Two more from Rangitata Island

Two more photographs from Russell Brodie at Rangitata Island

ZK-DAC (c/n 545) was built by AESL as an AESL Airtourer 115 and first flew on 26-11-1969. It was then hired to the Marlborough Aero Club until being officially listed to them on 27-04-1970. It migrated to the Rotorua Aero Club from 26-11-1973. It was involved in a mid air collision with the Civil Aviation Divisions Piper PA-34-200 Seneca ZK-DCH near Matamata on 20-01-1976. The Seneca was damaged in the ensuing forced landing and was cancelled. ZK-DAC however survived and was rebuilt and came back as a AESL Airtourer 150 with the amended c/n of A545. Eight further owner/operators later it was listed to T W and C E Watson of Whangarei. It is now to be based at Rangitata Island.

  

A visitor last Sunday (25-11-2012) was this Vans RV-6 ZK-VRV (c/n 24692). First registered to Leonard Smmith of Waikanae on 30-03-2006 and then to Peter Merwood of Pororua from 05-10-2012.

 

Question time # 157 resolved.

Sven has answered QT # 157 (to my satisfaction) and rightly deserves his chocky fish.
What we have is a Rotorway Exec 162FA Series Two.
The pic above shows it in its previous Australian identity of VH-YHC.
Due to a technical error it was transferred onto the NZ register as ZK-YHC on 10-10-2012 for its NZ owner Dave Deaker.
Originally built as VH-LUN2 it moved to Vanuatu and became YJ-CO7 in late 2007, returning to Australia in 2010 to become VH-YHC.
Another interesting technicality is that when it returned to Australia from Vanuatu it was listed with the c/n of 8669 - which is its true c/n of 6998 as read upside down.
It currently wears just the "YHC" marks plus additional graphics but was in fact officially re-registered as ZK-HSW5 on 14-11-2012.
This is not the first time a helicopter has been registered outside the approved ZK-HAA to ZK-IZZ range. A Robinson R22 Beta was listed as ZK-JQV in December of 1997. It went on to become ZK-HZT2, ZK-HCP2, and is currently ZK-IGP.

Meet the Fokker D VII Replicas of New Zealand

Following Blue Bus's recent post titled Western Front 1917, featuring photos by Russell Brodie of Greg Burt's 2 Airdrome Replicas Fokker D IV and D VII replicas at Rangitata Island on 27/11/12, I thought I would post about New Zealand's other Fokker D VII replica, and compare the two.

ZK-FKR is an Airdrome Replicas machine powered by a 2180cc VW with a Valley Engineering reduction drive which is neatly faired in, and is a Class 1 microlight with a MAUW of 213 Kg.  Thanks to Russell Brodie for the photo.

ZK-FOD is The Vintage Aviator replica which is powered by a 200 HP  Gypsy Queen 6 cylinder air cooled engine and has a MAUW of 544 Kg.  This aircraft was built by Claude Rousseau of Rosseau Aviation in France for the 1966 film The Blue Max.  It was built quickly for the film and eventually became N902AC.  It arrived in New Zealand in 1996 and was substantially rebuilt by The Vintage Aviator to more accurately reflect the original D VII.  It is photo'd here at The Vintage Aviator Armistice Day Airshow at Masterton on 10/11/12.

Oamaru NZOU Fly In Saturday 01-12-2012

 As the poster above says - Oamaru Saturday December 1st 11am

 With any sort of luck Colin Hay will have his hangar open for you to see his projects.

And these locals (and others) will be about.
Above is the Cessna 172N Skyhawk ZK-EOI (c.n 17271937) of the North Otago Aero Club.

 The locally based Cessna 182T ZK-KBL2 (c/n 18281825) of Withoutalid Ltd.

And the Ravensdown Aerowork Cresco 08-750 ZK-LTS (c/n 005).
Will I see you there ?

AS355 and F111

Lord Nelson was on Queens Wharf on Sunday 25th and caught the Aerospatiale AS355 F1 ZK-HYJ2 (c/n 5280) out on its trolley.
Alongside was the RNZN Anzac Class Frigate Te Mana F111. Te Mana was launched on 10-05-1997 and commissioned on 10-12-1999 and weighs all up at 3600 tonnes.
HYJ arrived from India in a damaged state and was a rebuild project for Helipro at Palmerston North. It joined out register on 02-09-2003 listed to Rick Lucas Helicopters. It weighs in at 2399kg mtow.

Hobbit 777 over Wellington

Lord Nelson has sent this iPhone shot of Boeing 777 ZK-OKP overflying Wellington earlier this evening.
Note the spy in the sky towards the top right corner !

Some ground shots of her at Wellington can be seen at :-
http://www.mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/hobbit-fever.html

Question time # 157 re-visited

Above we have a new clue for you.
Below is the original clue : from which we have established that it is the "underside of a red aeroplane"

The Western Front 1917

Russell Brodie sent in this fine pic of the Breg Burt Fokkers outside their fabric hangar at Rangitsata Island yesterday.

On the left is the Airdrome Aeroplanes Fokker D-VI Replica ZK-TBF2 (c/n NZ001)

On the right is the Airdrome Aeroplanes Fokker D-VII Replica ZK-FKR2 (c/n NZ101).

Oamaru scenic flights.

I found this one lurking down near the Oamaru wharf on Sunday the 25th. This olde quarter of Oamaru is really active on Sundays with numerous open air markets, several buskers and much activity within the historic buildings. Worth a visit if you are nearby anytime.
McDonnell Douglas MD520N (500N) NOTAR ZK-HEN3 (c/n LN019) was conducting scenic flights.
HEN was imported from Canada and registered to Craig and Nnicki MCMillan of the Weston based (just west of Oamaru) Heliventures NZ Ltd on 02-02-2011.

ZK-IBC working over Quakecity.

Aerospatiale AS350 BA ZK-IBC3 (c/n 2562) of Mount Hutt Helicopters Ltd has been filming over Christchurch City today. Here it was captured by Bargeld01 at rest on the Garden City Helicopter pad.

Three from Timaru on Friday last.

 I raced through Timaru on Friday the 23-11-2012 and offer these three pics.
Above is the Cessna 172M Skyhawk ZK-DKH (c/n 17261709) of Glenn Monk Contracting Ltd of Hokitika. Note the turned down wing tips. Standard 172 tip visible in the background. This one started its career with the Nelson Aero Club in July of 1973.

Above is the Cessna 404 Titan Ambassador 111 ZK-NDY (c/n 404-0693) with its tailplane back on. By the look of the grass it has been parked here for a few days. Note the "starling" covers on the engine intakes. It flew back to Ashburton today (26-11-2012)

Cresco ZK-TPW (c/n 034) about to be fired up and depart from AVTEK at Timaru.
As can bee seen below - it is jointly operated. This one has previously operated as ZK-SDT and originally flew as ZK-JOH.

Fletcher ZK-CRY

Taken at Dargaville by Jean210 on 23-11-2012 was this pic of ZK-CRY2 (c/n 268) of Super air.
The history of this one goes back to 1979 when I believe it was laid down to be ZK-EMP but instead became ZK-VAL. It was registered as such on 03-09-1979 to NZAI at Hamilton before being passed to Vanair Ltd of Hastings from 16-11-1979. It crashed at Patoka on 10-06-1987 and was cancelled.
It re-appeared as ZK-UTE for A F B Stephenson (Farmers Air) of Gisborne on 09-06-1999 and wore the name "Andys Ute".
It had a nose gear failure at Kokukohu on 20-11-2001 and was sold to Aerial Work (Mid Northern) Ltd of Maungaturoto from 29-05-2002.
This was re-registered on 02-07-2001 as ZK-CRY2, still with Aerial Work (Mid Northern).
It was transferred to Super Air Ltd on 21-22-2002.

A post on the earlier ZK-CRY1 can been seen at :- http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=cry

Titan T51 Mustang ZK-PCA

Another photograph from the Flyingbusdriver shows the Titan T51 Mustang U/l ZK-PCA2 (c/n M05XXXSOHK0079) of the Anderson Family Trust on the taxiway at Taieri on 25-11-2012.
It is painted to represent the RNZAF North American P51D Mustang NZ2426 which served with Number 4 Territorial Air Force (Otago) Squadron at Taieri from August of 1951 until June of 1954.

Cromwell Racecourse BBQ

The Flyingbusdriver has very kindly sent in these photographs taken today at Robin Dicey's hangar BBQ as held at the Cromwell Racecourse.

Above we have two of a kind. Cessna 172P's ZK-ETL (c/n 17274310) which has been with the South Otago Aero Club since July of 1992. Behind is ZK-ETT (c/n 17274937) from the Wakatipu Aero Club/Air Wakatipu at Queenstown.

The Ibis Magic GS700 ZK-PGC (c/n GS-05-08-700-69) which has just been taken over by  Brian Nimmo of Wanaka.

Above - Two at Taieri are the Rans S-7 Courier ZK-WAL (c/n 0195146) of Wright Aviation with the Rans S-6ES Coyote 11 ZK-OAC (c/n 02991305) behind.

 ZK-XAS is Rans S-6S Coyote 11 (c/n 03081871) belonging to Corran Munro of Dunedin.

Two Gyrocopters over from Taieri were the AutoGyro Europe MT03 Eagle ZK-ZEE2 (c/n NZ008) of Rex Telfer's Gyrate South Ltd, and behind is the AutoGyro Europe Calidus Fern ZK-OTM (c/n NZC001) listed to James Service of Palmerston.
The host Robin Dicey has the Rans S-6ES Coyote 11 ZK-ZAZ.

Question time # 157

Tell me about it !

Jodel D 11's of New Zealand (2)

I will chronicle our D 11's in registration order, but that was not necessarily the order in which they first flew.

ZK-DBY (c/n AACA/105/1) was built by Jim Barrowclough on his farm near Morrinsville.  It was first registered on 19/7/74, and was test flown around that time making it our seventh D 11 to fly. Jim used an Airtourer cowling and windscreen which were available at that time from Aero Engine Services Ltd in Hamilton.  It is photo'd here at Ardmore early on in its life.  It was damaged in an overshoot incident near Atiamuri on 26/12/78.

Jim flew ZK-DBY all over New Zealand and when he retired to Tauranga he based it there.  Jim owned the aircraft for 30 years before selling it to CM Wilson of Katikati on 21/4/04.

It is photo'd here at Dargaville by Bill Lambeth in 2009.  It can be seen that it has changed little over the years.  Finally it was sold to TS Smith of Carterton on 7/5/11.

Finally it is photo'd here at the 2010 Black Sands Flyin at Raglan on 6/11/10. 

It was cancelled on 4/12/12.

ZK-DFM (c/n AACA/100) was built by Ewan McNicol and P Mcleish of Drummond in Southland, and it
 was first registered on 21/6/73.  It was test flown on 6/10/73 making it our fourth D 11 to fly.  It is photo'd here at the 1974 AACA flyin at Bridge Pa, Hastings.

And it is photo'd here in colour by Don Noble, on 8/10/73 at Timaru.  It stayed in Southland when it was sold to the Taylor family of Mossburn on 9/6/80.  It was damaged on 7/11/81 at Mossburn.

However it was repaired as by 4/9/87 it was owned by RTW Thomas of Waikanae, and it was operated by Paraparaumu Flight Training.  The above photo was taken in the big hangar at Omaka in 1987.  It was sold to GC Horn of Levin on 31/10/07.

And finally it was sold to AG and JR Bailey of Dargaville on 8/5/05, where the above photo was taken by prolific Jodel D 11 photographer Bill Lambeth of the Dargaville Aero Club.  It is still current.

ZK-DGA (c/n AACA/10D) was a bit different.  It was built by Robbie Gentry of Wellington and it was the fourth aircraft that Robbie had built.  It was first registered on 9/1/73 and its first flight was on 19/1/73 making it our fifth D 11 to fly.  It is photo'd above at the 1973 AACA flyin at Omaka where it was very new and still being finished.  It can be seen that Robbie built a fin and rudder on ZK-DGA rather than the all flying rudder as per the plans.

It is photo'd here in its finisherd colour scheme by Don Noble, at Timaru on 8/10/73.

It is photo'd here at the 1978 AACA flyin at Nelson.  Robbie took ZK-DGA with him when he moved to Masterton around 1980.  It was sold to C and E May of New Plymouth on 17/3/83 and then to MJ and DA Hare of Stratford on 12/1/84.

The final time I saw it was at Feilding in 1985 as in the above photo.  It was damaged in an accident at Te Popo, in inland Taranaki on 13/7/85 and it was cancelled on 24/11/94.

Surprise - Surprise

Ah. so thats what's in there !

Another pic fron Nick from Bridge Pa the other day.

Looking at Hastings #2

 Some more pics from Nick Furmage taken at Bridge Pa/Hastings yesterday (22-11-2012).
Above is the Bargh and Gard'ner Aviation Air Tractor 402B ZK-PCC (c/n 402B-1232). It has obviously recovered from its broken left leg received at Birch Hill on 16-10-2012.

Above is the well utilised HB and EC Aero Club's Tecnam P92 Echo Super ZK-THA (c/n 785). I would not be surprised it the Club did not acquire another microlight class 2 to ease the demand on THA.

 ZK-LCA is the Air Hawkes Bay Cessna 510 Mustang (c/n 510-0011.

Up from Masterton was the Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six ZK-WGO (c.n 32-7340146) of Graeme Stuart of Stuart Aviation Ltd.