NAC and GMC Flyin/BBQ at Gordonton Yesterday 21-1-2023

The Gordonton Microlight Club hosted the Northern Aviators Club at their headquarters yesterday and a good selection of 23 aircraft attended.  Unfortunately I cannot as yet download my photos from my camera but David Signal also took some photos:

Clint Kraidy arrived from Matamata in his TEAM Tandem Air Bike ZK-CKD2. It sure looked different to the rest of the attendees!  But you can see it was a pretty warm day as he is wearing a tee shirt.

I flew my Jodel D 9 down from Kaipara Flats with a stop at Te Kowhai for fuel.  Then I hopped over to the GMC strip and arrived in the middle of a gaggle of arrivals.  I was number 3 on finals and I think there were six or so aircraft in the circuit.  After landing we were marshalled to a couple of holding areas until Gary Briggs in his Sonex ZK-SXR took pity on us and overshot so we could all taxy back down the strip.

David Signal left before me and he took this photo of sixteen aircraft still on the ground (click to expand and you will recognise some of the types).  

And thanks to GMC for their hospitality and great BBQ food.

A visit to Central South Island Helicopters.

Roving reporter CMM visited Central South Island Helicopters on 20-01-2023.

The Aerospatiale AS 350 BA ZK-HDB8 c/n 1105 was originally registered as VH-AFO3 from 27-02-1980 and served time with Brambles Oil and Gas Service Pty Ltd/Hockway Aviation Helicopters of Hobart, Tasmania before joining Vowell Air Services Pty Ltd/Helicopter Resources Pty Ltd out of Tyabb, Victoria. It did several seasons in the Australian Antarctic territory until its cancellation from the Australian register on 18-03-2020 to become ZK-HBD8 on 30-04-2020. 

McDonnell Douglas 500N NOTAR ZK-HDN3 c/n LN080 began its career as N955SD with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at Monterey Park, California in October 1996 until being noted for sale in June of 2004.

Imported into New Zealand it became ZK-HDN3 with Oceania Helicopters of Ardmore on 27-07-2004.

It was sold to Central South Island Helicopters Ltd of Herbert from 19-01-2007.

The MD 500 NOTAR ZK-HDW3 c/n LN072 followed the same path as ZK-HDN above but as N950SD. 

It also joined Oceania Aviation Ltd on 27-07-2004 and then to Central South Island Helicopters - somewhat earlier - on 23-09-2004.

Thanks to CMM for the photos and special thanks to Mike Brown of Central South Island Helicopters                                                                             for the conducted tour.

Bristol Flighter F2b ZK-BHS first flight 17-01-2023

The "High Road to China" Bristol Fighter F2B Replica ZK-BHS2 has taken to the air after a long                                                                                         gestation. 

The test flying is being carried out at Omaka by Ryan Southam, with the first flight being on Tuesday                                                            17 Jan 2023, all went well.  

There have been Several flights since, with a few tweaks to trim etc. 

Ryan reports, a lovely aircraft with good performance, good manners, just like its sister ship, ZK-PRK (the NZ Warbirds example). 

Owned by Omaka Brisfit Syndicate, this was one of six built for the High Road to China movie in the late '70s.  The film was delayed, then eventually went ahead with a much reduced story content, and using Stampe biplanes instead of the Bristol Fighters. 

 But one of the Bristols completed was used in a 1981 production called 'Death Hunt' with Lee Marvin and Charles Brosnon. 

 This is that very aircraft, and it has been restored with the same unusual colour scheme it wore in that movie, but now on wheels.  In the film it was flying on skis in the Yukon in some stunning but challenging conditions!

There will be more on this aircraft in the next Classic Wings Magazine. 

Cessna 182T Skylane ZK-MAR

 Cessna 182T Skylane c/n 81127 gained its US airworthiness certificate as N5198B with Cessna Aircraft Co of Wichita, Kansas on 18-06-2002 and was on sold to TI Aircraft Inc, Key Colony Beach, Florida from 07-11-2002.
They in turn sold it to Reynolds Aviation Inc of Pompano Beach, Florida from 23-07-2004.

Photo above as N5198B.

Its Us registration was cancelled on 23-11-2009 for it to take up the NZ registration of ZK-MAR on 04-05-2010 with a private owner at Rotorua. 

It was noted flying from Rotorua to Blenheim and into Christchurch on the 20th and is photographed below by Tony McFarlin on the tie downs near the Aero Club.

Pauanui

Amongst the visitors to Pauanui airfield today was the 1972 model Piper PA32-300 Cherokee Six ZK-OMT.   This was originally imported from the US in 1975 as ZK-ECV,  becoming ZK-OMT in 2003 and has been with its current Balclutha owner since 2014.

Not previously blogged here before is the Ardmore based Cessna 152 ZK-FGU.   This was imported from the US in 1984 and has been with its current Auckland syndicate since April 2022.

 

Homebuilt and Sport Helicopters of New Zealand - Helisport CH 7 Kompress

The Helisport CH 7 helicopter was designed by Argentinian helicopter pioneer Augusto Cicare whose company Cicare Helicopteros SA also builds the model as the Cicare CH 7.  The first CH 7 flew in 1972.

Helisport was formed in Milan by three brothers Pier Luigi, Josie and Claudio Barbero and they commissioned Marcello Gandini (who had done designs for Lamborgini) to style the cabin of the CH 7 which resulted in the single seat CH 7 Angel which first flew with a 2 stroke Rotax 582 engine.  Further development resulted in the two (very close tandem) seat CH 7 Kompress in 1997 powered by a turbocharged Rotax 914 engine.  Helisport helicopters come as a comprehensive kit with the important components completed in the factory. 

The specifications for the Helisport CH 7 Kompress are:  length 7.05 metres (23 feet 2 inches), main rotor diameter 6.20 metres (20 feet 4 inches).  The empty weight is around 275 Kg (606 pounds) and the MAUW in New Zealand is 498 Kg (1,098 pounds)  With the Rotax 914 the cruise speed is around 100 mph (86 knots).

We have only had one example of a CH 7 Kompress helicopter registered in New Zealand:

ZK-HSR3 (c/n K 93) was first registered in New Zealand on 23/9/14 to Heli Hind Helicopters of Hokitika.  It was imported into New Zealand from South Africa where it was first registered ZU-SEP on 26/1/06.

Thanks for the photo Shaun.

Pilatus PC-24 ZK-JFL

 The first Pilatus PC-24 on the New Zealand was registered as ZK-JFL2 on 29-11-2022 to Distinction Hotels New Zealand Ltd of Invercargill. 

This replacing their Pilatus PC-12/47E ZK-TFL which they had operated since October of 2017.

C/n 119 was rolled out as HB-VST in November of 2018.

 Photo below shows it in Swiss temporary registration marks.

Quickly flown out to Australia it became VH-FGM2 on 03-12-2018 to Dalydine Pty Ltd of Western Australia to be operated by Pilatus Australia Pty Ltd and arriving at their Adelaide base in South Australia on 14-12-2028.

It visited Auckland from Adelaide and Sydney for the first time on 25-04-2019 and visited Kerikeri, back to Auckland then on to Wellington. Woodbourne got a visit on the 27th before it returned to Auckland for the night. It departed back to Sydney, Albury and Adelaide on the 28th.

Below. Captured at Auckland by MRC Aviation on 25-04-2019

I next noted it operating out of Invercargill from about 12-12-2021 with it remaining on its Australian certification for nearly a year before its "first of type" papers were sorted.

Below at Christchurch on 03-04-2022 still in its VH markings.

It became ZK-JFL2 on 29-11-2022.

Photos below taken today (17-01-2023) at Christchurch International Airport.

It is fitted out as a six-seat executive with separate cockpit.

Another Miles Messenger

I have recently been enjoying watching Miles Messenger ZK-CMM2 visiting Kaipara Flats airfield.  Part of the reason for these visits has been to provide Bruce Lynch with some training ahead of his own Messenger taking to the air.

Bruce has been working away on his Messenger at North Shore for a long time (see HERE for a post from 2017 with its history) but I know it is really getting close to flying with engine runs having been carried out.  North Shore Aero Club held an open hangar day last Sunday and Mark Pattenden was there to capture the "new" Messenger:

ZK-AKE2 (c/n 6707) has not been registered yet but it will surely be on the register soon.  Lovely work Bruce!

And thanks for the photo Mark.

Homebuilt and Sport Helicopters of New Zealand - Vertical Aviation Hummingbird 260L

A new one off type of sport helicopter was registered in New Zealand in July 2008.  This was a 4 seater Vertical Aviation Hummingbird 260L that was manufactured by Vertical Aviation Technologies of Sanford in Florida as a kit.

The Hummingbird was developed from the Sikorsky S 52.  It has a similar 4 wheel undercarriage and its nose and windscreen is adapted from a Bell 206.  Construction is of rivetted aluminium and the engine is a 6 cylinder Lycoming that produces around 265 HP (There is a later 300L model that uses a six cylinder Lycoming IO 540 derated to 280 HP).  The main rotors consist of 3 blades with a 33 feet (10.1 metres) diameter rotor disc.  The empty weight is around 1,790 pounds (812 Kg) while the MAUW in New Zealand was 2,700 pounds (1,224Kg).  The maximum speed is quoted as 110 mph (96 knots).

ZK-IBU (c/n 727) was registered to Johnson Aviation Importers Ltd of Nelson on 9/7/08.  I think it spent its life in the Nelson area and Johnson Aviation Importers Ltd later shifted to Brightwater.  I don't know if it flew much here (can anyone advise?) and it was cancelled from the NZ register on 24/8/16.  It was exported back to the US where it became N3352S and later N52S to Wings on Safari LLC.

Zenith CH 601XL ZK-MAM at Paraparaumu Today 16-1-2023

The Parakai based Zenith CH 601XL ZK-MAM passed through Paraparaumu this afternoon and Jordan Elvy was there to photograph it: 

You can see the history of it HERE.  In that post back in 2014 I included a photo of it all covered up at Turangi with the comment "If anyone has a better photo of it I would be pleased to receive a copy"  So good things come to those who wait!

Thanks for the photo Jordan.