Maule Lunar Rocket ZK-MSM Arrives at Kaipara Flats 23-8-2025

Another Saturday and another "new" aircraft arrives at Kaipara Flats!  Today it was the Maule M5-235C Lunar Rocket ZK-MSM, ferried North by Peter Garlick and its new owner who will eventually base it on his farm airstrip at Matakohe near the Eastern shore of the Kaipara Harbour.

Nice and low over the threshold....

for a short roll out.

Outside its new temporary hangar at NZKF with fellow Maule owner Martin Farrand and Peter Garlick.

Aerostar 600 ZK-MVY

Aerostar 600 ZK-MVY returning to its Ardmore base yesterday was noted to be displaying some nose art "American Maid".    This was imported from Australia in 1993 and has been with its current owner, Buckly Air, since 2015.

 

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Early Unregistered Microlights - Hamilton October 1980

During 1980 a couple of American guys, Tommy Namais and Marty Waller, arrived in New Zealand with agencies for Mirage, Quicksilver and Pterodactyl microlights.  They also bought demonstrator aircraft with them and I think they had examples of the all of the three types.  This is because of photos taken at Hamilton airport in October 1980 by Janic Geelen:

A crowd is interested in what I think is a Quicksilver M (the Quicksilver M was an early weight shift Quicksilver with a control bar like a trike, and with no spoilers and just a rudder and no fin).  This machine could have been registered ZK-ESU in March 1982.  The occasion was ahead of the Aviation Showcase 80 which was held in early November 1980.

And there were also a couple of unregistered Mirages on the airfield on the same day in October 1980.  It is difficult to know what these machines were eventually registered, possibly one of them could have become ZK-ESQ for Trevor Barrett of Hamilton and  the other could have become ZK-KJA for Ken Asplin of Hamilton.  (But it is difficult to tell as the sailcloth covers could be changed!).

This photo of the second Mirage is interesting because in the foreground appears to be a Pterodactyl Ascender.

Thanks for the photos Janic, they have turned out to be very historic.

Some helicopters at Ardmore

Amongst all the activity at Ardmore today were a number of interesting helicopters including the Hughes 369D ZK-HAW4 which was imported in late 2023 from South Korea by International Heliproperties NZ for refurbishment and resale.

Outside Airbus NZ was the Aston Martin luxury ACH130 ZK-HEA7 which was registered to Advanced Flight Ltd, Auckland in January 2024.

Currently being used by the Northern Helicopter Rescue Service is the former Wellington based Lifeflight BK117B-2 ZK-HLF2.   It is being used while the AW169s are undergoing maintenance and was originally imported from Japan way back in August 2003.

And receiving attention at Heliflite was the North Shore based R44 Raven II ZK-ITS3 which was reregistered from ZK-IWP in June 2025.   It is registered to Core Aviation Operations.

 

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Early Unregistered Microlights - Terry Delore

I have previously posted that I thought Pete James was the first to fly a microlight aircraft in New Zealand when he flew his powered Easy Riser at Te Kowhai in late 1978.  However in my further research I have come across a microlight trike that potentially flew here earlier.  That trike was flown by Terry Delore around the Christchurch area in 1977 or 1978 (Terry is not sure of the date).

Terry Delore was a very early hang gliding enthusiast and he was very good at it - so good that he flew in the inaugural World Hang Gliding Championships in Austria in 1976 and won, thus becoming the first hang gliding World Champion!  In that competition Terry was flying a hang glider built by Steve Cohen of Ultralight Flight Systems in Australia and Terry was the New Zealand agent for these hang gliders.

In 1977 or 1978 Terry purchased a trike unit from Steve Cohen and bought it back to Christchurch where he attached it to a Rogallo wing hang glider.  Terry said it had a 160cc Italian engine that was really not powerful enough but he flew it.successfully as in the photo below:

The photo shows Terry Delore getting airborne in the Cracroft area on the outskirts of Christchurch.

When Terry started flying his trike it presented a problem for the then Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport as they didn't really know what to do with it.  Terry has advised:  "This is the trike the CAD would (not so secretly) come and watch flying as they were trying to make some rules around microlights.  At that time it was not registered and required a Certificate of Airworthiness and a Private Pilot's License to legally fly in NZ.  I had neither so just flew under the radar for a few years".  

Chris Payne was one of the CAD officers that was very helpful at that time, and I guess that Terry's flying would have been more visible to CAD than someone who was for example flying around their remote farm.  Eventually CAD got their head around microlights and this led to the formation of the Microlight Aircraft Association of New Zealand (MAANZ) in 1981.

Flashback to the mid 1980's

 Graeme Stratton has dug out three more pics from the past - Mid 1980's actually.

Lakeland Helicopters Ltd's Hughes 369D ZK-HSO c/n 87-0171D with Toby Clark in charge.

It joined our register, ex Australia, in October of 1983 and was destroyed by fire in the Pureora Forest in April 1987.

The Helicopter Services Taupo Ltd's Aerospatiale AS 350 B ZK-HNP c/n 1611 -in its 'Philips Rescue' scheme - probably driven by John Funnell - at Big Ben on the Ahinmawa Range between the Ripia and the Mohaka Rivers.

HNP served with Helicopter Services and the Search and Rescue Trust until being withdrawn and cancelled in January 2014.

Here we have Toby Clark moving an "A" frame down the Mohaka River to what became the 'Footy Field' strip hut. Looks like a Lama !

French Air Force Hercules 61-PG into Christchurch on 17-08-2025

 Once again, Tony McFarlin was on the spot at Christchurch International on Sunday the 17th August to capture the arrival of the French Air Force Lockheed C-130H-30 '61-PG'.

C/n 382-5150 was test flown using the Lockheed-Marietta test registration of N4242N before delivery to the French Air Force as F-RAPG and with the military serial 5150 (part of its c/n) and the code of 61-PG.

Patchett Ag-Air Beaver ZK-BVA/2

Maybe one of the reasons that the Fatman ZK-EMD could be spared up North is because Patchett Ag-Air now have extra capacity on line at Omaka  (since April 2025) in the form of the ex Farmers Air Beaver ZK-BVA2:

This photo of ZK-BVA2 is from the Patchett Ag-Air facebook page, thanks to Scott Bishell.  The facebook post also said that they like it so much that they are getting another Beaver.

Two Faces of a Fatman

Warwick Hamilton was at a topdressing strip near Te Puke yesterday where 2 of Cameron Aviation's GA 200 Fatmen (or Fatmans?) were operating.  He took some nice photos that you can see on the Tauranga Airport Spotters and Photographers blog.  A couple of his photos took my fancy, taken from near front on, and showing quite different faces.

ZK-MAW 

And ZK-EMD.  They are quite different.

ZK-MAW being loaded, 

And ZK-EMD taxying back for another load.

I am not sure if ZK-EMD is being leased to Cameron Aviation or whether it is now surplus to Patchett Ag Air's fleet as they now have another topdresser on line.

Thanks for the great photos Warwick.

Raven II ZK-HKK /4

 Noted on the grass outside the GCH Aviation Ltd.'s facility at Christchurch International today was the Robinson R44 Raven II ZK-HKK4 c/n 13486.

Note the floatation gear on the skids.

Built in 2013 and registered in Australia as VH-HCL4 on 16-10-2013 to Heliflite Pty Ltd, the Australian Robinson agents - with a move to New Zealand it became ZK-HPO5 on 02-07-2014 with John Smith of Warkworth. Four years later in July of 2018 it was acquired by Kaikoura Helicopters Ltd who re-registered it as ZK-HKK4 on 27-08-2018.

Kaikoura Helicopters Ltd was taken over by GCH Aviation Ltd in about August of 2019.

It remains registered to Kaikoura Helicopters and is operated by GCH Aviation Ltd.

Fox Moth ZK-APT Arrives Home at Kaipara Flats 16-8-2025

After a mammoth effort over the last 24 days, Martin Farrand flew his DH 83C Fox Moth ZK-APT into Kaipara Flats airfield this morning where it will now be based.  The odyssey started on 24 July when Martin along with Alan Coubray set out from Kaipara Flats in Alan's Stinson ZK-STN and travelled South down the East Coast of both Islands, stopping off at Rangiora on 26 July where Dave Paull did a nice post on the Stinson, and then on to Alexandra where Martin has based the Fox Moth since he bought it in December 2023  Then the return journey began by retracing the route, overnighting at Kaikoura and then on to Masterton.  This was a period of great weather for most of the North Island with a nice Southerly wind to help with groundspeed.  However the Wairarapa was clagged in for days necessitating leaving the Fox Moth there for more than a week.  Then last Wednesday it was back to Masterton with Alan Coubray in his trusty Stinson Flying Station Wagon and a flight North on Thursday with stops at Hastings and Galatea for fuel.  Galatea doesn't have any fuel!  But the carrying capacity of the Fox Moth meant that Martin could carry his own fuel in the cabin.  They flew from Galatea to Whitianga on Thursday and finally across to Kaipara Flats this morning with a strong Easterly tailwind, and earlier than originally to beat the rain.

Airborne Windsports Edge XTS-912 ZK-LOA / ZK-PHS

 An Australian design the Airborne Windsports selection of Trikes have been around since the mid 1980's and has proved popular - with around thirty five being on our aircraft register.

The main power plants being the Rotax 582 and the Rotax 912. They are also available with a selection of wings.

I spotted Airborne Windsports XTS-912 ZK-PHS c/n XT-912-0367 at Rangiora today (15-08-2025).

This was first noted in June of 2010 registered as T2-6196 with the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia. On arrival in New Zealand it took up the ZK-LOA registration with John Wordsworth of Taupo from 06-07-2011. 

John on sold it in January to Doug Anderson at Rangiora in early 2016 at which time it had a 'Streak III' wing. 

Below we see ZK-LOA at Rangiora on 01-04-2017 with its Streak III wing.

Paul Hyde-Smith of Rangiora purchased it in November 2021 and re-registered it as ZK-PHS2 from 12-01-2022.

It has since been fitted with a 'Wizzard 3' wing. This has a thicker wing section - and therefore slower speed range.

Below - as seen today is ZK-PHS2 with its thicker wing.

A couple from Ardmore

Imported mid year by United Pacific Aero was the Kawasaki BK117C-1 ZK-HXM4 which was previously operated by the Japanese Police as JA6816.

And now featuring a partial repaint with red striping added is the Napier based PA46-500TP ZK-ROW3.

 

Airbus AS 350 B3 ZK-HTL

A lucky catch at Christchurch on Monday the 11th was the Airbus AS 350 B3 ZK-HTL5 c/n 8572 as listed with Claridges Helicopters Ltd of Christchurch - having recently been re-registered from ZK-ILO2.

A couple of helicopters at Ardmore

Noted at Ardmore this morning was John Key's EC130B4 ZK-IJK4.   This was the former Inflite ZK-HBZ4 reregistered in early 2025 to the personalised "IJK",  and replacing his former Guimbal Cabri G2 ZK-IJK3 which was exported to the USA.

And test flying at Salus Aviation was the latest Grassroots Trust Palmerston North based rescue helicopter ZK-IIX replacing ZK-IPT.   Since importation from Papua New Guinea in 2018 IIX has been operated as a rescue helicopter in Hamilton, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and more recently Gisborne.

 

Pilatus PC-6 Porter ZK-SEX

Our latest Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter ZK-SEX2 (c/n 1005) was registered to Inflight Ltd on 02-07-2025. 

ZK-SEX was initially registered in Switzerland to Pilatus on 21-08-2015 as HB-FBP2 and first flew at Stans on 28-08-2015. It then became B-10FU on 04-05-2016 with Asian Express General Aviation Wuxi Co Ltd. (see note below). This Chinese registration was cancelled for its move to Australia where it became VH-82B from 02-04-2025 with Gerard Lappin of Morwell, Victoria. As such it ferried into Darwin from Balikpapan Airport on 10-06-2025. The following day it moved on to Coolangatta, and then a direct 12 hour 23 minute flight to Auckland on the 12th.
Following formalities, it then flew from North Shore to Motueka and on to Pukaki (Twizel) on 25-06-2025.

Note - Pilatus Aircraft created a joint venture, as Pilatus Aircraft Industry (China) Co, with Beijing Tian Xing Yu Science Co in Chongqing, China to produce PC-6 Porter components and sub assemblies including fuselage sections and wings. These were shipped back to Pilatus in Stans, Switzerland for assemble with the finished product being registered on the Swiss aircraft register to Pilatus. Many of them were then returned to China.

The first Chinese fuselage (c/n 991) was completed on 11-12-2014 and following full assembly at Stans became HB-FBC2 on 09-05-2014 and was returned to China to become B-0401 from 24-10-2014.

Above is a photo of ZK-SEX as VH-82B passing through Ho Chi Min City on 08-06-2025.

A Quickie Update - Quickie 1s of New Zealand

Back in May 2012 on the blog I covered Quickie 1s of New Zealand as part of my seemingly never ending series on our homebuilt and sport aircraft.  The link to that post is HERE and I posted about five of them.  I had thought that would be it for our Quickie 1 population but in the best traditions of "you don't know what you don't know" I have recently become aware of another one and there are even photos of it!

ZK-LIN (c/n AACA/637) was built by Barry W V Charlton of Waitati near Dunedin and it was first registered to him on 30/11/94.  Dave Paull photo'd it above and below in an open hangar at Taieri on 7/12/98.  It was cancelled as withdrawn on 23/08/99.  By the c/n it may have been built with another Dunedin Quickie 1, ZK-MAC, that had the c/n of AACA/636.

Barry Charlton went on to own the Kolb Twinstar ZK-FVK and then the RAF 2000 gyrocopter ZK-RCS which is still currently with him.

I should point out a couple of corrections that commenters made on my original blog post.  The Quickie 1s fuselage was not formed in 2 halves like the Q2, but was formed from straight foam blocks shaped as required and fibreglassed on the inside with bulkheads and also on the outside to form the finished fuselage shape.  And the builder of the first Quickie 1 to fly here was apparently Nicolas Silyn-Roberts (not Neil).

But Wait! - there is more!

Fast forward well into the 21st Century when another Quickie 1 appeared in Chris Hoskins hangar at Tauranga, and it eventually was registered ZK-CBW2 (c/n 463) on 17/02/20 to H Miller of Tauranga:

Mark Pattenden took this photo in October 2022.  As I understand ZK-CBW2 has a much more powerful engine so it should go like a rocket! but I do not think it has flown yet.  If anyone has any more info on this Quickie we would love to hear it.

At the end of my previous post on Quickie 1s of New Zealand I boldly stated that 5 Quickie 1s was probably our lot, but now I will not make a similarly bold claim!

Redwood Library display.

 The St Bedes College in Christchurch currently has a small art display from year 11 students in the Redwood Library.

This work of art and blurb caught my eye in passing.

Robinson R22 ZK-IVV at Rangiora.

 A recent addition to High Country Fencing Ltd of Darfield is this Robinson R22 Beta II ZK-IVV c/n 4042.

A February of 2006 listing as N468SH to the Robinson Helicopter Company at Torrance, California for delivery to Silver State Helicopters at Tulsa, Arizona from April of 2006.

It had a bit of a whoopsie at Shiatock, Oklahoma in September 2008.

Its US registration was cancelled on 04-12-2008 after it came to NZ to be sorted out by Doug McFarlane to become ZK-IVV from 11-12-2008.

Reid Heslop Helicopters Ltd of Wakefield started paying the bills from December 2010 until a change to Reid Helicopters Nelson Ltd took place from September 2011.

Then Chris Deroles of Winton took it over in August 2013 until its recent move to Geoff Rogers at Darfield.

Power Line Survey with JetRanger ZK-HOC

  Another good catch at Rangiora on 07-08-2025 was the Beck Helicopters Ltd Bell 206B JetRanger                                                                      ZK-HOC3 c/n 1227.

It carries a camera and LiDAR sensing equipment below and electronics wizardry in the rear. 

Because this is a reasonably low level flying activity it wears 'POWER LINE SURVEY' script on the lower fuselage.

It has been used in this role for some years now.

Below a note from the Beck Helicopter Facebook page.

We have received many inquiries regarding our ongoing activities.

Currently, we are conducting low-level power line survey for power companies.

This operation is executed under the guidance of a contracted team located in the helicopter, ensuring the accurate collection of data.

The helicopter is equipped with both a camera and a LiDAR system.

The camera is programmed with GPS coordinates to target specific points, primarily concentrating on cross heads and hardware.

Meanwhile, the LiDAR, which is mounted on the belly of the helicopter, employs light detection and ranging technology to utilise lasers for distance measurement and the creation of 3D maps.

Aerospool WT9 600NG Dynamic ZK-ALL/2

 A pleasant surprise yesterday at Rangiora was the fixed gear Aerospool WT9 600NG Dynamic         ZK-ALL2 c/n DY-860D which was registered to Aero Leasing Ltd of Prebbleton back on 04-11-2024.

Here we see John McCallister carrying out some checks.

As you can see - it is powered with a Rotax 916 which has proved to be a very useful glider tow plane.

MD Helicopters 369FF ZK-HPX 5

Noted at Ardmore today was the newly registered MD Helicopters 369FF ZK-HPX5.   This is a recent production model being built in 2023 as N340TM and exported to NZ in mid 2025 to become HPX with Advanced Flight Ltd, Auckland.

 

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Early Unregistered Microlights - Murray Hagen

I have posted previously about the microlight aircraft situation in New Zealand between the years 1978 and 1981, after which the Microlight Aircraft Association of New Zealand (MAANZ) was formed and microlights had to be registered (well in theory).  I asked for any information on these early years of microlighting here but I was not inundated with information....

To recap what I posted previously - "We can infer that there must have been some microlights (flying in New Zealand) because the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport introduced a rule that if a flying machine was less than 150 Kg empty a would-be microlight pilot needed only to apply for a Students Pilot License (a paper form only with no practical testing) and then go flying with no rules about instruction and also not even having to register his flying machine!"

Many of the pilots of those days have passed on (some sadly in microlight crashes) so our opportunity to gather stories from those early days is diminishing.  But all hope is not lost!  There are stories still out there and I have managed to track a few of them down which I will post on the blog.

The first of these involves long time microlight pilot Murray Hagen, now of Te Anau but who has farmed in Southland over many years.  I have spoken to Murray many times and he is a mine of information about the early microlighting days with lots of interesting stories.  Like most of the original microlight flyers Murray came from a hang gliding background and he told me he started hang gliding in 1972.  He visited America in 1978 looking at ultralight aircraft over there and got enthused.  He was interested in the weight shift Fledgeling ultralight which was developed from the Manta Fledge hang glider by Jack McCornack and which was later developed into the Pterodactyl Ascender of which we have had many in New Zealand

Murray imported his Pterodactyl Fledgeling kit in 1979 and it arrived fitted with a 38 HP Cuyuna engine (the original in the US had a 16 HP Xenoah engine), and with a How to Fly handbook!  When he first tried to fly it in September 1979 he struggled with the yaw and roll which were poor, and the aircraft was tail heavy with the heavier engine and he ended up bending several axles.  Later he added a factory canard which turned the aircraft into an Ascender model which only needed a small amount of weight shift as the canard controlled the pitch.  Eventually Murray found that if he put his feet down he could fly the Fledgeling reasonably confidently but he still had a problem with the carburettor.  This was solved by a mechanic in Invercargill and then he gradually built up experience. 

Murray flying his Pterodactyl Fledgeling in 1979.

 Soon after this, in January 1980, the organiser of an airshow to be held at Te Anau saw Murray flying his Pterodactyl and convinced him to fly in the airshow.  To publicise the event Murray flew his aircraft down the main street of Te Anau on the Friday at a few hundred feet, waving to the crowds that came out to watch and causing a traffic jam.  Then disaster!  The engine stopped!  Murray had to make a very quick decision and he stall turned to the left where there was a small park which he managed to dead-stick into and before the crowds arrived he hid in some bushes!  Later he emerged and found that in his enthusiastic waving he had knocked the master switch off!  So with the engine going again he took off from the park, only just making it over some tall trees, and took part in the airshow the next day.

Murray with his then unregistered Fledgeling in 1979.

Thanks very much for the stories and photos Murray.

JMB Aircraft VL-3TE-916 LSA ZK-JMB /3

 The latest JMB Aircraft VL-3 was noted marked up at Rangiora as ZK-JMB3.on 14-07-2025.

It is designated as a JMB Aircraft VL-3TE-916 LSA (Light Sport Aircraft) with the c/n of VL-3-613.

It is the new Rotax 916iS powered demonstrator for the NZ agents, JMB NZ Ltd of Amberley.

It is seen here having its electrics checked before its initial engine run at Rangiora.

This is the third allocation of the ZK-JMB registration.

ZK-JMB1 was a 1978 Cessna 172N which came to NZ via Canada and the USA. It was withdrawn in February 2022 and I believe went to the Manawatu Polytech.

ZK-JMB2 was the demonstrator VL-3E-1 UL (Ultra Light) model which has been re-registered as ZK-VLE. 

King Air VH-DXE upgraded at Napier to ZK-RFB.

 The Beechcraft 200D VH-DXE2 c/n BL-154 is currently being upgraded at Napier for its pending NZ air ambulance role.

This Hawker Beechcraft B200C Super King Air first graced the US civil register as N6354F with the manufactures at Wichita in Kansas in early November of 2009.

It then ferried out to Australia to become VH-ZKA2 from 30-04-2010 with VAA Pty Ltd at Mascot to be operated by Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd of Brisbane. A change of registration to VH-VAD took effect from 20-04-2011 to the same owner and operator, followed by another re-registration - this time to VH-DXE2 from 03-01-2025 for Air Partners Pty Ltd of Cudal, NSW and brief operations by Regional Express - and then listed with Dovetail Electric Aviation Holdings from 03-04-2025.

It ferried from Toowoomba to Coolangatta and into Napier on 21-06-2025 and was listed with Skyline Aviation Ltd at Napier on 23-06-2025, remaining on the Australian register.

It became ZK-RFB on 09-07-2025 with Skyline Aviation Ltd of Napier.