Cresco ZK-JOF working from Nelson.

 The Pacific Aerospace Cresco 08-600 ZK-JOF c/n 032 of Otago Airspread Ltd ((Nelson Division)) arrived into Nelson via Taieri and Twizel on the 15th and has been busy working the area to the west since.

In the above photo, from Bill Mannix ,it has just arrived back at Nelson at the end of a long days work.

It is hard to believe that this airframe is coming up to 25 years old. In fact the early Cresco's were hatched in the very early 1980's.

ZK-JOF was officially registered on 01-07-2002 to Lonaoks Pty Ltd c/o Pacific Aerospace of Hamiton. It first flew on the 11th and was ferried from Hamilton to Lord Howe Island on 07-08-2002 - then on to points further west. Presumably as a demonstrator. 

It did not join the Australian aircraft register and was ferried beck to NZ on a ten hour flight from Coffs Harbour to Napier on 06-09-2002.

It took up with Andy Stephenson under his Farmers Air label from Gisborne from 13-09-2002. 

Life for it has not been all aerial application work.

As above as seen at Taupo on 03-03-2008 it spent some time in the meat bombing role. 

Note the large open door, the fuselage side windows., the rear vision mirror, the hand hold rail above the door and the large step below the door.

 Title was officially transferred to the Farmers Air Ltd name from 07-01-2011.

Super Air Ltd of Hamilton took it over on 04-03-2014 followed quickly by Otago Airspread Ltd of Mosgiel from 14-10-2024.

It is actually in the Nelson area covering the unserviceable locally based Ravensdown Cresco ZK-LTW which is in the Generation Global hangar receiving some tlc.