Beaver ZK-COV

 

Beaver ZK-COV (c/n 1602) was registered to Auster Air Services Ltd of Timaru on 19/11/65.  It was the second of the single Beaver in the fleet aircraft that a were registered in late 1965/early 1966 in a flurry of activity at Hawker Siddeley at Rongotai.  It is photo'd above and below outside the Hawker Siddeley hangar prior to its delivery in November 1965 looking very smart.

By 1970 it had this different script, as photo'd at Waimate on 13/11/70.

On 16/5/74 its ownership changed to Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Christchurch but it kept the Auster Air Services titles with the addition of  "An Airwork (NZ) Ltd Division" in small letters as in the above photo (click to enlarge the photo for the detail).  This photo is also at Waimate, on 11/1/75.

Tragically it crashed near Cave in North Canterbury on 1/3/75 not only with the loss of the pilot but also with the loss of an 8 year old boy who was going for a flight.  It was cancelled from the register on 10/4/75.