Tuesday 13 August 2024

Beavers and Beavers #8 ZK-CKD - Update

Fieldair's tenth Beaver was ZK-CKDDave Paull posted its history back in 2010 and his post can be found HERE.  I have updated its history and added more photos of it:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver c/n 1557 came new to NZ via the agents Hawker Siddeley Aviation (NZ) Ltd to be registered to Fieldair Ltd of Gisborne on 28/1/65 as ZK-CKD. It was delivered the following day.  It is photo'd above at Wellington on a maintenance visit.

And here it is in colour at Dannevirke on 24/10/65.  It was damaged on 2/4/74 at Whakatane, but obviously survived.

It went through the company changes to Fieldair Holdings (Central) Ltd of Palmerston North on 8/11/80, as seen in the photo above at Gisborne on 7/1/79. 

And then to Fieldair Holdings Ltd of Palmerston North on 30/3/84 as in this photo at Gisborne on 26/1/86.  It was withdrawn from use in 1986.

During 1991-1992 it was rebuilt by Frank Wright and Gisborne Aero Maintenaince and was re-listed to Frank and Kay Wright on 24/7/92. It went down to Hokitika to Wilderness Wings Ltd as in this photo taken on 22/6/95.  

Here it is in its element over Mt Cook - spectacular!.

It remained with Wilderness Wings until it was ferried across the Tasman from Kerikeri to Bankstown via Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands in May 1996.  Its NZ registration was cancelled on 21/5/96

It became VH-SWB5 on 24/6/96 and was fitted with floats at Bankstown for Krug Agencies Pty Ltd of Darwin. It is still listed to Krug Agencies but trading as Seawing Airways and painted in their titles as in this photo taken at Bankstown on 20/5/04.

More recently it has been repainted into this silver scheme as seen on Sydney Harbour on 2/1/10 and it is still current.


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