Cessna 172B ZK-BZS

Cessna 172B Skyhawk ZK-BZS climbing out from Dargaville on 02-01-2015.

Jean 210 has sent in a couple of photographs of ZK-BZS and mentioned that

"I'm mildly surprised the colourful BZS hasn’t been previously mentioned on this site before".

 Cessna 172B Skyhawk ZK-BZS (c/n 48527) was built as N7757X and shipped out to NZ.

The local agents - Rural Aviation Ltd registered it under their name on 16-02-1961.

If my memory serves me right Harry Sowerby at Timaru used it briefly before it went on line with the Auckland Aero Club in 1961.

Below is an undated pic from the Des White collection showing BZS at Christchurch.

It is seen below, minus that navigational thingi, at Paraparaumu on 28-06-1968 beside the old crash fire unit.

 It had some sort of an incident at Dairy Flat in March of 1970 and was sold to Paraflight Aviation of Otara from 30-04-1971.

An ownership change to G R Smart of Dunedin was listed on 29-03-1972 and below we see it at Taieri on 30-03-1972 in a modified paint scheme.

 

And again (below) at Taieri in April of 1975 by Allan Wooller. 

 Below is another view of her at Taieri as on 05-07-1977 in a different colour scheme of red, white and black.

John Penno, A Turner and J Noble of Taieri became the listed operators from 23-08-1982 until it was moved on to E D Middleton of Winton from 21-07-1983. It only remained there until 19-09-1984 when we see it was on the books of Motor Holdings (Aviation) Ltd at Dunedin (Momona).

After due care and attention it was sold to W B and A N Coomebridge of Kurow on 12-07-1985 to replace their onsold Cessna 150D ZK-CHI.

Charlie Ensor of Glenariffe Station, in the Upper Rakia River, took it on from 23-02-1988 and we have a photo of her below at West Melton 06-03-1996.

Remaining in the family it transferred down to Duncan Ensor at Glenrock Station in the Rakaia Gorge and then at Double Hills Station in mid May of 2003.

Somewhere along the line it got a serious re-paint and I spied it (below) tied down at Motueka on 14-02-2005.

It moved to it current owners L R and S A Vickers of Hikurangi on 17-07-2007.

 And it still retains this scheme today (well yesterday anyway).

 Above another view from Jean210 of ZK-BZS at Dargaville yesterday.