Friday 20 August 2010

Sud Aviation Gardan GY-80 Horizon # 2

Following on from the earlier blog on the Horizon at http://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2010/06/sud-aviation-gardan-gy-80-horizon.html  I have received the following email from Allan Churn of Perth in WA who is now the owner of ex ZK-CLK.
I have added my own comments in red.

****************************************************
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:04:48 +0800

Subject: NZ-CLK Horizon
To: bluebus@windowslive.com
Thanks heaps for that info...I really appreciate it. I had no idea my Horizon was once named "Cherie"!
Also interesting to hear it had nosed over...didnt know about that!
I am a member of APAG (GY80 owners Assoc, in France), and they (eagle eyed) noticed in one of your fotos ("The second photo shows it at Christchurch in August of 1990") ....another GY80 in the distant background. It appears to be all white. I havent seen a foto of an all white GY80 in NZ. Perhaps it was undergoing repaint. (I suspect it will be ZK-BXM as it was based in Christchurch at about this time - ZK-CFT was based North of Auckland)


I am trying to piece together my Horizon's past history........ I have no log book history prior to 1990.
(Can anybody point to the previous log book/s for ZK-CLK?).
looks like it went straight from French manufacturer to NZ.(1965?)
According to your description, it went through quite a few owners while in your country.
Any further stories or fotos your members can provide will be much appreciated. I also forward anything to the 200 APAG members in Europe...they find anything related to the GY80 of great interest.
(APAG is the Association of owners & lovers of Gardan Aircraft. Have a look at http://avionsgardan.free.fr/  ).Attached is a foto I took of my GY80 (about 2001?) , when I first spotted it (love at first sight!). This was taken at Bunbury Airport (down the coast from Perth). The person standing in front is Blair Howe, who imported it from NZ.
I believe Blair is from NZ. He now owns a flying school and air charter company at Bunbury....I do my flying training there.
Also attached is a foto I scanned from a small booklet I found at a flea market. It was a booklet of NZ G.A. The foto of ZK-CLK originally had a young boy standing in front of the aircraft.....I used the computer to "remove" him.
So it looks as though 'CLK / 'YOG had at least 4 identities....your first (black and white) photo of CLK at Timaru 1965 in NZ Aerosales markings, is probably the livery it arrived from France. I wonder what those colours were?. (It was white with red trim - new pic added below. Taken at Timaru 1965)
I have attached a couple of fotos of GY80's in original 1965 factory livery, ...looks same as the CLK Timaru style.
(Below are three pics of VH-YOG sent by Allan).

Now that I have discovered your NZcivil website, I will be spending endless hours perusing it.....fantastic stuff!....Bristol freighter, radial Bennett Airtruck, Victa Aircruiser etc.


Thank goodness all those fotos were saved. I will have a dig thru my boxes of fotos to see if I have anything of interest from past visits to NZ (1971?) (Waiting with baited breath to see these oldies)


yours,
Allan Churn, Perth, Western Ausralia

Can anybody add to the history of these aircraft with photos, stories, logbook etc.

5 comments:

  1. Flew her at Paraparaumu when Paul Legg owned NZ Aerosales

    ReplyDelete
  2. Flew it from Bunbury to Jandakot for Blair on the 13th Nov 2001.
    IRC to get its Aus CoA

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am touring NZ now and am pleased to find the interest for the GY-80, a type I have known since the early 70's. I live in the UK and have known No's 207 and 224 intimately for many years and quite a few others in the UK and Europe. As Alan Churn says, APAG is an owners organisation and I have enjoyed several annual gatherings in France that they have organised. I have also had the honour to have met Yves Gardan at one of these events. The design is second to none in its class but sadly little understood by those not privileged to own one. If I get the opportunity to see the remaining GY-80 in NZ I shall endeavour do so.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good afternoon Alan.
    Good to hear from you.

    If you would like to send me your email address I will get back to you with contact details for owner of NZ's last example.

    Cheers
    e: paulldj@xtra.co.nz

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you Bluebus, that is very kind of you. I will follow it up and let you know how I get on.

    Alan

    ReplyDelete