Healthy Bastards Bush Pilots Champs at Omaka 7-2-2026

This year the Healthy Bastards Bush Pilots Champs at Omaka clashed with the SAANZ Flyin at Masterton (maybe it does every year?) so some pilots had a choice to make.  I noted that there were several Masterton based aircraft at Omaka.  Planefil and Tim Gorman made the trip to Omaka and have provided a few photos of the winners in the various categories:

The Aeroandinas MXP-150 ZK-RTZ flown by Donald Leach won the spot landing competition with a best effort of 0.9 metres from the mark - and his second attempt was 1.0 metres away!

Bob Swanney from Waihi Beach won the Microlight category of the STOL competition with a score of 50.2 metres (takeoff 22.1m and landing 28.1m)in his ICP Savannah S ZK-MRJ.

Innes Bint from Rangiora won the light touring category of the STOL competition with a score of 80.2 metres (takeoff 36.9m and landing 43.3m) in the ZK-BVJ Syndicate's Piper Super Cub ZK-BVJ.

And in this neat photo Tim Gorman captured both the winner and second place getter in the heavy touring category of the STOL competition.  Jonathan Battson from Christchurch won with a score of 120.2 metres (takeoff 53.5m and landing 66.7m) in the Bearhawk Syndicate's R&B Bearhawk ZK-NJB2.  In the photo Neville Bailey of Christchurch is landing in his R&B Bearhawk ZK-NSB "Bearhawk Bravo".   His score was 134.1 metres (takeoff 56.4m and landing 77.7m). 

Thanks for the photos Planefil and Tim.

Vans RV 8 ZK-VAF/2 at Omaka Today 12-2-2026

While at Omaka today for the first engine run of the Yak 7B ZK-YKB, Zac Yates managed a photo of the relatively newly registered Vans RV 8 ZK-VAF2 in the distance:

ZK-VAF2 (c/n LAA 303-15558) was built in the UK as G-FLNT and then shipped to New Zealand and being registered here on 19/11/24 to Andrew J Garner of Blenheim.

Thanks for the photo Zac.

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Pterodactyls (6) - The Rest of Our Ascenders

From 1985 onwards there were another 10 Pterodactyl Ascenders registered with one being re-registered with a new registration:

ZK-FLJ

ZK-FLR

ZK-FNE

ZK-FNU

ZK-FRY

ZK-JBD

ZK-JLV

ZK-MMK

ZK-PAX

ZK-PAY

ZK-UPU

That is it for the 56 Pterodactyls of various models that we have had registered in New Zealand.  I will now post some other stories of some of them where they are known.  If anyone out thre has photos of the ones we are missing please send them in to the Editor and I will incorporate them in the appropriate posts.

Three from Rangiora on Tuesday.

 A quick visit to Rangiora today (Tuesday the 10th) found these three interesting aircraft.

This will be the last time you see the Air New Zealand Flying Club Cessna A152 Aerobat ZK-FSL c/n A152-0899 in this colour scheme. Here we see it being readied for a major paint job.

Not often seen outside was the Europa Aviation Ltd Europa XS UL ZK-VMC c/n 95 which has been listed to Ian Hart of Christchurch since April 2021.

This is ex Canada and ex USA - joining our register in January 2012.

Out for its first airing in just over two years was the Avid Flyer Mark IV (modified) ZK-JDF c/n 149D.

SAANZ Grand Champion from Masterton

Arjen Visser took out the Best Kitbuilt Aircraft and Grand Champion trophies with his lovely Sling 4TSi ZK-DBV2 at the SAANZ flyin that was held over the weekend at Masterton (Jordan Elvy photo below):

And no doubt the judges would have been impressed by Arjen's panel (photo taken on late finals into Kaipara Flats airfield on 31 January):

Congratulations Arjen.  It has been a pleasure seeing your Sling hatch and fly so well.

Another Sunday stroll around Nelson Airport.

 Bill Mannix did one of his regular walks around the Nelson Airport perimeter track today (08-02-2026) and offers us photos of four visitors.

Down from Bridge Pa was the Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior ZK-DSK c/n 28-7415479.

This arrived in NZ on 18-09-1974 fresh from the Piper factory registered as N9625N. It was registered to the NZ agents Airwork (NZ) Ltd on 03-10-1974 to be taken up by the Waitemata Aero Club at Ardmore from 28-05-1975.

The Wellington District Aero Club (Inc) took it over from 10-01-1986 with a transfer to the Wellington Aero Club (Inc).

In late 2000 it moved to Palmerston North with the Massey University School of Aviation being the fourth operator in the area from September of 2007.

Ferret Software of Te Awamutu listed it from 19-03-2010, with a change to PK Investments in May of 2017.

Current listed operator is Airborne Aviation Ltd of Hastings.

Piper PA-31-310 Navajo ZK-LWN c/n 31-8112056.

This was listed with Heli Sika Ltd of Taupo from 01-08-2024.

It carries the 'Escape Aviation' Title on its fin.

It has been mentioned previously HERE

The Cessna T182T Turbo Skylane ZK-MRH c/n T182T-08197 arrived factory new in NZ as N5346E and became ZK-MRH on 04-07-2003.

It eventually joined Matt Todd Holdings Ltd of Gisborne in May of 2013 - followed by a name change to Plus Business Ltd In February of 2022.

It flew into Nelson on the 5th from Gisborne and Napier - and returned to Gisborne later today.

ZK-TOP is the Thorp T18 Tiger c/n AACA/751 as built by Ian Clemens and Arthur Ainsworth of Christchurch and was first flown on 23-12-1990.

Ian eventually sold it in May of 2022 to current owner Rodney Lake of Tauranga.

It arrived at Nelson on the 5th, then followed some local flying, with a return to Tauranga via Turangi today.

A Couple More Photos of Pterodactyl Ascenders

Thanks to Peter Lewis who has sent in some photos of Pterodactyl Ascenders that Neville Drake took at Pikes Point:

ZK-FKF 

and ZK-JFB

Peter also sent a photo of ZK-FRY that I will include in the next instalment of Ascenders.  And I will go back to my previous post and insert the photo of ZK-JFB.  Thanks for the photos Peter.

If anyone else has photos of microlights out there, please send them in so they can be used as we journey through the rest of New Zealand's microlight aircraft (and there have been lots of them!)

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Pterodactyls (5) - Ascenders of 1984

There were 13 Pterodactyl Ascender microlight aircraft registered here in 1984:

ZK-FIY

ZK-FIZ

ZK-FJG

ZK-FJJ

ZK-FJK

ZK-FJP

ZK-FKB

ZK-FKF

ZK_FKM

ZK-JFB

ZK-RPA

ZK-TOO

ZK-ZAC

Fling wing Wednesday # 1

 Wednesday over at Rangiora I found two surprises.

The McDonnell Douglas MD520N NOTAR ZK-HWH2 c/n LN098 in Opotiki Helicopters NZ markings and with full spray gear fitted parked at Aerofix Ltd at Rangiora.

It departed the North Island via Taupo, Whanganui, and Paraparaumu on December the 20th 2025 to take up its new role listed with Mountain Helicopters Fox Glacier Ltd from January.

Outside one of the NZ Helicopter Heritage Museums storage facilities was the Westland Scout AH/1 ZK-HVD2  c/n F.9704 and ex UK Army Air Corps XV129.

See Here for an earlier post on this helicopter.

It is about to be transported down to the Geraldine Military Museum on loan.