Fiji Airways Boeing 737 Max 8 at Wellington on 7-8-2022

The weather in Wellington was "adventurous" during my tome there, ranging from gale force Northerlies with rain to gale force Southerlies with rain.  However there was a brief interlude of nice weather on the Sunday when I managed a short visit to the airport.  While I was there the scheduled Fiji Airways flight arrived and it is a bit different to see a Boeing Max aircraft locally:

Approaching over Moa Point showing the sharklet wingtips,

and over the end of the runway showing that it was VQ-FAF.  

I understand that Fiji Airways has five Max 8s in their fleet.

N747NA SOFIA departs.

 The NASA Boeing 747SP-21 N747NA c/n 2144 Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy "SOFIA" "Clipper Lindbergh" was captured departing Christchurch International yesterday (11-08-2022) for Honolulu and Palmdale, California.

HeliWorks / Heli Glenorchy

Action Helicopters of Queenstown has been busy of late adding more AS350 Squirrels to the fleets of HeliWorks and Heli Glenorchy.

These include AS350B3 ZK-IGY2 which was imported from Norway this year.

Acquired from a Cambridge private owner in May 2022 was AS350B3 ZK-ILT2 which was imported from the US in 2021.

And Heli Glenorchy AS350B2 ZK-HGQ5 which was acquired in 2019 has now been repainted in an all black scheme. This was imported from the US in 2017.

 

Grumman Ag Cat ZK-MEX and ZK-RTA.

Back in late 1987 four Grumman G164 Ag Cats in various conditions were imported from Australia.

To the best of my knowledge these were VH-JBB c/n 738, VH-PUV2 c/n 441, VH-CCO c/n 432 and VH-CCS c/n 530.  

This post covers the Grumman G-164A Ag Cat c/n 441.

Built in 1967 by Schweizer Aircraft Corporation at Elmira in New York State and registered as N929X.

It was shipped to Australia and became VH-PUV2 in May of 1967 for Aerial Enterprises of Brisbane and from 24-05-1967 with Western Aerial Services of Cunderdin, Western Australia.

It remained with them until withdrawn from use from 23-05-1970.

Photo above is said to be at Mackay in August 1974 ??  I suspect late 1960's.

It was restored on 09-02-1972 with Cropcair of Archerfield, Queensland.

Photo of Western Aerial Services VH-PUV at Archerfield 06-1972 just after its purchase by Cropcair

 from Ben Dannecker.

It was damaged some 37nm west of Mackay on 22-10-1974 - returning on line again from 11-09-1981 with Cropcair Aviation (Peter Smart) Pty Ltd of Archerfield, Queensland.

At Archerfield 06-1987

It crashed near Dunwich, Queensland on 27-08-1987.

I noted a good collection of Ag Cat parts in the Pioneer Adventures yard alongside runway 29 at Christchurch International in what is now the closed off part of Grays Road and Avonhead road - approximately where NZ Post now are.

From my notes I have VH-PUV2 c/n 441 being rebuilt at West Melton using significant parts from 

VH-CCS c/n 530.

A container was noted at West Melton on 13-08-1996.

This airframe was registered as ZK-MEX on 29-08-1996 to Pioneer Adventures Ltd of Christchurch.

Below is a selection of photos of the rebuild process.

Above and below two shots taken on 17-09-1996 with fuselage back on its undercarriage.

Below in October 1996  the passenger compartment was on site.

 

And below on 29-11-1996 the firewall forward and other fuselage internal bits are fitted.

By 17-12-1996 the upper and lower fuselage panels have been painted and fitted, the passenger pod is installed and the large passenger windscreen is going on, and the Pratt & Whitney R985 is in place.

Below by 15-01-1997 the exhaust is fitted and the upper-wing attachment and fuel tank are in place.

Above and below on 24-01-1997 wings, rudder and elevator are fitted.

Above and below. By 30-01-1997 all panels are fitted and weighing in progress.

Two shots of ZK-MEX West Melton 18-02-1997.

Above and below - unmasked "De Bretts Wonderflights" & " Relive the Adventure".

All done and raring to go 14-03-1997 at West Melton.

On this same date - 14-03-1997 - it was listed to Bruce McKenzie Holdings Ltd of Taupo and two days later tipped on its nose at Napier.

From 24-02-1999 it was with Leslie Aviation Ltd at Rotorua and then to Flight 2000 Ltd as "Cloud Rider" from 11-01-2000.

Above at Ardmore on 18-03-2000.

Late November 2001 Skytrek Aviation Ltd of Taupo feature until listing with Future Flight at Ardmore from 10-04-2002.

24-06-2002 saw it back listed with Future Flight 2000 Ltd and finally from 27-11-2004 with Challenge Aviation Ltd of Waitara.

This registration was cancelled on 18-01-2005 with it taking up the new registration of ZK-RTA2 on the same date and with the same operator Challenge Aviation Ltd made up of Phil Broadmore, Bryan Bedwell and Sheryn Pearson.

Next in line was Bay of Plenty Classic Aircraft Co Ltd of Mount Maunganui from 25-05-2007.

Goodwin Mckay Ltd also at Tauranga took it on from 01-05-2015 and it carried the name "Marea Jane".

Two photos from Peter Mole.

And noted at Pauanui on 31-12-2016 by Richard Currie

Acquired by Aviation Adventures Ltd of Twizel from 30-03-2022 it was ferried from Rotorua to Wanganui, Omaka, Rangiora to its new home on the Pukaki Airfield on 30-04-2022 where it will reside with the Ag Cat ZK-CAT2.

02-05-2022 Marty Muller.

With thanks to Chris Rudge of Red Cat Biplane Flights - Aviation Adventures Ltd.

See     https://www.redcat.co.nz/

Zenith CH 750 ZK-FLN/2 at Feilding on 5-8-2022

Carrying on with my road trip to Wellington under a clear blue sky I drove past the snow covered Central Plateau mountains which provided spectacular views. 

Later in the afternoon I called in to Feilding aerodrome which was mainly quiet but with Zenith CH 750 ZK-FLN2 outside the Avcraft hangar.  I had not seen this aircraft previously although it has been posted plenty of time on the blog.  It was registered to a Wanganui owner in December 2013.

It was waiting outside Avcraft for its owner who turned up and flew it back to Wanganui.

Milford Sound

A stunning day at Milford Sound today saw virtually the entire fleet of tourist aircraft from Queenstown and Wanaka arrive at Milford Sound with over 20 aircraft present, and some 7 helicopters.

Amongst the aircraft was the latest addition to the Glenorchy Air fleet, the brand new Cessna 208B Caravan EX ZK-PPR which went online back in March 2022.

Also a 2022 addition but to the Heliworks fleet at Queenstown is the BK117B-2 ZK-ICY3 which was originally imported from the USA in 2013 as ZK-IQL.   It was previously operated by Over the Top at Queenstown from 2017.

 

Harmon Rocket ZK-RMD/2 at Te Kowhai on 4-8-2022

I had cause to do a road trip from Warkworth to Wellington last week, and I called into a few airfields along the way.  Most were pretty quiet but there was an interesting arrival at Te Kowhai while I was there:

Harmon Rocket ZK-RMD2 was up from Dunedin.  This gets around the country quite a lot as can be seen in previous posts on the blog.

Southern Helicopters

 Fiordland Lodge situated on the Milford Highway is also the base for Fiordland Helicopters and outside there this morning was their AS350B2 ZK-HUC4.   This has been with the company since 2017 and was imported from Canada in 2016.

The company operates 2 other AS350B (ZK-HVA7 and HYA3) and 2 Hughes 369D (ZK-HJO2 and ZK-IMT),  some of these from a sub base on HWY96 near Orawia supporting the HumpRidge Track.

Based in Otautau is HeliOps Southland and outside at their base today was AS350B2 ZK-HRK3 which the company acquired at the beginning of this year.  It was imported from the US in 2019.

They also operate 2 R44s (ZK-HLL3 and HXM3) and a Bell 206B ZK-HRS2,  all on agricultural work.

Piper PA28R-200 ZK-RTE

A recent visitor to Pauanui from North Shore was the Piper PA28R-200 Cherokee Arrow ZK-RTE sporting a smart new paint scheme.   Originally built in 1970 it was imported from Canada and has been with its Auckland syndicate owners since 2014.

 

Beechcraft D17S ZK-AMU

 The first aircraft produced by Beech Aircraft Company was the Model 17.

This first aircraft had a fixed undercarriage and a 38% negative stagger on its upper wing  which ultimately lead to the name 'Staggerwing' with its first flight out of Wichita, Kansas on 04-11-1932.

We now jump ahead to 1938 by which time the Beech D17S with its Pratt & Whitney 450 hp R-985 radial engine was in production.

Follows is a brief history of one Staggerwing with NZ connections.

Construction number 203 was built to an order from the Canadian Department Controller of Civil Aviation of Ottawa - with a date of manufacture of 09-04-1938 it became CF-CCA from 14-04-1938.

This airframe had fittings for skis and floats an extra starboard access door fitted..

On 22 February 1955  it was transferred to Bradley Air Services of Ottawa and then on to Spartan Air Service Ltd a year later - then to I Saunders from 12-12-1957.

It was withdrawn from use and its CofA expired 07-12-1958 and it became derelict at Ottawa.

Bill Boyd of Timmins, Ontario began a rebuild project in 1972 which was passed on to Morley Servos of Burlington, Ontario in 1979. Its registration was cancelled on 27-05-1982.

The aircraft returned to the air on 22-04-1985 in its familiar Huntsman red colour scheme with Insignia blue trim.

It was relisted to Morley E Servos of Bracebridge, Ontario on 25-10-1991 under the restyled Canadian registration system as C-FCCA.

I believe it was kept in an air conditioned hangar at Leeward Ranch in Florida prior to being sold to NZ.

It was purchased by Robin and Elaine Campbell and flown to California in 1995 for onward shipping to NZ.

Its Canadian registration was cancelled on 20-11-1995 for it to become ZK-AMU on 29-11-1995 with Robin and Elaine Campbell of Howick.

With a NZ CofA dated 08-12-1995 it was based at North Shore in a pristine hangar.

It appeared at many air shows and fly ins around New Zealand.

These shots were taken at Wanaka on March 29 and 30 2002.

The aircraft was sold to Douglas Drummond of Wentworth Falls, New South Wales from 01-11-2007.

It ferried out of Kerikeri for Norfolk Island on 26-05-2008 but returned to Kerikeri.

It made it to Norfolk Island and  Lord Howe Island on 01-07-2008 and the following day to Coolangatta. 

Its NZ registration was cancelled on 16-01-2009 for it to become VH-WEE3 on 02-02-2009.

I do not recall seeing a photograph of it wearing these Australian markings.

As part of the recent sale/swap to Australia of the Wanaka based North American P51D-20 NT Mustang ZK-SAS "Dove of Peace" The Lockheed 12A Electra Junior VH-HID was flown into Wanaka on 10-05-2022

See https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2022/05/lockhead-l-12a-electra-junior-vh-hid.html

Also as part of the arrangement was the shipping of this Beechcraft D17S VH-MEE to Wanaka where it was re-registered back to ZK-AMU on 18-07-2022 to 'Private Owners'.

See https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-return-of-beech-staggerwing.html