 at Auckland on 13-07-2008. This has an even more convoluted history. Briefly:- it was G-31-946 then N946AE in 1991 and flew into Wellington on 26-02-1999 to become ZK-REY on 24-03-1999 with Rex Aviation (NZ) who traded as Ansett Regional. On 30-08-2000 it was re-registered as ZK-TPC with Tasman Pacific Regional Airlines. When this Company fell over the aircraft was stored at Woodbourne and then Nelson before being taken on by Origin Pacific Airways on 12-12-2002. On this same date it was re-registered to ZK-JSU and served until being withdrawn on 11-05-06 and stored at Wellington. It was picked up by Air National Corporate on 18-07-06 and became ZK-ECI and began the new CH-OU-CH service for Eagle Air on 06-08-06.
BN2B-26 Islander ZK-DLA c/n 2131 also at Auckland on 13-07-2008. Built in 1982 it was delivered as G-BLOO to Taiwan to become B-12222. By April 1998 it was VH-ISL and toiled with several outfits in Queensland until it arrived in Auckland on 26-05-2006 for Sounds Air Travel & Tourism Ltd of Korimiko on 07-06-06. on 07-05-07 it was listed to Commercial Helicopters Ltd who trade as Mountain Air. Here it is in its latest re-branding of "Fly My Sky".
There is an olde nostalgic saying "Ah De Havilland"
Fleet 80 Canuck (pronounced Canook) CF-DQM , c/n 065 of 1946 vintage is flying.
Yak 52 ZK-JPW from the Ashburton Yak Syndicate on short final and about to quench its thirst.
Yak 55M ZK-YKV arrived back at NZRT a couple of minutes later. I imagine that with the pending Wigram closure it will be back to stay.
And the resident Yak 52 ZK-YRA of BDH Investments (Brian Hall) came out to puff some smoke.
The two latest Robinson R22's via Skysales Aviation at Christchurch.
Behind ISX is the all blue Robinson R44 ZK-HLD5 , c/n 12261, soon to be off for painting in its new operators scheme.
Further to the earlier blog. The Fleet 10 Canuk CF-DQM has come together at Rangiora.
New to the field is the Hughes Australian Light Wing GR-582 ZK-JLG/2.
The Canterbury Recreational Aircraft Clubs Rans S-6ES Coyote II ZK-JOR joined the register on 03-10-2006 as a tail dragger. (above)
Other gossip includes the order for two more Karatoo's for local aviators.
Photo by Glen Reid of Skysales Aviation - lifted from an earlier blog on 16-12-2007.
Pic at Feilding 11-02-2007.
Spied today at Heli Maintenance at Christchurch was the Hughes 369D ZK-IQQ.
The above picture shows ZK-BDS in Robertson Air Services colour scheme at Hamilton on 03-09-1979 carrying the number "1" on its rudder and "Prototype" on its engine cowling.
It first flew with the 400hp Lycoming IO-720 on 21-12-1981 to become a FU24-950M.The final engine fitted was the turbine Walter 601D and it flew with this on 08-06-1999.
Here it is at Whakatane with its Walter engine on 16-03-2000.
On 20-09-2003 it was munted when it struck a hill in adverse weather at Matawai and was finally deregistered on 30-06-2008.
20-04-1969 Patrille took off from Wrights Bush, Southland and argued with the fence.
It has some claims to fame :-
