Wellington on 21-2-2018

After the passage of ex tropical storm Gita over Wellington last Wdenesday the weather fined up in the afternoon, so I went down to the Aero Club to see what I could see:

Maule M 9-235 ZK-VRF (c/n 36001C), the largest Maule model, is owned by Capital Aviation Ltd of Wellington and was first ZK registered on 9/12/15, having previously been VH-VRF.  It has not been posted on the blog in its New Zealand registration previously (although you can find a photos of it in its Australian registration if you search for it - it is not much different!).  Thanks to Andrew of Wellington Aero Club for pulling a Tomahawk out of the way for the photo.

Wellington Aero Club's Cessna 172S ZK-CEO2 has been posted on the blog plenty of times previously, but I took this photo to show the airport building development going on adjacent to the terminal in the background - a new multi-storey carparking building and a new smaller Rydges hotel.  Click on the photo to enlarge it to see more detail.

And while I was there, Life Flight's Jetstream 32 ZK-LFW arrived and taxied in.  I recently found out that the bandaged colour scheme was designed by Weta Workshop.

Passing through Rangiora on Tuesday.

I captured these four aircraft refueling at Rangiora early afternoon Tuesday.

The first three heading for the Weekends event at Timaru.

 The AESL Airtourer 115 ZK-CWA is c/n 506.

It has been  mentioned several time previously on this site Here

 The Cessna 172N Superhawk ZK-EKG (c/n 17269830) has been listed with Skybird Aviation Ltd of Hastings since March of 2015.

It has also appeared before - see HERE

 It wears different tail and rear fuselage markings to when I observed it last.

The Hawkes Bay and East Coast Aero Club Inc's Tecnam P2008 ZK-ZZB is c/n 050 and has been listed to the Club since Mid-2016.

ZK-KLA2 has been mentioned Here previously.

This 1977 model Piper PA-28-181 Archer II is c/n 28-7790155 and is aptly listed to a Private Owner and is based at Taieri - to whence it was heading today.

Auckland International 18-2-2018

There were several P&W PT6 powered aircraft at Auckland International when I flew down to Wellington on 18 Feb:

Barrier Air's new Cessna Grand Caravan ZK-SDC (c/n 208B2057) has not been posted on the blog previously.  It was registered on 24/1/18 and is ex N2057.

A new one to me was the NZ Flying Doctor Service's Beech 200C ZK-FDR2 from Christchurch, although it has been posted quite a lot on the blog.  Unfortunately the heat haze is a problem with long shots on a warm day.

But when the aircraft attain a bit of altitude the heat haze the photos can be clearer, as in this pseudo air to air shot of Skyline Aviation's Beech C90A Super Kingair ZK-ZZA., off on another medical flight.

And for something a bit different, the Airport Rescue Service's hovercraft H1 was out on the Manakau.

Cobra Arow ZK-RMJ Status

In April last year I ran a post on the Cobra Arrow ZK-RMJ.

See HERE.

One of our blog readers is interested in more details of this aircraft

Can anybody please advise the current status of the aircraft ?

Is it still for sale ?

If so contact details would be appreciated please.

My email is  paulldj@xtra.co.nz  

Cheers


UPDATE 27th February.

Thanks to Rusty of NZWR we learn that this aircraft has been sold minus engine to a guy in Invercargill.

Sport Aircraft at Dargaville 24-2-2018 - Including Old and New Tecnams

As well as gyrocopters and trikes, a few interesting sport aircraft attended the Dargaville Aero Club's flyin and open day last Saturday.

Seldom seen (by me at least) is the short wing Zenith Zodiac CH 601-HDS ZK-SWB2 came from Kaikohe.  You can see more of this aircraft's history  HERE

Alan Nelson flew his Tecnam P 92 Echo ZK-KFP in from nearby Te Kopuru.  This aircraft has quite a long history, being the third Tecnam aircraft to be registered in New Zealand.  It was registered to Kevin Farmer of Manakau on 20/1/00.  It was sold to B W Ford of Raglan on 1/4/04 then to Alan Nelson (Pekamu Trust) of Te Kopuru on 15/2/08.  Alan exported the aircraft to Australia with the registration being cancelled on 25/10/11, with the aircraft becoming 24-8051 on the Australian Microlight register.  And then Alan imported the aircraft back into New Zealand, and re-registered it as ZK-KFP again on 16/8/17.

The above photo was taken at the 2000 SAANZ flyin at Matamata, and it can be seen that it has not changed much over all those years.  (What does it say that I am still taking photos of the same aircraft from the same angle 18 years later!)

Fast forward to one of the latest Tecnam aircraft - the P 2008 which was introduced in 2009.  And one of our latest P 2008s is ZK-RJN which was registered to J R Nicholls of Mangonui on 12/7/17.  It flew into Dargaville from Kerikeri via Whangarei.

And another Tecnam was Paul Carran's Astore ZK-AST2 up from North Shore.

A wider view of the visiting aircraft including Tecnams ZK-RNJ and ZK-RJN.

That's all from Dargaville for now.

Trikes at Dargaville 24-2-2018

As well as the gyro pilots at the Dargaville Aero Club flyin, three intrepid trike pilots flew over from Whangarei and also scored a free lunch:

Herman Ahrens arrived in his Airborne Windsports Edge X 582L ZK-XHA with full fairings.

Grant Waugh also arrived in his Airborne Windsports Edge X 582 ZK-XAA but with big tyres and sans fairings.

While Carsten Mathieu flew his P & M Aviation Quik GT450 ZK-MAZ2 with a Rotax 912S for extra grunt.  I have posted on Carsten and his trike previously at:  http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2016/08/p-m-aviation-quik-gt-450-trike-zk-maz.html

Off home after lunch.

Gyrocopters at Dargaville 24-2-2018

The Dargaville Aero Club had invited gyrocopter pilots to their open day flyin with an offer of a free lunch.  I don't know if that was solely the reason but 10 gyros were on the field, plus one more on a light truck.  Here are most of them:

Magni M 24 Orion ZK-MWR that I understand has recently been purchased by a Northland owner.

Magni agent Leo Levine flew his M 22 Voyager ZK-MGN up from Parakai.

Tony Unwin and Noel Smith flew up from Tauranga - Tony in his tandem Niki Rotor Aviation Kalathea ZK-KTH

 and Noel in his side by side AutoGyro Cavalon ZK-OHF. 

Rusty Russell flying the Dargaville Aero Club's AutoGyro MTO Sport ZK-RDM was kept very busy giving trial flights.

Brian Taylor's North American Rotorworks Pitbull SS ZK-RUN is based at Dargaville.

as is Mark Biddle's Tandem Dominator ZK-RCE2.

 Tony Marsden's Tandem Dominator ZK-RCV was across from Whangarei.

On the back of a light truck and up from Warkworth was Harvey Carran's recently acquired single seat Dominator ZK-RCH2.

A couple of other gyrocopters were on the field:  Rusty Russell's AutoGyro MT03 Eagle ZK-KIW2 and John Wiessing's Magni M 24 Orion ZK-MGI.

Aerobatics gathering at NZMS.

  Our roving reporter Geoff Lloyd called in on Masterton late yesterday afternoon and snapped these pics of aircraft involved with the aerobatic champs being held there this weekend.

 Up from Rangitata Island is the Brodie's AESL Airtourer 150 ZK-DAC (c/n A545).

This began life as an AESL Airtourer 115 but following an incident at Matamata in January 1976 returned to the air with the 150hp engine in 1981.

 Non competing I presume - but the Canterbury Aero Club's Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow II ZK-DUY (c/n 28R-7535019) was on site. 

This had been with the Club since new in late 1974.

 The Pitts S-1 Special ZK-EES (c/n AACA/28) was built up by Max Clear in the mid-1970's.

It was rebuilt in 1994 when a 180hp engine was installed and by the look of it - ailerons where added to all four wings.

The Vans RV-3 ZK-WCO (c/n 11504) was an eight month build project by Chris Schadler of Whakatane. 

It has a modified wing for aerobatics and is powered by an O-320 from a dead Cessna - pulled along behind a Brent Thompson modified Omega 79 inch propeller.

It first flew on 11-02-2015.

The Canterbury Aero Club's Robin R2160 ZK-RBN2 is parked beyond with ZK-LGT out of shot to the right.

Dargaville Warbirds Postscript

OK, I have to own up.  Two of the warbirds from my last post were models.  But really good giant scale models.  Here are a couple of other photos of them:

The modellers were from the Base Auckland Model Flying Club who normally fly at Whenuapai, and  they put on a great show.

Warbirds at Dargaville Today 24-2-2018

The Dargaville Aero Club held their postponed flyin today, welcoming gyrocopters and trikes, of which there were plenty and more of later.

However, I was more taken by the warbirds on display:

North American Harvard NZ1065 carried out some approaches and overshoots.

Republic P 47D Thunderbolt 433240 coded IA-N showed a good climb rate.

While Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX EN520 coded FL-A showed off its classic lines.

This is painted to represent Wing Commander Colin Grey's machine from No 81 Squadron at Tunisia in 1943.

Pauanui

A stunning Coromandel Saturday brought a variety of visitors to the Pauanui airfield including Cessna T210N Centurion II ZK-ETP

Also from the Auckland area the Aeroandina MXP 150 ZK-RTZ

From North Shore the Tecnam P2008 ZK-WIP

And up from Tauranga colourful Stearman E75 ZK-XAF

Antarctic Apron Friday 23rd.

A reasonable gathering on Friday the 23rd February on the Antarctic apron at Christchurch International Airport.

In the above view we have three Lockheed LC130's a C17 Globemaster with a QANTAS tin pidgeon and an Emirates A380 in behind.

Above we have the Lockheed LC130H 92-1095 (c/n 382-5405) which totes the 'City of Cohoes' name and a woolly mammoth above the entry door.

 Outside the NSF hangar was the LC130H 93-1096 which is c/n 382-5410.

LC130H 73-3300 is c/n 382-4508

And the C17A Globemaster III 08-8199 (c/n P-199 with) the LC130H 83-0493 c/n 382-5016 'Pride of Scotia' in behind.