Brian Langley Memorial Aerobatics Competition Results for 2016

I was up at North Shore yesterday and was given the results of the Bryan Langley Memorial Aerobatic Competitions that were held a week ago, last Saturday.  I posted about the competition at http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2016/04/brian-langley-memorial-aerobatic.html

Richard Hood took out first place in Pitts S1 ZK-MPM, flying in the Intermediate category.

Chris Schadler placed second in his RV 3 ZK-WCO2, flying in the Sportsman category.

Trish Stephens placed third in her RV 6A ZK-RVF, flying in the Recreational category.

The top three places were hotly contested with just 3.07% separating first from third.

I hope the organisers of the contest have better weather for the next contest, as this was the third time they had tried to conduct what started out as the 2015 competition.  I guess there will be another contest later in 2016.

ZK-IWN at Wellington

Following on from Blue Bus's post here is ZK-IWN at its base on Queens Wharf in Wellington on 15/2/16.

ZK-IWN in NZCH

 Seen at the Garden City Helicopters facility at Christchurch International today was the Eurocopter EC 130 B4 ZK-IWN (c/n 4556) of Garden City Helicopters Ltd. 

This is normally Wellington based and carries 'Wellington Helicopters' script.

 It was first registered on 06-11-2008 as ZK-IPV3 with Vela Fishing Ltd of Hamilton before being listed with Helicopter Corporation Ltd of Hamilton from 10-07-2013.

It was re-registered to ZK-IWN on 07-09-2015.

There is an Air Rescue and Emergeny Sercives open day at Garden City Helicopters on Sunday May the 1st.

Bookending Air New Zealand's B 777 Fleet at Auckland International 27-4-2016

While waiting for said grand daughter's plane, a couple of Air New Zealand's Boeing 777s arrived and departed.  They turned out to be the oldest and newest of the fleet:

 B 777 200ER ZK-OKA was first registered on 28/10/05.

B 777 300ER ZK-OKS was first registered on 26/9/14.

Air New Zealand has a fleet of 15 Boeing 777s made up of eight 777 219ER models and seven 777 319ER models.

Gulfstream G VI ZK-KFB at Auckland International 27-4-2016

Execujet's Gulfstream G VI ZK-KFB3 was parked at Auckland International yesterday.  It is an impressive machine!

 ZK-KFB3 (c/n 6043) was first registered to Execujet NZ Ltd on 4/10/13.

I looked back over the NZ Civair blog for earlier posts on ZK-KFB and I came up with plenty for ZK-KFB1 and ZK-KFB2 but none for ZK-KFB3 so I now claim a Terry Fletcher!  For interest here are the previous two ZK-KFBs:

Gulfstream G IV ZK-KFB (c/n 1362) was first registered to Air National on 15/7/03 and was operated for Peter Jackson (he wasn't Sir at that time).  It was cancelled on 19/5/10 and exported to become N662GA.

Gulfstream G V ZK-KFB2 (c/n 5260) was first registered to Execujet on 26/3/10 and it in turn was cancelled on 5/3/13 and exported to become SE-RKL with SAAB in Sweden.

Ex RNZAF Iroquois at Ardmore this afternoon

Four ex RNZAF Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopters were delivered to Ardmore this afternoon on two trucks belonging to a Palmerston North based transport company so I assume they have come from Ohakea. They were unloaded outside the Hawker Pacific hanger. The helicopters involved are ex NZ3803 msn 5158 / NZ3807 msn 11706 / NZ3809 msn 11708 and NZ3816 msn 11702. As can be seen from the photo's all are minus rotor blades / skids and tail booms and are on transport cradles. All 4 had their serial numbers marked as per the photo above.

Ardmore Today 27-4-2016

After granddaughter pickup duty at Auckland International today I carried on to Ardmore.  It was pretty quiet except:

 Doug Brooker leapt into the air in his MX Aircraft ZK-MXS2.

 and disappeared into the blue.

While Peter Whyte landed in his RV 7A ZK-RVD.

Fly-in at Mata on Sunday.

There is a fly-in at Leo's - the home of ZK-DQX on Sunday May 1^st.

Here's the updated information for this coming Sunday's fly-in at Leo John's airstrip at Mata.

Turn up sometime around or after 10am and the kettle will be boiling.

Helen has kindly offered to bake some scones so the earlier you turn up the better chance you will have to benefit from her baking skills.
BBQ lunch will be burgers and sossies with coleslaw and, of course, tomato sauce.
Tea and coffee will available anytime from your arrival onwards, or until the generator is either turned off or runs out of fuel.

Airstrip co-ordinates are.
35:52 South  174:21 East

or click on :-
https://www.google.co.nz/maps/place/35%C2%B051'34.6%22S+174%C2%B021'11.1%22E/@-35.8597504,174.3559908,1081m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0
[Warning - Do NOT use the co-ordinates in this link for nav purposes]

The runways are: 06 and 24.

Length 700 metres.

If Leo can fly his Cherokee from there I don't think anyone will have a problem.

If 06 is in use you can choose to either fly over the hill or approach on the southern side of it to land and stop closer to the parking overflow paddock entrance..

When making radio calls remember that the radio frequency used in the Whangarei area is 118.6.
When advising your position, the airfield is located 5 1/2 NM to the south of Whangarei.

Drivers:
The address is 1722 State Highway and is on a sweeping bend on the Western side of the main highway with a useful pull-off area right there at the entrance.
Turn right just before the large shed and follow the farm road to the airfield.

First timers: Be aware of the nearby power lines and pylons, especially if flying very low and concentrating too much on looking for the airstrip.

Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee Archer ZK-DQX  (c/n 28-74-05129) was imported by and registered to Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Auckland on 27-08-1974 having arrived at Auckland as N9564N on the 14th.
Its first flight under 'ZK' marks was on the 29th. 
It was transferred to the ownership of R N Walker of Christchurch on 05-11-1974 and then to Porter Doe Motors of Feilding on 05-10-1978. From 27-02-1990 it was listed privately to K M L Porter of Pauanui Beach until moving to it current owner - Leo Johns of Mata (near Whangarei) from 29-08-1994.
The photo was taken recently at Dargaville by Jean210.

7/8 Scale Nieuport 17 Replica ZK-NIE

As a follow on from my post on Colin Hay's restoration of his 7/8 scale Nieuport 17 replica B1506 ( http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2016/04/78-scale-nieuport-17-replica-b1506.html ), I offer this photo of the aircraft as it was originally completed as ZK-NIE1.

It is a photograph that was in the late Jack Mehlhopt's hangar and it probably him flying ZK-NIE over Timaru airport.

ANZAC parade Rangitata Island 25-04-2016

Allan Bowman reports that about twelve aircraft arrived for the ANZAC Service on Monday afternoon.

 These three were the backdrop to the service.

Raising the flag.

More from Rangitata Island 24-04-2016

 Paul Godfrey had his SkyStar Kitfox IV ZK-JFA (c/n C94080051/MAANZ/527) in the visitors line up.
It has been with Paul since 04-12-2015 having first been registered to Alex Taylor at Whiterig near Gore on 22-03-1995.

 It was pleasing to see the ICP Savannah XL ZK-CVK2 (c/n 10-07-51-916) of the South Eyre Trust on site.

Above and below :- This Rans S6-ESA was listed on the UK Civil Register with the c/n PFA204-12533. 

I imagine this will be amended in its NZ paperwork to its original Rans allocated c/n and not this UK Popular Flying Association (PFA) allocation.

 It was registered as G-BVIN back on 25-10-1993 to Keith J Vincent, and after a further six owners it was cancelled from the UK register on 05-10-2015 and shipped to NZ.

It is currently undergoing its NZ certification at Rangitata Island and has hopes of becoming ZK-VIN.

 Something slightly different from the usual run of amateur built aircraft is this Slepcev Storch U/L ZK-WAZ (c/n SS4UL 097) of Gavin Ladbrook from Timaru.

An earlier post is at :-

http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2010/07/slepcev-storch-ul-zk-waz.html

Above and below we have another import from the UK.

Rans S6-ESD (Modified) with the PFA c/n of PFA204-12227 was registered as G-MYAJ on 03-03-1992 to Norman J Willmott of Chippenham.

Eight more owners followed before it was cancelled from the UK Civil Aircraft register on 24-08-2015 for export to NZ.

 It is also undergoing its NZ certification at Rangitata Island.

Both these Rans 6's are for sale.

Buz Harvey's Zenith STOL CH701 ZK-ZUB (c/n 7-6634) from Rangiora arriving.

Bellanca Super Viking 300 ZK-VIX - first of type

New Zealand's first Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking is nearing completion at Parakai/West Auckland Airport following an extensive rebuild by owner George Richards.

ZK-VIX is a 1979 example wearing the serial number 79-30944. The NZCAA type acceptance report, issued earlier this month, details the specifics of the Viking noting it is a four-seat, low-wing single-engined retractable light aircraft with tubular steel and fabric-covered fuselage and wooden wings. 

This example started life as N28045 and has for the last 20 years languished at Van Nuys, CA following the second owner's attempt to repaint the aircraft which was to include fabric strip and re-cover. Circumstances outside the owners control precluded the job from being completed. The NZ owner found the aircraft while in the USA flying his Falco ZK-SMR to the EAA Airventure Oshkosh show in 2012. 

http://www.superviking.kiwi/before-me/

As she was in her former glory

On arrival at Parakai

What an amazing job! ZK-VIX taking shape with first flight later this year. 

Rangitata Island Alpi's

I noted five Alpi Pioneer's at Rangitata island yesterday.

First early arrival was Ross Marfell in his Alpi Pioneer 300 ZK-RFT (c/n 142)

ZK-KPD (c/n 249-09) is the Alpi Pioneer 200 Hawk with its three bladed propeller.

KPD being the initials of its owner Kevin Dore of Christchurch.

It was registered to Kevin on 02-12-2016

Then we have the fixed gear Alpi Pioneer Kite 300 ZK-LPC (c/n 5017) as listed to the NZ agent ALPI Aviation NZ Ltd of Fernside Field.

 Also from ALPI Aviation NZ Ltd was the Alpi Pioneer 300 Kite ZK-LPL (c/n 5018).

 Alpi Pioneer 300 ZK-TRB (c/n 200) of Bob Trotter from near Fairlie also joined the line up of visiting aircraft.

7/8 Scale Nieuport 17 Replica B1506

I thought that this would be an appropriate post for Anzac Day, and I will post it at the time of dawn services across the country.

Some few years ago, Colin Hay of the Heritage and Sport Aviation Group of North Otago purchased the remains of a 7/8 scale Circa Reproductions Nieuport 11 replica that had originally been registered as ZK-NIE in March 1992.  It was built by John Lowther of Timaru and was painted in the colours of the French WW 1 ace Charles Nungesser.  It did fly at Timaru and was later sold to Neil Lopez of Auckland, on 11/2/97.  It did also fly a couple of times at Pikes Point airfield however its registration was revoked on 2/8/99.  It was next sighted when it was offered for sale at Turners Car Auctions in March 2007 and then it was displayed for a time in the showroom of A1 Rental Cars at Kerikeri.  Finally it was advertised on Trade Me in March 2010.

Colin and the volunteers of the Heritage and Sport Aviation Group of North Otago have refurbished the aircraft and have painted it to represent B 1506 of 29 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps as flown in 1917 by Lt Archibald William Buchanan Miller, DFC.

Archibald Miller was the son of the Rev. Thomas Duncan Miller and Margaret Julia Miller of

Inveraven, Bridgen, Perth, Scotland, Archibald served with the 1st. Battalion, King’s Own 

Scottish Borderers before joining the Royal Flying Corps. He was killed in action

on the 13th. July 1917 when his Nieuport 17 was shot down over Belgium by

Hans von Adam of Jasta 6. He was just 21 years of age. His elder brother had

been earlier killed at Gallipoli on April 25th. 1915, also aged 21.

They were the only children of the Rev. and Mrs Miller of Kirkurd, Perthshire.

The following story was told by another minister at the unveiling of the Kirkurd

War Memorial in 1919, and reported in the Peebleshire Advertiser. The annual

picnic for children of the parish was held at the Manse on July 13 and his mother

Margaret, read out a letter from Archibald in which he expressed his hope that

they would have plenty to eat and would enjoy themselves. Among the prizes he

sent for the children were miniature aeroplanes, which should be prized by those

who won them. He jocularly wrote that if he could get off duty he would fly to

Kirkurd and have some fun with the children, and so his father scanned the

clouds and peered as far as he could see, but no plane was visible.

A few hours later, flying within German lines and engaged in aerial combat he

was killed. Archibald William Buchanan Miller is buried at the Harlebeke

New British Cemetery, Harlebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Archibald Miller scored six victories in B1506, all of them against the Albatros DIII.

The rebuilt Nieuport is Colin's and his co-workers tribute to just one fallen airman.

Crossing the fence at Rangitata Island 24-04-2016

A great day of flying took place at Rangitata Island today as part of the Geraldine ANZAC in Action weekend.

An early morning flight by the Eipper Quicksilver MXII ZK-MXK (c/n MAANZ/296) helped wake some of the campers

 Auster 5 ZK-ARR (c/n 1364) of Richard Royds arrives on '30'.

 And Russell Brodie returns after a flight in the East Canterbury Aviation's De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-BRL (c/n DHNZ123).

 And the Ludgater Holding's Bell OH-58A Kiowa ZK-IXL (c/n 44062) hovers down by the Moth Manor.

The Zenair CH701 STOL ZK-JRT (c/n 7-3838) of Glen Heslip was down from Fairlie and about to touch down.

The Best Off Skyranger Vmax ZK-SKV (c/n SKR 038387) is the Richard Armstrong example.