Question time. Who nose ?

 

At last weekends RAANZ fly in at Ashburton we had a selection of noses. 

All belonging to the Rangiora Squadron.

All I ask is for you to name the aircraft types - from front to rear.

Once you have got that sorted out. 

Give me the aircraft registrations.

Virtual 🐟to the winner.

Boeing 767 G-DHLK into Auckland on November 7th.

 This Boeing 767-3JHF G-DHLK c/n 37810 flew Brisbane to Auckland and return to Brisbane on     07-11-2025. It is currently operating across Asia and Australasia for Tasman Cargo and supporting their three other Boeing 767-300's.

The photo above shows G-DHLK at East Midland in the UK in October 2023.

G-DHLK joined DHL in November 2012 but became N644GT in January of 2013 with Polar Air before returning to G-DHLK with DHL in February 2013.

A Couple from the RAANZ Flyin at Ashburton

The Recreational Aircraft Association of New Zealand (RAANZ) held their annual flyin early this season, at Ashburton over the weekend of 7/8/9 November.  Tony McFarlin was there and noted a total of 59 attending aircraft, and Dave Paull was also there.  Here is a selection of the aircraft they photographed that were there:

Rans S 6ES Coyote II ZK-SBW2 of Sam and Asti Boal from Leeston was likely a first time attender at a RAANZ flyin, but it probably was at previous at flyins under its original registration of ZK-AJB2.

Another possible new attendee at a RAANZ flyin was Lyall Hopcroft in his Bristell ZK-WLH2.

A local out in the sun was Michael Chaffey's Auster Mk 5 ZK-AVH.  This was first registered in New Zealand in August 1950 so it has now been here for 75 years!

The Alpi Pioneer 300 ZK-LPT2 of Gary Montagu came from Dunedin.  This was imported from Australia in early 2020 and was previously registered ZK-YAN.

Murray Bowes' Zlin Aviation Cub ZK-ZAX flew over to Ashburton from Hokitika.  This was ZK-ZAC in a previous life.

And another aircraft probably attending its first RAANZ flyin was Paul Brydon's Rans S 21 ZK-YAW from Rangiora, still awaiting it colour scheme.

Thanks for the photos Dave and Tony.

Dimona ZK-GCB at Rangiora

Early in the month a stray turned up at Rangiora in the shape of the Hoffman H36 Dimona motor glider ZK-GCB2 c/n 3537. It had powered down from Drury and Omaka on the 2nd.

It is pictured above having just been tied down following a flight from Rangiora out to the Springfield ridges and return.

The following day it went out to the Puketeraki and Torlesse Ranges and return.

It has been mentioned several times previously on this site.

SEE  

HERE

Beech V35A Bonanza ZK-RMZ

 The latest Beechcraft addition to the New Zealand civil aircraft register is the V35A Bonanza c/n D8978.

This was initially registered as N7851R in 1969 and cancelled on 11-09-1990 on export to South Africa where it became ZS-MYN.

The only operator that I know about was Willem Nieuwenhuisa (sp ?) and Grahan Ticton out of Rand from February of 2009.

The photo below was taken at Lanseria on 20-09-2006 by Ray Barber.

It was listed in NZ on 08-05-2025 to The Tolaga Bay Trading Co of Tolaga Bay, and was certified at Napier and first flew as ZK-RMZ on 31-10-2025.

Photo below from Aaron Murphy was taken at Hastings on 01-11-2025.

It is the 4th 'V' tailed Bonanza on our register.

Pulsar ZK-DMC/2 at Waipukurau Recently

Seen recently in a hangar at Waipukurau on 2 November by Jordan Elvy and photo'd with permission of the owner:

ZK-DMC2 (c/n 325/MAANZ/510) has recently changed ownership to a Napier owner.  Of course this is the former ZK-RUS as photo'd below at Rangiora on 1 April 2017.

And it was re-registered when Northern Aviation Ltd's Yak 52 was registered ZK-RUS2 in early 2024.

Piper PA-36-375 Brave ZK-EIW

The Piper PA-36-375 Brave ZK-EIW c/n 36-7902006 was the eighth PA-36, from a total of eleven registered in New Zealand.

It was first registered to the New Zealand Piper Aircraft agents, Airwork (NZ) Ltd, at Ardmore,            as ZK-EIW on 24-05-1979. 

With an Avco-Lycoming IO-720 engine of 375 horse power - its first flight in NZ was on 11-07-1979 - it was delivered to Airwork's agricultural division on the 13th and did its first ag job on the 28th.

Above, late in 1979, a photo from CMM showing the team on the Clarence airstrip in North Canterbury.

That is Col Bolger siting on the nose, with SH1 in the background.

I'm guessing this is at its home base at Rangiora when they were using ZK-EIW whilst their 300hp Pawnee Brave ZK-EIA was being repaired following a tree strike.

                                                                                       At Timaru.

At Oamaru 26-04-1981.

From 31-08-1981 it was registered to Airwork Agricultural Aviation Ltd (PGG) of Rangiora.

This was 50% owned by Airwork (NZ)) Ltd and McAlpines (Mitre 10).

Near Waimate

On 18-11-1981 it was damaged when it failed to get airborne near Waimate.

Of the eleven registered here, two were destroyed in NZ, the remaining nine ended up in Australia.

ZK-EIW was exported to Australia and eventually cancelled on 27-03-1986 for it to became VH-SOT2 on 03-10-1986 with Shane McNaul of Wodonga, Victoria and later of Wakool, NSW from 03-09-1996.

At Wakool, NSW 07-02-1987 from Paul Daw.

From November 1998 it was listed with Shane Flack, initially at Coleambaly and then from several other bases in NSW. More recently at Jerilderie.

At Yarrawonga, Victoria 22-09-2012. A photograph from Roland Jahne.

At Jerilderie, NSW 21-02-2015. A Robert Frola photograph.

It is still currently registered to Shane Flack of Jerilderie.

China Eastern Airlines to and from Shanghai

In my last post I mentioned that I was off for a few weeks to cruise up the Yangtze River, and now we are back home again after some amazing sights and assaults on the senses.  I did not see much of aviation in China except for a couple of military helicopters at Jingdezhen which is the city where Changhe helicopters are based - they were flying in the distance and one was smaller and the other bigger so I think they were the Change Z-8 heavy army transport helicopter and the Changhe Z-10 attack helicopter (thanks to Google).  Then at Wuhan I saw a Xi'an Y-20 Kunpeng heavy lift military transport aircraft doing circuits at a nearby air base (it looks like a C-17 Globemaster).  And at several places I heard the distinctive sound of military fighter jets overhead but I was never able to see them.  Then there was a big airshow and aviation trade fair at Zuhai I think which was on TV and the most interesting thing to me was a 9 aircraft Nanchang formation aerobatics team that were all painted up identically.

And now for a link to New Zealand civil aviation!  We flew to and from Shanghai from Auckland International by China Eastern Airlines who operate several flights a day I think to and from destinations in China.  Our flight up to Shanghai turned out to be on a fairly new Airbus A350-900 (December 2023) which was a nice surprise as it wasn't the type that was on our tickets.  It was B-32FQ, note that China has now gone to a mixture of numbers and letters in their aircraft registrations.

This was the best photo I could get of it as we boarded around 10 pm in the dark.

Twelve hours later arriving at Pudong airport around dawn and you get a nice view of the landing from the screen in front of us.  I gave the pilot a pass mark for the landing.

Then coming back from Shanghai yesterday we flew in a pretty tired Boeing B777-300 B-2001.  This turned out to be the first B777-300 that was delivered to China Eastern back in September 2014.

Cessna T240 N362CS visits Christchurch again.

The Cessna T240 Corvalis N362CS c/n T24002062 dropped in from Wanaka on Friday morning - returning to Wanaka later.

                                It has featured several times previous in these pages -  See HERE

EC130B4 ZK-IJK 4

Calling into Pauanui airfield very briefly last evening was Inflite's EC130B4 ZK-IJK4 whose registration reflects its owner, John Key.   This was originally imported from Mexico as ZK-HBZ4 in 2016, being reregistered IJK earlier this year.

 

Cessna R182 ZK-MPE

Visiting Pauanui airfield today from Ardmore was the Cessna R182 ZK-MPE which hasnt featured on this Blog before.   This is a 1978 model exported originally to Australia as VH-MII before moving onto NZ in early 2020 and undergoing a lengthy complete refurbishment.

 

Cessna 185B Skywagon ZK-CEW revisited.

 The Cessna 185B Skywagon ZK-CEW c/n 185B-0528 was imported new from the Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas where it had been test flown as N5228Z.

It was registered to the then NZ Cessna agents Rex Aviation (NZ) Ltd at New Plymouth on 15-03-1963.

It was officially listed to Mount Cook Air Services Ltd on 23-05-1963.

                         Above is the best photograph I have seen of ZK-CEW. Source unknow
                                           Taken between March 1963 and October of 1965.

ZK-CEW crashed on the Albert Glacier on 23-10-1965. Some sixty years ago.

We mentioned this in a previous blog post ten years ago. HERE

Question time resolved.

 It has been some time since we have posted a 'Question Time'.

So have a gander at this photo.

Tell me what aircraft make and model do we have here ?

And what ZK registration would you put on it ?

********************************************************

This question was resolved very quickly by "Anonymous"

It is indeed the undercarriage to the Lockheed L12A Electra Junior ZK-LHE.

So, to Anonymous has gone the anonymous chocolate fish to an anonymous address.

Enjoy.

Above : Two views of the L12A undercarriage.

Yes there is some considerable differences between the L10 and L12 undercarriages.

Below :  a view of an L10 undercarriage.

ZK-HTL at Christchurch

 Recently listed to Claridges Helicopters of Christchurch is this Airbus AS 350 B3 ZK-HTL5 c/n 8572.

Originally registered as ZK-ILO2 on 20-09-2018 when it arrived new in country for Helicopters Queenstown and was operated by Glacier & Southern Lakes/Ngai Tahu.

It was sold and re-registered to ZK-HTL5 in June this year.

Titan T51 Mustang ZK-TCV at Nelson

 Titan T51 Mustang ZK-TCV c/n 0081 today at Nelson.

Alan Caudwell's Mustang was out aviating in the circuit yesterday 

 and today was noted in the Karamea area today.

High Flyer over Christchurch.

Whilst partaking of my afternoon tea I noted this chem trail from my lounge window - east bound.

A quick decko at FR24 told me that it was LATAM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner CC-BGI c/n 38764 on a direct flight from Sydney to Santiago South America.

35,000 feet and 510 knots.

It is due back into Auckland tomorrow.

At the Geraldine Military Museum.

 When next you pass through Geraldine, why not consider a visit to the Geraldine Military Museum.

You will find it is time very well spent.

Below we look at the two main aviation attractions.

Both suspended from the roof.

The Airdrome Aeroplanes Fokker D.VI is a 75% scale replica built by Graham Ritchie of Ashburton and registered as ZK-TBF2 (with the c/n NZ001) on 16-06-2008.

Ownership passed to Greg Burt of Queenstown in September of 2009 - with a move to Dunedin in about 2018. The aircraft however was kept in Greg's special hangar on Rangitata Island Airfield.

Greg withdrew it from use and the registration was cancelled on 26-07-2021 and it was placed in the Geraldine Military Museum in late 2023.

Greg also owns the Rans S-17 Stinger ZK-EEE2, the Mike Kindon built Graham Lee Nieuport 17 replica ZK-RFC2.,and the Paddy McDonnell built Airdrome Aeroplane Fokker D-VIII Replica ZK-FKR2.

Then we have the 7/8th scale Circa Reproductions Nieuport 11 ZK-NIE2 c/n MAANZ/471 as built by John Lowther of Timaru. It was constructed around the Grahan Lee design but little resembled the plans internally, having a wooden instead of allow framework.

 It was registered on 20-03-1992. and first flew at Timaru on 05-06-1993 with its 1600cc VW engine.

It carried the N1895 markings as used by Charles Nungesser on several of his aircraft during World War One.

John sold it to Neil Lopez of Auckland in February of 1997. It was damaged soon after at Pikes Point with the registration being revoked in August 1999.

It was obviously repaired because it was sold by auction in March 2007 and soon appeared in the A1 Rentals showroom at Kerikeri. It was then noted for sale on TradeMe in March 2010 and next noted by me at Oamaru in early 2013 in the care of Colin Hay - having suffered some rodent damaged whilst in storage.

Colin reworked the aircraft and presented it marked as B1506 - the marks as used by Lt Archibald William Buchanan Miller DFC of 29 Squadron of the RFC.  SEE HERE for more on Miller.

During high speed taxi trials at Oamaru on 30-10-2016 an axle snapped and it overturned. (apparently not for the first time).

Now jump forward a couple of years and it now appears in the Geraldine Military Museum.

Super Cub ZK-CIA 2

Amongst the visitors to Pauanui airfield today was the Piper PA18-150 Super Cub ZK-CIA2 up from Taupo, and featuring a revised paint scheme.   This was imported from the USA in 2016 and has at various times been operated here on floats.

 

A few from Ardmore today

Now featuring a smart new paint scheme is the Ardmore based Cessna 206H Stationair HD ZK-ABT2. This was originally imported in 2014 from Australia as ZK-FWC2 being reregistered in 2023 as ABT.

Also in a new paint scheme after a long term refurbishment is Uber Air's AS350D ZK-HYD2.  This was originally imported from the USA in 1996 for Rick Lucas Helicopters, later moving onto Heliflite.

Outside Airbus NZ was this brand new AS350B3 marked as just "T".  It is possibly the latest usage of ZK-HTS this being registered to Airbus NZ in October 2025,  along with 2 brand new EC130T2s, ZK-HGQ and ZK-IEC.

Question time.

 It has been some time since we have posted a 'Question Time'.

So have a gander at this photo.

Tell me what aircraft make and model do we have here ?

And what ZK registration would you put on it ?

A6-EOE in the Wimbledon Official Partner scheme.

Potted by Tony McFarlin at Christchurch International Airport today (28-10-2025) was the Airbus A380-861 A6-EOE c/n 169. 

She first flew as F-WWSZ on 31-07-2014 and was delivered to Emirates on 22-2-2014. 

As can be seen from the special markings, Emirates are the Official Partner for the Wimbledon tennis championships. These markings were applied in June.

Cessna 172 ZK-BQG

 The Cessna 172 ZK-BQG was built at the Cessna Aircraft Company factory at Wichita, Kansas in early 1956, and was allocated the US registration of N5880A and the construction number (c/n) of 28480. It was shipped to New Zealand for Rural Aviation Ltd at New Plymouth where it was registered as ZK-BQG on 01-05-1956 - with its CofA issued the following day.

This makes it the first Cessna 172 registered in New Zealand. 

It is however just the third oldest 172 airframe in New Zealand. The oldest airframe is ZK-MGR with the c/n of 28108 and ZK-BUZ with the c/n of 28138 - registered in NZ on 05-11-2014 and 20-11-1957 respectively.

(useless fact - for some years the last two numbers of the Cessna construction numbers matched the last two numbers of the registration number. In this case '80' and '80'.)

After a period on the demonstration circuit, it settled with the North Otago Aero Club at Oamaru from 28-03-1957, working alongside the Tiger Moths ZK-BSO and ZK-BMB.

ZK-BQG at Oamaru believed to be in the late 1950's. From the John Page collection c/- MoTaT

The Club traded it back to Rural Aviation Ltd on 20-05-1960 and replaced with the new Cessna 172A ZK-BWN (c/n 47304), which was listed to the Club on 07-06-1960.

             Rural sold ZK-BQG on quickly to Duncan Rutherford of Leslie Hill, North Canterbury                    from 06-07-1960.ZK-BQG as noted at Invercargill on 21-06-1969.

Thirty years on it went to Gordon Small of Knottsberry Farm, out of Rangiora from 17-05-1999.Above we see it at Omarama on 13-11-1999 with larger registration letters.

Next we see it briefly with Patchett Ag-Air Ltd of Omaka from 21-08-2002, with a transfer to Keith Baillie at Suspension Aviation Services Ltd of Omaka on 23-12-2002.As Seen at Omaka 20-04-2003 with the Kittyhawk Club/AOPA insignia on its fin.

He in turn moved it on to James Collett and James Fowler of Red Hills Aviation Ltd from 16-06-2007.Above. At Omaka 25-02-2008. (with the hair dryer running).Above we see it in a new colour scheme at Omaka on 08-12-2010.

It was back with Ray Patchett at Omaka from 15-06-2016 .And seen above at Omaka on 04-11-2016 still with tricycle undercarriage.

By mid 2018 was noted in a tail wheel configuration, as below.Omaka on 24-09-2018.

Above we see it performing at the Healthy Bastards Bush Pilots Champs at Omaka on 06-02-2021.

Above - caught during an inspection at Omaka 19-11-2023 with its Oceania Aviation Continental engine exposed.

And finally it is seen below parked at Nelson on 26-10-2025.