The Pilatus PC-9 A23-019 c/n 519, was one of 67 ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force in 1986. The first two were Swiss built as HB-HQA and HB-HQB and ferried to Australia in December of 1987. The next 17 airframes were assembled in Australia from Swiss components/kits.
The last 48 were built under licence in Australia with Aerospace Technologies supplying the fuselage and tailplane, Hawker De Havilland Victory the wings, Dunlop Aerospace the undercarriage and Hawker De Havilland Bankstown completing the assembly and testing.
The PT6A-62 engine from Pratt and Whitney
After being withdrawn from military service A23-019 was purchased at auction in November of 2021 with 8763 flying hours and 19,049 landings.
It was transported from North Shore to Ardmore on 02-09-2022 and registered in NZ as ZK-PCG
on 17-11-2023 to Airlift New Zealand Ltd.
It was photographed at Ardmore yesterday, 11-02-2024 by Barry Stern.
So, is it getting panted black? Will it be allowed to be painted black?
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