A new helicopter type to me at Ardmore was the Agusta AW119 Mk II ZK-ISR belonging to Heli Solutions Ltd of Tauranga. The AW 119 is a fixed skid, single engine version of the AW109, and ZK-ISR is the only example of the type currently on the New Zealand Civil Register,
In fact this helicopter has a somewhat different history, originally being N291SH and then VH-UCL. It was first registered in New Zealand on 6/11/08 to Heli Solutions Ltd and I understand it operated from various super yachts before being cancelled on 15/9/12 and exported to Australia where it was registered VH-UCL again. Then it was re-exported to New Zealand and registered as ZK-ISR again, on 4/12/15. Does that make it ZK-ISR2?
An earlier post on the helicopter in its first life here can be found at www.nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/agusta-a119-zk-isr-exported.html
Lift off and away overhead from the refuelling area.
An earlier post on the helicopter in its first life here can be found at www.nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/agusta-a119-zk-isr-exported.html
There is no such thing as an Agusta Bell AW119. If it is an AW119 it was produced by Agusta Westland (now Finmeccanica Helicopters) but if it is only an A119 it was produced by Agusta. Bell Helicopters has no link to the 119.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice Anon. The NZCAR lists it as an Agusta AW119. I have altered the post by deleting Bell references.
ReplyDeleteAgusta and Bell have teamed up on many aircraft such as the 139, 609, 206 and 412 but the 119 was not one of them.
DeleteThere was another AW119 on the register back in 2008 / 2012 - ZK-ITR owned by the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust and registered under the Airwork banner. Used in EMS from new it was exported to Fremantle for Surf Rescue work, then later to a VIP role somewhere in Australia.
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