A Surprise at Kaipara Flats this Morning

The recent heavy rains that have fallen on the North recently receded and this morning was sunny and crisp at Kaipara Flats airfield.  Although the drains were pretty full, the runway is slightly crowned so it was quite useable.  Then a different aircraft arrived overhead and landed:

It was the Maule M-4-210C Strata Rocket ZK-DON that has spent the last 37 years around the Dannevirke area, and it has been bought by Martin Farrand to add to his impressive aircraft fleet.  This has an interesting history and is the first Maule to be registered in New Zealand, and it is our only Strata Rocket.  Martin says it flies very nicely.

Built by the Maule Aircraft Corp of Jackson MI as N51434 (c/n 1100C), and it is powered by a 210HP 6-cylinder Continental IO-360-A.  It was flown by Dave Lilico from the Maule factory across the Atlantic, arriving in the UK on 19 Sep 1973.  It was registered  as ZK-DON on 31 August 1973 to David K. Lilico of Auckland.   It was exported to New Zealand arriving at Hamilton in December 1974 where it made its first flight there in the same month.  

On 31 March 1978 ownership changed to Tom C. R. Laver of Dannevirke and it was leased to Southern Alps Air Charter Ltd of Makarora where it suffered a few accidents:  an undercarriage leg collapsed after landing at Kerin Forks, Makarora on 6 January 1980, it suffered a heavy landing at Waitoto, near Jackson Bay on 26 February 1980 and landed downwind and skidded on wet grass and toppled over a bank at Titirangi, Marlborough Sounds on 15 November 1985.

On 14 Aug 1987 ownership changed to Tom C. R. Laver, John C. & Jeremy P. Riddell of Dannevirke, then on 4 October it went to John C. & Jeremy P. Riddell of Dannevirke.