Top of the South

It may not be Ardmore, but sometimes there is something of interest in the Nelson/Tasman area.

Added to the local rotary wing inventory back on 9 February was Eurocopter AS 350B3 ZK-HHK, first registered on 22 November 2017 with Brian Comerford. This 2010 machine started out in the US as N971AE before shifting to India some seven months later as VT-GVJ. After some work with Repaircraft in Nelson it has become the second B3 with Reid Helicopters in Wakefield.

Making an appearance at Nelson today was Eurocopter AS 350B2 ZK-HPE of Command Aviation in Wellington. Command Aviation is the operating arm of HeliSolutions in Palmerston North, and currently has two machines in Wellington - this B2 and BK 117 ZK-IFY. Operations began in the latter half of 2017 out of Wellington Airport. ZK-HPE joined The Alpine Group in August 2016 from Australia, moving to HeliSolutions a year later.

And over at Motueka, Argus Aviation has worked its magic on PA-46-310P Malibu VH-JVX to produce ZK-ORZ, whose first flight is imminent. This machine arrived in Queenstown from Hobart on 14 November last, and flew up to Motueka the next day.