Saturday 24 October 2015

ZK-CWS at NZRT 24-10-2015

The fourth Piper PA-28 Cherokee on our register was ZK-BYT (c/n 28-1113)
 This Cherokee 160B was imported by Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Christchurch and registered on 14-05-1963.

The above photo from the Allan Wooller collection shows ZK-BYT outside the Airwork hangar at Christchurch prior to delivery.
On the right of this pic is the nose of Pawnee ZK-BWP which had just been registered back to Airwork on 20-05-1963 from Cookson Airspread. The 135 Cub as you can see is ZK-AZJ, which about this time had dual main wheels !.
It undertook its first NZ flight on 25-07-1963 and was listed to the Tauranga Aero Club on 19-08-1963.

The photo above shows ZK-BYT - above at Wellington on 30-01-1964 - 
and below at Tauranga on 09-02-1964. Both Dave Paull collection.
 It had an engine failure and was badly damaged in the forced landing at Quartz Hill (Makara) to the West of Wellington City on 19-05-1967.
Its registration was cancelled on 02-06-1967 and it went to the Canterbury Aero Club who rebuilt it and re-registered it on 17-04-1968 as ZK-CWS.

Above is another pic from the Allan Wooller collection which shows ZK-CWS with Canterbury Aero Club markings on its cowling.
The Club used it until it was sold to R E Clarke of Franz Josef on 06-04-1971 where it lived in an open hangar beside the main highway.
Below in its hangar at Franz Josef on 12-03-1987.

It moved on to J W and D G Knipe at Runanga from 04-02-1993 and then to Robert Hickey of Christchurch from 13-05-1998.
In September 1998 it was flown from Kaitaia to Norfolk Island and then to Lord Howe Island; returning to NZ later in the month.
Mount Hutt Helicopters Ltd took it on from 15-06-2001 followed by D K Mitchell, T R G Scott and A J Johnston from 04-10-2002 and it was on line at Wigram with the Flying School.
It is seen below at Wellington on 07-02-2007.
 Next we see it with Avmax Ltd of Christchurch from 17-07-2007.
It was listed to its current owner Blair Hoult of Knights Point Air Ltd - North of Haast on 09-11-2009.
I have a note saying that it flew from the Chatham Island to Christchurch and Ashburton on 19-12-2011 (so presumably it flew out there as well !).
Below is a pic of it seen this day at Rangiora.
Last three pics from the Dave Paull collection.

1 comment:

  1. Wonderful to see ZK-CWS again after so many years. I flew her only once, on November 7th, 1970 as a student pilot, with Phil Nunweek as my instructor. Circuits and bumps were the order of the day. Thanks for sharing the pictures and the history of this old lady.
    Andre Jongepier
    s

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