Friday 8 July 2011

AA-5 ZK-DLB to the knackers yard.

Anonymous said...
DLB fate sealed,spotted today at a scrap yard on De Havilland Drive Bell Block was grumman ZK-DLB complete but with wings removecd placed on ground beside it seems it was REMOVED from NP airport where she has sat for the last 14 or so years.
8 July 2011 9:03 PM
As above Anonymous from New Plymouth has advised us that the Grumman American AA-5 Traveller ZK-DLB (c/n AA5-0439) is now located in a scrap yard in De Havilland Drive, Bell Block, with wings removed.
This was imported into NZ by the agents NZ Aerospace Industries of Hamilton and registered on 14-11-1973. It was briefly hired to the Eagle Flying Academy before being delivered to the Wellington Aero Club on 18-06-1974. the top pic shows it at Wellington on 18-03-1975. Ownership changed to P J Burgess of Whitby on 13-06-1990 and then to James Guthrie of New Plymouth on 11-09-1997. It had been sitting idle now for some years around near Jim's hangar. Lower view was taken on 21-02-2009. It is still currently listed on the CAA register.
We ran an earlier blog on this one at :-
http://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-plymouth-on-1st-hurry-up-and-wait.html

Thanks Anonymous for the tip off.

4 comments:

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  2. Cost much more than its worth. Engine and propeller would be time expired, and instruments ?? would you trust them after being parked there for all those years. What about corrosion under that lichen ?
    and so on. It would be cheaper to import one from the US than to try and revive DLB.
    Wonder who sent it to the scrap yard ? Airport Company maybe for parking fees ?

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  3. could be useful for a muesum or pole mounted it your back yardas a awesome garden ornament,any way her coa ran out 97 98 she needed to go to hamilton for work on her wings but no one was game enough to fly it,her current owner was going to laern how to fly it but alas neva happened(he isnt happy its disapeared)

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