The US of Ardmore Yesterday

In between the Mosquito and MXS, a couple of other US registered exotica arrived at Ardmore yesterday.  Both have been previously posted but they were spectacular in action.

 Cessna T206H amphibian N26NZ returned from a local flight.

And another Cessna, the turbine powered P210N N526CH also arrived.

I could have been in the good old US of A!

Four Years Ago Today -29/9

For those who are becoming Mosquito'd out I apologise (actually, no I don't!).  But while at Ardmore today it occurred to me that it was exactly four years ago that I was at Ardmore watching the first Avspecs Mosquito fly.

 ZK-MOS.

 And ZK-FHC2.  

N300NZ at Nelson

The Bombardier Challenger N300NZ was at Nelson today after a 53 minute flight up from Wanaka.

Photo from Lord Nelson.

It has been mentioned several time on the MRC blog

See :- N300NZ HERE.

DH 98 T III Mosquito ZK-FHC Airborne Today 29-9-2016

Today the Auckland weather was forecast to improve from the awful stationary front(s) that have been loitering around for several days.  A phone call to Avspecs found that test pilots Dave Phillips and Keith Skilling were on site and ready to go flying, so off to Ardmore....

 On arrival before midday some last minute engine work was being attended to.

 The crowds were absent but the Avspecs workers were out in force.

 With the two test pilots aboard, start up was just after midday.

 Taxying looking great!

 Take off through the heat haze for its second flight.

 And off! to the amazing sounds of the twin Merlins.

Climb out.

 Into the blue.

  Wonderful lines! from above.

And below.

 Then after a 30 minute flight, the approach.

And over the fence for a nice landing.

ZK-TGN being recovered 28-9-16

Sadly North American T-28B Trojan ZK-TGN s/n 138218 had to make a wheels up landing at Ardmore yesterday afternoon when the pilot on what I believe was only the aircrafts third post assembly flight was unable to lower the landing gear. Attached are some photo's of the recovery operation performed in less than ideal weather yesterday afternoon. Once raised off the ground the landing gear was able to be lowered and the aircraft towed first to Pionair for an inspection and then to the Warbirds hanger. It is a testament to the skill of the test pilot and the rugged constructure of the aircraft that it appears to have suffered minimal damage to the airframe. Obviously the props will have to be replaced and the engine inspected. It is just unfortunate that the police prior to the aircrafts return to Ardmore had all the roads in the vicinity blocked off so hence no landing photos from me.

NZ5911 / ZK-EPG at Ardmore 28-9-16

The buildings at Ardmore until recently occupied by Dwen Airmotive Ltd are in the process of being demolished.This process has revealed long term Ardmore recent Bristol B170 Freighter Mk31 ex NZ5911 / ZK-EPG msn 13135. I wonder if this aircraft will suffer the same fate as the buildings ?

Super Trojan ZK-TGN Airborne Again at Ardmore Today 28-9-2016 And Does a Wheels Up Landing

MRC was on the ball at Ardmore late this morning when he heard the distinctive sound of the Super Trojan overhead.  Living that close to Ardmore has its advantages as he was able to shoot out to catch it landing.

However, on a subsequent flight the undercarriage could not be extended and after circling to burn off excess fuel it made a wheels up landing on Ardmore's cross runway around 2.45.  The pilot was unhurt but the aircraft has obviously suffered damage.  

Video of Mosquito ZK-FHC First Take Off

Sundreamer has advised in a comment that his video of the Mosquito's first post-restoration take off today is at:  https://www.facebook.com/Sundreamernz/videos/10154454726874526/  Thanks Philip.  You can just watch it over and over again!

How amazing is modern technology!

Mosquito takes to the skies!

http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2016/09/mosquito-takes-to-skies.html

Two Test Flights Today at Ardmore! 26/9/2016

I should have been at Ardmore today as two special aircraft have been test flown:

 The Super Trojan ZK-TGN this morning 

and just a few minutes ago the Mosquito ZK-FHC2.

The photos are some I prepared earlier.

Hopefully someone from the blog was there for photos.

Recent pics

Three more photographs taken this week.

We have posted these three before but -

 The Cessna 185B Skywagon ZK-MHB (c/n 1850568) transferred from Flying Circus Ltd to Garden City Helicopters Ltd on 31-08-2016 and is seen here at Rangiora on 18-09-2016.

See previous posts at HERE

 Partenavia P68C ZK-MIR (c/n 227) has been with the Canterbury Aero Club since being imported from Australia in June of 1995.

Seen here outside the Club's engineering hangar on the 23rd.

The only action I spied at Rangiora this afternoon as I passed through was Scott James in his Zenith CH601-XL ZK-SRF (c/n 6-6971).

Some of last weeks shots

On the tie down beside the Canterbury Aero Club at Christchurch International on 23-09-2016 was the Cessna R172K Hawk XP II ZK-EWA (c/n R1723416).

It was listed with Europac XP Ltd Ltd on 04-05-2016.

Back on 18-09-2016 I found the Jabiru SK80 Microlight ZK-JBI2 (c/n 0081) Lurking in this hangar.

Ownership had just changed from Kevin Henderson of Outram to Tascha Lawry of Rangiora.

Out in the pasture.

Piper PA-289-140/4 Cherokee ZK-CNQ (c/n 28-22287) has been parked outside for quiet some time now. Initially at Swannanoa but more recently at Rangiora - firstly behind a hangar but more recently it has been moved to the South boundary fence.
Its registration was revoked on 11-04-2014.

ZK-COW was also parked alongside for a while but this has now been rescued and is now hangared awaiting some TLC.

Beechcraft Sundowner ZK-DVH

One of the many fine Beech Aircraft to come to New Zealand was the Beech C23 Sundowner 180. 

A development of the A23 Musketeer.

One of six Sundowners imported ZK-DVH is c/n M-1551 which was registered to James Aviation Ltd at Hamilton on 12-08-1974. 

It is seen above in their hangar on 19-03-1975.

Above it was caught at Christchurch Airport during November 1975 by CMM with his magic little Instamatic camera.

It was sold to D S Bisley of Hamilton on 17-10-1975 and remained there until sold to Gary Nash of Auckland on 25-02-2000.

Photo above by Sir Minty and taken on 16-09-2016.

Prior to acquiring the Sundowner Gary had operated the Cessna 150H ZK-CSG, the Piper PA-23-250C Aztec ZK-MCZ, the Micro Bantam B20 ZK-XIE and the Piper Pa-28-140 ZK-ECY.

Question time # 168 revisited. HELP please.

We have had a plea from RESTORER 

"ZK AQK has had the wings repaired ready to do a trial fitting, the fuse has been repaired almost ready to repaint".

 Does anyone know what the original colour was ?

*************************************************

Below is the original QT # 168

Question time # 168. Proctor ZK-AQK

The first note I have on this Percival P.44 Proctor 5 ZK-AQK (c/n Ae.79) is that it was listed to Percival Aircraft Ltd and also to Paulo Periera Ignacio from 04-10-1946 through until 24-09-1947.

The NZ agent L E Clark took it on from 11-12-1947 followed by J R C Killian of Gisborne from 13-05-1948.

Pic below is an early from the Ed Coates collection.

About mid October of 1952 it went to Queenstown for Southern Scenic Air Services Ltd, and eight years later (28-10-1960) to B R R Cragg at Omaka.

Next in line appears to be Central Aviation Ltd of Roxburgh; and then I have a B Wells of Mosgiel.

I believe it was withdrawn from use at Roxburgh in 1965 and its registration was cancelled on 04-06-1966.

Further guardians appear to include Scotts Engineering Ltd in Christchurch, who operated Proctor ZK-AQZ at about this time. It (AQK) was noted as derelict at Woolston in 1972.

Philip Burns of Dunsandel seem to have re-registered on 10-11-1977.

At some point it moved to the Ashburton Aviation Museum and its registration was cancelled on 24-01-1991.

It was at Russell Brodie's Rangitata Island property from 2003 and is photographed below on 20-04-2014 as it was about to be transported back to the Ashburton Aviation Museum.

 ZK-AQK pushed out from its storage space at Rangitata Island with strops already attached for lifting purposes. Its space already partially filled by a Tiger Moth rebuild project.

If you can add to the historical details of this aircraft - feel free to add a comment.

Alpi Aviation Pioneer 200s of New Zealand (4)

Our last batch of Alpi 200s comprises four aircraft that were delivered in 2006 then there was quite a gap until a kit built aircraft was registered in 2013, and another factory built aircraft was registered in 2015.  The Alpi factory still manufactures the Pioneer 200 and the similar Pioneer 230 as kits.

ZK-CIR (c/n NZ2019) was first registered to Charles I Redgrave of Auckland on 28/6/06.  It was fitted with a 6 cylinder Jabiru 3300 engine - the only Alpi 200 with this engine in New Zealand.  it is photo'd above in a hangar at Whangarei on 28/5/07 where it can be seen that is was named "Blue Skies".

It was sold to Ross M McLean of Whangarei (no relation of Logan) on 20/8/10 and now has a fuselage registration as in the above photo, also taken in the Whangarei hangar, on 2/3/15.

ZK-SYD2 (c/n 2020) was first registered to Sydney L Harvey of Tuatapere on 10/11/06).  It suffered an engine failure and force landed at Great Mercury Island on 14/2/08.  On 24/12/10 it was sold to Kevin S Harvey of Otautau.  It is currently operated by the Fiordland  Aero Club at Te Anau, from whose website I obtained the above photo.

ZK-LPA (c/n 2021) was registered to Alpi Aviation NZ Ltd,, now of Kaukapakapa on 29/11/06.  It was sold to Graham C Stokes of Whangarei on 3/12/07 then to the LPA 2011 Syndicate of Maungatapere on 16/6/11.  Most recently it was sold on 8/5/13 to the Fiordland Aero Club of Te Anau.  It is photo'd above at the 2007 SAANZ flyin at Ashburton, on 4/2/07.

ZK-LPI2 (c/n 2022) was Peter Randall's replacement for his earlier Alpi 200 ZK-LPI that was written off in a landing accident and was written off on 18/12/07.  ZK-LPI2 was registered on 24/12/07. It has the later Alpi colour scheme as can be seen in the above photo taken at the 2008 SAANZ flyin at Tauranga, on 6/2/08.

ZK-MGK (c/n 128) is out of the ordinary for Alpi 200s in New Zealand.  It was built from a damaged kit that was imported by Mike Sheffield, Graeme Main and Ken Richards (hence the registration).  It was built at Rangiora and was registered to the MGK Syndicate of Christchurch, on 11/12/13.  It is photo'd above at Rangiora on 17/5/15.

And our final Alpi 200 to date is a recent import:  ZK-KPD (c/n 249-09) is the latest model from the factory and is badged as a "Hawk".  It was imported by Logan McLean and registered to Kevin P Dore of Christchurch on 2/12/15.  It is photo'd above along with a line up of other Alpis, at Rangitata Island on 24/4/16.

I think we will see more Alpi 200s in New Zealand in the future, as they are a good honest aircraft for New Zealand conditions, and they are still being made by the Alpi factory.