Transavia PL 12U Airtruk ZK-DMZ Rises Again

It has been reported on the Skyfarmers Facebook page that Don Hart flew his Tansavia PL 12U Airtruk ZK-DMZ at Wanaka on 29/12/25, marking its first flight since 1992!  I reckon that makes it the only flying Airtruk in New Zealand and possibly in the world.

ZK-DMZ c/n G356) is a utility model Airtruk but in New Zealand it was used on agricultural work.  It has had a long and eventful life here and was sadly involved in a fatal accident.  It was imported into New Zealand by Transfield (NZ) Ltd of Ardmore and was first registered on 12 October 1973.

It was delivered to Barr Bros (HB) Ltd on 17/11/73 and is photo'd above at Waipukurau on 29/12/73.  Tragically on 6/5/74 it suffered a nosewheel collapse on take off at Pukenui Station in Hawkes Bay and nosed over, trapping the pilot who could not be rescued in time and died.  It was an unusual accident at relatively low speed so the aircraft was not very badly damaged

It was rebuilt by Barr Bros at Ardmore being test flown again in October 1974, and was re-delivered to Barr Bros (HB) Ltd on 10/10/74.  It is photo's above again at Waipukurau on 23/10/77.  Ownership transferred to Barr Aircraft Equipment Ltd of Waipukurau on 28/5/75.

Another shot of it at Waipukurau in a new scheme, date unknown.  It went on to have several more accidents in the Hawkes Bay region, on 1/12 /75 at Omakere and at Moutere Station on 18/3/77.  Its last flight with Barr's was on 27/7/81.

Ownership then transferred to Don Hart trading as Skyfarmers at Ashburton on 7/3/89 and he operated it until it was cancelled on 15/5/97.  It is photo'd at Waimate on 28/2/93.

It was then displayed in the Ashburton Aviation Museum for many years before being re-registered to Don L Hart now of Wanaka on 15/3/23.

Don Hart had the Airtruk worked on at Wanaka planning to return it to airworthy status and it was displayed as a static exhibit at Warbirds Over Wanaka on 29/3/24.  

Congratulations to Don Hart for returning a very distinctive shape to New Zealand skies.

Recent Vintage Aviator Training days

 Most if not all of these aircraft have featured on the pages of this blog. I hope that the pictures that I am posting are a litte different and as such are worthy of being included again.

A pair of Fokker DVII's, ZK-TBI and ZK-FOD2

Fokker DR.1 Zk-JOK and EIII ZK-EIN

                                            Hanriot HD-1 ZK-EAY2, I have waited many years ro see this                                               wonderful aircraft in the air.

Sopwith Camel F1 ZK-SDL

In this line we have BE12, 2 SE5A's, Zkooer DVII, RE8, Sopwith Snipe, BE2F and Albatros D VA

Old versus New

A very busy day at Pauanui Airfield today with Warbird joy rides and a succession of privately owned helicopters and aircraft visiting.   Amongst these was the Ardmore based E75 Stearman ZK-BOE2 and AS350B3 ZK-HXT5 which is based near Raglan.

 

Unusual Wellington visitor

 We had a very unusual visitor to Wellington yesterdy, an Airbus A330-243 private business jet operated by Global Jet Aruba. It started its journey in Brazil and came via French Polynesia before arriving in Wellington in the aftrenoon. It departed at about 2.30pm today bound for Auckland.

 

Taupo back on the 22nd of December

 Allister Jenks spent some time at Taupo Airports back on December the 22nd and provided these photographs.

A long time resident is the Cessna 172A ZK-BPT c/n 47179. 

For more on this airframe see HERE

It moved to Taupo in mid 1985 and has been with its current operator Rotor & Wing Maintenance Ltd since late 2003.

Parked alongside is the Cessna 150H ZK-TOK c/n 150-68325 of Taupo Aviation Ltd. 

This was originally ZK-CSQ from new in July of 1969.

It joined the Tokoroa Districts Aero Club (Inc) from March of 2024 and was re-registered by them as ZK-TOK on 03-05-2024 and was on sold to Taupo Aviation during November this year.

ZK-JMP4 c/n 208B1169 is known as a Cessna 208B Supervan 900. 

Starting life as a standard Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in November 2005 as N479DV. 

t was re-registered to N95EL on 05-11-2007 and converted to a Supervan with the installation of a Garrett TPE331 turbine. Note the five bladed propeller.

It ferried into Taupo on 26-11-2014 and became ZK-JMP4 on 26-11-2014.

The Cessna 208 Supervan 900 ZK-TTS3 c/n 20800373 shows off Garrett TPE331 Turbine with its single large exhaust.

Originally bult as N4075L in early 2004 as an ordinary Caravan, it went to Brazil to Become PR-ITC. Returning to The States it became N332SV with Texas Turbine Conversion Inc at Denison, Texas in September 2019. 2016. Here it was re-worked by replacing the original P&W PT6A-114A engine.

It ferried into Auckland on 17-03-2017 - becoming ZK-TTS3 on 07-04-2017.

The Tandem Skydiving (2002) Ltd's Cessna U206F Stationair ZK-SKZ c/n U20602687 is still listed on the register but has been parked under the trees for some time. 

It has now been moved out in the open. 

For more on this airframe Click HERE

 

Two aircraft listed with Air Charter Taupo (1995) Ltd are the Vans RV-8 ZK-KCA c/n 80988 which was registered to them on 22-01-2003 (above).

And Below the Cessna 172N ZK-UWE c/n 17271209 which is of a 1979 vintage. I believe it was allocated two US registrations, N2258E and N1587C but was shunted out to Australia to become 

VH-UWE from 31-05-1979.

It flew into Auckland on 14-07-1994 and five days later became ZK-UWE with Lakeland Flying School Ltd at Taupo, and switching to Air Charter Taupo (1995) Ltd in October 1995.

Merry Christmas from Us to You!

 

EC120B ZK-IZO 2

Visiting Pauanui airfield this afternoon was the Hamilton based EC120B ZK-IZO2.  It was originally imported in 2018 from Canada by Argus Aviation for Heliview Cromwell.   September 2023 saw it change hands to its current Hamilton private owner.

 

Deer capture in the early 1980's

Another photo from the Graeme Stratton collection showing Joe Keeley about to net a deer from his Hughes 369D ZK-HPG c/n 87-0178D.

ZK-HPG was built as N8679F in August 1977 and served in the US with Offshore Helicopters Inc and Edwards & Associates Inc.  

It was airfreighted to NZ in a DC-10 and became ZK-HPG on 07-01-1980 for Southland Helicopters Ltd of Tuatapere and first flew the following day. It was delivered to Joe Keeley at Taupo on the 9th. Sadly, it was lost on 24-07-1984.

Hmmm !

Murphy Rebel ZK-REB/2 at Nelson

 Denny Capell of Hope, near Nelson registered his Murphy Rebel in August last year:

ZK-REB2 (c/n 707R) was registered to D M Capell of Hope on 31/8/24, making it the fourteenth Murphy Rebel of various models to be registered in New Zealand.

Thanks to Dave Bates who went above the call of duty to take the photo, at the Pugh Road airstrip in Hope.

Air New Zealand's Electric Beta Alia CX 300 at Wellington

After its first flight in New Zealand at Tauranga back on 17 October, Air  New Zealand has been flying their leased Beta Alia CX 300 N401NZ around some of their bases, having visited (as far as I know) Hamilton, Auckland International and most recently Wellington International:

Tim Gorman was at Wellington recently to catch N401NZ flying and thanks Tim for the use of your photo.  I understand that when the Beta Alia goes into service it will fly freight between Wellington and Woodbourne/Blenheim.  Does anyone know if it has flown this route yet?

Aerospool WT9 600 NG Dynamic. ZK-DYN #3 Plus Dynamics ZK-DYN #1 and 2#.

ZK-DYN3 

c/n DY-842D

We popped into Barradale during our recent Friday pie run to catch up with the Drake Aviation Ltd's  Aerospool WT9 600 NG (New Generation) Dynamic ZK-DYN2 c/n DY-842D as registered to them on 29-05-2024.

The 600 indicates the higher all up weight of 598kg - some 50kg higher than the earlier models.

It comes with a glass cockpit, has retractable undercarriage with new shaped wheel covers, a small extra side window, a reshaped fin and rudder plus a flared in glider tow hook.

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The two previous ZK-DYN's were also DYNamics

ZK-DYN1

c/n DY038/2003

ZK-DYN1 is c/n DY038/2003 - the first in New Zealand - was test flown as OM-AERO and shipped to NZ and registered to the NZ agent Bruce Drake of Drake Aviation Ltd on 21-01-2004. 

The photo above was taken on the day it was registered.

In about 2009 the wings went back to the factory for the fitment of long-range tanks and winglets. It was delivered to Jim Dillon at Omaka in November 2009 and re-registered as ZK-ZOW on 07-05-2010 Still with Drake Aviation.  

ZK-ZOW at Rangiora on 01-04-2017 with the new wing tips.

This freed up the ZK-DYN letters for the pending arrival of the new demonstrator.

The latest move for ZK-ZOW was to the M & K Blomfield Family Trust of Otautau in December of 2014.

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ZK-DYN2

C/n DY375/2010

The second allocation of these registration letters went to the second demonstrator c/n DY375/2010 which became ZK-DYN2 on 06-07-2010 for Drake Aviation Ltd 

Below is a photo of ZK-DYN2 as noted at Omaka on 12-02-2015.

This aircraft has remained with Bruce but was re-registered as ZK-DYD on 22-03-2024 to free up its ZK-DYN registration again for the third and most recent demonstrators arrival.

Above is ZK-DYN2 now as ZK-DYD. A recent photo taken at Barradale.

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ZK-DYN3

C/n DY-842D

Another view of the latest ZK-DYN3.

Ibis Magic ZK-MGC Re-Engined

I noted on Trade Me recently that the Ibis Magic GS 700 ZK-MGC is for sale and it now has a 100 HP Zonsen C 100 engine up the front:

ZK-MGC has had an eventful life to date.  After being initially registered on 16/11/11 it was damaged in a forced landing near Wanaka in 13/7/20 and was cancelled on 28/9/20 as destroyed.  It was rebuilt by Custom Aviation at Taieri and was re-registered on 23/4/21.  According to Trade Me after the rebuild it was fitted with a high time on-condition Rotax 912.  However that engine has now been replaced by the Zonsen C 100 engine, and it now has 76 hours on it with no problems reported.  I know of one other aircraft in NZ that is flying pretty well with a Zonsen engine, and there may well be more because they are considerably cheaper than an equivalent (carburetted) Rotax 912.

Zongshen is sometimes shortened to Zonsen (I am not sure why) as on the cowling of ZK-MGC.  I always wondered why Rotax never sued Zongshen for copying their engine so closely but it is probably to do with patents. 

Zongshen C 80 and C 100 aircraft engines are made in Chongqing in China.  The Zongshen company is part of the much larger Zongshen Industrial Group which is a large conglomerate in China and is one of the biggest engine manufacturers in the world.  The company made (genuine I assume) replacement parts for Rotax engines for many years before the patents for the early carburetted versions of the Rotax 912 ran out, and then they turned their experience into building a copy of and competitor to the Rotax 912.  Virtually everything on the Zonsen engine is directly interchangeable with the equivalent Rotax engine.

Sportcruiser ZK-DEU/2 at Ashburton

 CZAW Sportcruiser ZK-DEU2 has recently been advertised for sale on Trade Me:

It looks a bit different with the addition of some neat canopy masking that I guess would be very useful for the upcoming summer.  

The first ZK-DEU was the short lived Associated Farmers Aerial Works Auster B8 Agricola that was built up by the company from spare parts, first flew at Martinborough on 1 March 1971 and tragically crashed near Martinborough on 7 December 1971, killing its pilot.  It has not been posted on the blog so maybe we should address that.

Christchurch Tech stop for N404NA

 Cruising into Christchurch International today, and captured by Tony McFarlin was the Bombardier BD-700-1A11 N404NZ c/n 9356 s listed with TVPX ARS Inc Trustee.

It is no stranger to Christchurch having been noted here back in late June of 2003.

See Here

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Early Unregistered Microlights - Pete James' Mirage M at Aviation Showcase 80

As I have posted previously, Pete James was a very early microlight pilot in the Hamilton area in the late 1970s / early 1980s when microlights were not registered.  He first flew his Easyriser powered hang glider in late 1977 and he then owned a Mirage M weight shift microlight which he demonstrated at Aviation Showcase 80 that was held at Hamilton airport in November 1980.  Pete has sent some photos from this event:  (We will try to get better quality copies of the photos).

The Quicksilver M Ready for action.  It looks like the wingtip of  a Pterodactyl on the left.

Pete James flying his Quicksilver M at Aviation Showcase 80.  he said he was only allowed to hop it at low level.

And parked up outside the old Central Aircraft Maintenance hangar at Hamilton Airport.

The Quicksilver attracted a lot of attention, even being the subject of a newspaper article in the Waikato Times.  Unfortunately the photo that Pete sent isn't big enough to read the article but it begins with "Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  Or just a hang glider?"  This was topical at that time as the CAD/MOT were still wrestling with what to do with microlights.

EC130B4 ZK-IVP 3

Visiting Pauanui airfield today from Ardmore was EC130B4 ZK-IVP3 which was imported earlier this year from Dubai where it flew with Falcon Aviation Services as A6-FLI.   It is destined for Over the Top Ltd, Queenstown.

 

A Couple of TVAL Aircraft on Recent Flying Weekends

Patrick Baker took lots of photos at the recent TVAL flying weekends at Masterton including these couple from their flying fleet:

The Gerald Thornhill and Carl Swanson built Sopwith Camel replica ZK-JMU was one of the first aircraft in the TVAL fleet and has been recently refurbished in the colours of Hardit Singh Malik of 28 Squadron RFC serial B3887.

And the Achim Engels then Fred Murrin built Fokker D VII replica ZK-TBI that was finished off by TVAL is one of the latest aircraft in the fleet, and is painted in the colours of Willi Gabriel's aircraft 268/18 of Jasta 11.
 

TVAL Flying Weekend at Masterton

The Vintage Aviator are back into their monthly summer flying weekends and the weekend just gone provided great weather for flying WW 1 aircraft.  Patrick Baker was there and took some really nice photos that I will share later but for this post I thought I would focus on the huge new hangar:

The new hangar has been completed and suitably stocked with TVAL aircraft.  In this photo the Nieuport Bebe is on the left while the line up in front of the hangar features the Sopwith Snipe, Albatros DVA, Hanriot HD-1, two newly refurbished SE 5As and a Sopwith Pup.

I have been told that the new hangar doors have an opening to allow for a huge wingspan aircraft which we may or may not see in the future.  It would be amazing if it happens!

Thanks for the photo Patrick.

Rans S7S Courier ZK-JLS

An interesting visitor to Pauanui airfield this morning was the Rans S7 Courier ZK-JLS2.   This was originally registered back in May 2009 and more recently in August 2025 changed ownership to its current owner.

 

Savannahs

There were three ICP Savannah aircraft at the Northern Aviators Club Christmas BBQ at Springhill on Saturday - Bernie Lewis's ZK-LCF, Dave Cull's ZK-ZAV and the Whangarei Flying Club's ZK-JUN:

And interestingly, among the attendees at the BBQ were 2 guys who will have Savannahs flying soon - one new and one ex the Pacific Islands that is on amphibious floats.

We have now had 45 Savannahs of all marks registered in New Zealand to date.

Bill Mannix at Nelson today. 14-12-2025

 The Alan Caudwell built R&B Bearhawk ZK-KTY c/n 1271 about to head over towards Pakawau and Motueka. Note the fin fillet.

Down from the New Zealand International Commercial Pilots Academy at Whanganui was this Cessna A150 Aerobat ZK-ELC c/n A1520787.

This Beech C23 Sundowner 180 ZK-DVC c/n M-1566 has been with the Nelson Based DVC Flyers Syndicate since May of 2016. Still wearing its previous operators marks of Able Tasman Aviation Nelson Ltd - It is about to doddle over to Takaka and return.