Thorp S-18 ZK-WMT

Sad to report that this aircraft crashed at Whenuapai on Saturday with the loss of both occupants, the owner Wayne Matthews and Brent Baldwin.

Registered on 16-03-2004 as ZK-WMY (Wayne Matthews Thorp) it was first flown at Matamata by Tony Schischka.

Back on 18-10-2005 this aircraft was flown from Invercargill to Hobart and returned into Auckland via Lord Howe Island on 04-11-2005.

Covering more recent activities :-There is an interesting article on this aircraft and the owner/builder Wayne Matthews in the latest (Autumn 2008) issue of Sport Flying.



This photo shows the aircraft "Rosie 3" at Ashburton in February of 2007.

Yak moves across town & the Fleet arrives

Yesterday the Nicholas Pilbrow Yak 55M ZK-YKV c/n 920402 moved base from Rangiora to Wigram. It did a short aerobatic display before heading across town to now be based out of Wigram.

Fleet 80 Canuck CF-DQM c/n 065 is about to come together at Rangiora. At his stage it is unlikely to be coming onto the NZ register as it is just on temporary transfer to NZ with its owner. A good bit of info on this aircraft available by Google search.Don't be confused by the Cessna 180 wing in the background.

Also lurking in one of the new hangars (been here since February) is the AA5 VH-ETT, c/n AA5 0282, all the way from WA, under slow restoration with the intent of becoming ZK-XRF. (pics later in restoration process).

Unknown Lake airframe ID confirmed.

The Lake LA-4-200 c/n 1045 at Whangarei's Northland Aviation hangar was registered as ZK-DQN on 22-04-2008 to Seabird Aeromarine.

Previous identity : N8007B, VH-XPS and DQ-ACA.

Interestingly ZK-DQN was reserved for a Lake back in the mid 1970's. But this was not taken up.

Robinson R22 Beta ZK-HVS.

Robinson R22 Beta c/n 2849, ex JA7953 became ZK-HVS/3 on 08-04-2008 to Rotor Flite N. Z. Ltd.

Noted today at Helipro's base at Christchurch Airport.

Flying the scouts

A busy weekend at the Canterbury Gliding Clubs Hororata base, flying off a large number of Scouts.

Sunday began with a frosty early morning wake up as four balloons were inflated next to the Scout tent site on the Hororata Domain.

These were Cameron O-120 ZK-FAD, Thunder & Colt AX7-77 ZK-MJC, Cameron V-90 ZK-WRU/2 and Cameron V-90 ZK-OOH.

While one batch went ballooning another was over the other side of the trees in the Gliding field preparing :-

and then flying the two Grob Twins (ZK-GOR & ZK-GPR) via winch launch.

(Blue bus lurking in background).

[First one to move is a wimp]

More recent arrivals in Christchurch.

The new Eurocopter EC 120B ZK-IFE c/n 1502 for Hanlin Johnstone is now resident in the owners hangar.

Incidently :- it is not black, but grey.

His Robinson R44 ZK-HKJ/3 c/n 10757 is still resident although it has been sold to a new owner, who is seen here about to buzz off.






And another resonably recent arrival is the Hughes 369E c/n 0021E for Heli CD Contracting Ltd taken with the long lense.
This has previously operated as ZK-HYO (twice) and ZK-IDP.

Canterbury Aero Clubs new addition.

Tucked away out of site on Saturday was the Piper PA-28-181 Archer 111 N1005J, which had arrived the previous day.

It has actually been purchased by a club member.

Check out the MRC Aviation link for ferry details.

Unknown airframe

Can anybody please identify this Lake airframe as noted at Whangarei in 10-03-2008

Question time #6

Another easy one for you.

Who is the person standing beside this aircraft ?

Warm wind from the south - improves with age.

Found this lovely old fella in the back of a hangar at Whangarei on 10-03-2008.

First time I saw it was way back when Merv Halliday had it. However it succumbed to an accident and was rebuilt with a Lycoming engine. My next meetimg was on the St Clair Beach at Dunedin following a forced landing - never did look right with a Lycoming.

Fortunately following a longthy rebuild it returned to the register in January 2001 in its true and proper form. Auster J5G Autocar ZK-BDK.