An Omaka visitation by CMM (2)

The Gippsland GA-8-TC 320 Airvan ZK-YUG3 c/n GA-8TC 320-09-146 was listed to Capital Aviation Ltd of Wellington on 29-09-2022.

Initially briefly registered as VH-BQY3 on 29-06-2009 to MAF International before moving to Mount Hagan, PNG, to become P2-MFL2 with the Mission Aviation Fellowship on 01-10-2009.

Next move was back down to Australia to become VH-PGU3 with VHBHR Pty Ltd of Fitzroy, Victoria from 31-08-2021.

It was ferried across the Ditch from Archerfield to NZ via Lord Howe Island on 05-11-2021.

It now totes a cargo pod.

The early history of the Jodel D.11 ZK-RNR c/n AACA/305/1 can be seen Here

Peter Gene sold it to Zach Dillon of Renwick in September of 2018, who in turn passed it on to Ed Hazlett of Blenheim from 09-0-2020 and it has now been listed with Kevin Hodson of Blenheim since 28-09-2020.

Not at Omaka but just 1.3km to the East at the Wairau Hospital was the Kawasaki BK117-B2 ZK-HGW3 c/n 1050 of GCH Aviation Ltd.

It has been previously mentioned numerous times Here.

All pics from CMM.

More from the Feilding Open Day on 27-4-2024

There was a very good turn out of aircraft at the Feilding Open Day including these mostly locals:

Mike Crene's Bantam B22 ZK-FSD (c/n 0078) has not been posted on the blog previously.

Dave Stuart's Johnston Acrolight 1C ZK-EMP2 now has the registration on the fuselage.

Trevor Day's Light Miniature LM 1 ZK-FWB was out in the sun looking nice.

And the Teenie Too ZK-MSW now has the outer wings attached and looks ready to go although it is not yet registered.

 

Thanks for the photos Jordan and Dave.

An Omaka visitation by CMM (1)

 Our traveling reporter CMM called into Omaka back on the 29th of April and offers the following photos.

De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-BQB is c/n DHNZ147. As the c/n indicates it was built in Wellington by De Havilland NZ for the RNZAF and was taken on charge on 27-10-1943 as NZ1467. Withdrawn from use and stored at Woodbourne in 1948 and then declared surplus on 09-08-1955. It was sold on 09-08-1955 to the Wanganui Aero Club and registered as ZK-BQB on 28-03-1956 with a CofA being issued on 05-04-1956. On 15-08-1960 title was moved to John R Smith of Mapua with it going on line with the Nelson Aero Club until being dismantled and stored at Mapua from 1966. Its registration was finally cancelled on 13-02-1991. With the passing of John Smith, the Tiger Moth was delivered to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre on 13-05-2020 and has been re-assembled for static display.

The Anderson EA-1 Kingfisher ZK-DJH c/n AACA/165/1 was first registered to Mac Bettjeman of TE Kuiti on 15-06-1979.

More details can be found on previous blog post of ZK-DJH on this link.

https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/search?q=zk-djh

Current owner is Jacob Hynd of Waikawa, Picton since May of 2021.

Isaac Fury Mk II ZK-DMN c/n AACA/179/1 first flew back on 26-03-1975.

Updating details since The Tail Dragger Cassic Ltd (Petr Fahey) re-acquired it in April 2015 - was donated by R Field to the New Zealand Warbirds Association Ltd at Ardmore from 01-11-2016.

It was moved on to John Saunders of Blenheim from 28-04-2022.

Much more detail on ZK-DMN can be found on several previous blog posts HERE

Islander (ZK-KTR) on the move.

The Britten-Norman BN-2A-6 c/n 759 was built by Intreprinderea de Reparatii Material Aeronautic (IRMA) of Bucharest, Romania as G-BCZD and finished at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. This included conversion to -21 standard with the 300hp Lycoming IO-540-K1B5 engines and with an air ambulance internal fit out for demonstrator duties with Britten-Norman (Bembridge) Ltd from 18-03-1975.

The photo below shoes it in its 'raw' state at Gatwick in 1975 following delivery from Romania.

It was on display at the Farnborough Air Show on 10-09-1976.

Photo from Trevor Warne.

I have a note to say that it was sold to Nigeria on 14-04-1980 only to pop up on the US register as N11216 from 17-10-1980 with Jack Wall Aircraft Sales Inc of Memphis, Tennessee.

It was cancelled on 22-04-1981 as exported to Japan where it became JA5268 for Nagasaki Airlines.

Above JA5268 taken in the late 1980's

In January 1990 it was sold and became P2-MFZ2 from the 11th listed with Missionary Aviation Fellowship at Mount Hagen, PNG, and then re-registered as P2-VAB around 1996, as below in the late 1990's in its Vanair titles.

It was ferried from Norfolk Island to Auckland on 09-08-2005 - and then on to North Shore Airfield to the Great Barrier Airlines facility..

It was noted there (below) on 05-10-2005 by VJ in this near all metal scheme, still with its Vanair fin title and red/white & blue nose cone.

Above - by 09-03-2008 it was in this all white scheme, minus engines and main door.

It also had the 'KTR' markings on its fuselage.

And noted again on 26-01-2009 by Westland831.

Jean210 captured this view on 01-06-2011. It appears to have its wing covered in black plastic and graffiti on its rear fuselage. Also a 'spare' Great Barrier side door is fitted.

In September of 2021 it was noted at Classic Flyers at Tauranga. Photo via the 3rd Level NZ Blog. 

By 30-12-2023 (above) it was coming back together thanks to the Classic Flyers engineering team in a pseudo-RAF colour scheme.

It is in fact bound for the Adventure Game Park at Gibbston Valley.

As seen below at Classic Flyers at Tauranga on the 28th of April - by Planewriting.

The wings (minus the engines) and the tailplane are on the truck tray with the fuselage on the trailer beyond.

In the left foreground is the wing of the Vampire NZ5751.

I believe the ZK-KTR registration was never officially listed to this airframe.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk 25 ZK-VRG at Feilding Open Day 27-4-2024

There was an open day at Feilding aerodrome on Saturday 27 May with a good attendance of aircraft.  One that caught my eye was Gary Marsh's 75% scale replica Supermarine Spitfire Mk 25 ZK-RGV:

I thought it looked a little different and on comparison with older photos I discovered that there has been some major rework done on the engine cowling.  If you compare it with the earlier photo below that was taken at Stratford in June 2019 you can see that it does not now have the lower scoop and this has been replaced by openings in the front either side of the spinner.  Here Gary Marsh taxies in.

And it has also lost the sharks teeth and the Grey Nurse name as well as the "kills" markings.  Thanks to Dave Homewood for these photos.

A Few Photos on My Way to Dargaville on Saturday

I thought I would put up a few photos from Saturday, where the weather was - changeable!  An earlier forecast was for fine but it changed the day before to showers:

Looking nice up the Kaipara Harbour 

Looking back towards North Head still looking nice

But just past Ruawai the forecast showers were up ahead so I had to divert out towards the coast.

At Dargaville for a standard overhead rejoin.  The wind was fairly well down Runway 22.

Air Tractor AT 502A ZK-SXC in Action

Warwick Hamilton was out in the field near Tauranga today to capture these shots of Super Air's Air Tractor AT 502A at work:

Configured for landing.

And a mud and super view of a working aircraft.

Thanks for the photos Warwick.

Autogyro Europe Calidus ZK-MZM at Dargaville Today 27-4-2024

Finally a sort of OK for flying Saturday today let me fly up to Dargaville for their every Saturday lunch:

A "new" one at Dargaville was the rebuilt Autogyro Europe Calidus Fern gyrocopter ZK-MZM, fresh off re-assembly by Brian Taylor.  It was recently registered to Cloud 7 Aviation Ltd of Ruakaka.  This gyro suffered an accident at Te Haroto on the Napier-Taupo Road on 31/12/21 and has been under extensive rebuild since.

I photo'd it at Whangarei back in 2018 when it wore the standard Calidus Fern livery with a fern painted on the fuselage.  Was the fern a New Zealand thing?  And if it was then maybe ZK-MZM might just be a Calidus now.

ANZAC Day Flyover across Manawatu and Wanganui

 

The Air Force Historical Flight provided the ANZAC Day flyover around the Manawatu and Wanganui areas with an eclectic mix of aircraft being Biggin Hills Spitfire Mk IX ZK-SPI/PV270 and P 51D Mustang ZK-BHT2/NZ2423 and RNZAF Texan NZ1402

ANZAC Day Flyover at Tauranga

 

There was also an impressive line up for the ANZAC Day flyover at Tauranga, which also involved RNZAF Beechcraft Texans.