Aero Commander 680F ZK-CDK

NZ Aerial Mapping Ltd was formed at Hasting in 1936 using the Mono Spar ST-25 ZK-AFF.
During World War Two, with the increased demand for their services, the Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan ZK-AHO was added. See blog at  http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=aho
In the early 1960's came the requirement for greater altitude than what the Kansan could handle so an Aero Commander 680F was ordered. C/n 680F-1289-132 was built as N78395 and arrived in NZ on 19-09-1963 and was registered as ZK-CDK on 01-10-1963 to NZ Lands and Survey Department and NZ Aerial Mapping Co Ltd of Hastings. It was named "Matariki".

Below are a selection of photographs of this aircraft.

 Above, as seen at Queenstown on 15-03-66

It was recorded outside the "Government" hangar at Wellington on 09-09-1969.

It was captured again at Wellington. This time on 31-12-1973 parked between the Government hangar and the old De Havilland hangar.

Ownership passed solely to NZ Aerial Mapping Ltd on 28-05-2001 and then to NZAM Consulting Ltd of Auckland on 02-07-2003.
It was then leased to Aerial Survey Ltd of Nelson from 21-09-2009

Jump a few years now to 21-02-2006 when it was seen at Hastings.

The lower batch of five photographs have been supplied by Nick Furmage and were taken at Hasting in July 2011.