NZRT Cessna 185's

Two of the local area Cessna 185's that I've captured at Rangiora in recent days.
Above is the Cessna A185F ZK-DKJ c/n 02276, which was having a cargo pod fitted on January 6th. This aircraft was built as a Ag Carryall and imported by Rex Aviation for Astro Air of Napier in November 1973.. At the time it had a belly spray tank. A year later it started to move around; first to Aero Surveys (NZ) Ltd in 1975 then to Goodman Earthmovers of Waikanae. I recall it at this time having a very large aerial attached to it. it passed through a couple more owners before being based at Fox Glacier with Glacier Skydive (West Coast Air Services) as a meat bomber. It is now with Sam Bethell of Timpendean Station, in the Weka Pass near Waikari replacing the onsold C180 ZK-TUA.
Yesterday (10-01-09) I caught Cessna 185A Skywagon ZK-SIA c/n 0427 for my first time at Rangiora. This spent its first four years (1962-1966) in PNG as VH-SIL (personalised letters for the Summer Instute of Linguistics) before dropping down to Australia to become VH-SIA. After a bunch of private owners it joined Cracker MacDonald at Charlieville about mid 2001. It was ferried across the ditch from Coffs Harbour, Lord Howe Island and into Auckland on 19-08-2005. It officially had the "VH" removed & "ZK"added on 27-09-05 for Ken MacDonald. It replaced their onsold C180 ZK-PKD.

Both, despite their vintage of some 36 & 47 years respectively being real tidy examples. The 185's and 180's generally seem to be improving with age.

Ardmore Today

Nothing much was happening at a grey Ardmore today, but Doug Brooker was flying his MXR Technologies MX2 ZK-MXT. This aircraft is a 300HP carbon fibre aerobatic machine that is stressed to plus and minus 14G! It was first registered on 27/8/07.

Also of carbon fibre construction is Falcomposite Furio ZK LLG which was first registered on 14/12/07. It now has the name "Mental" painted on the canopy frame. Another Furio is being worked on at the Tecnam hangar.

Finally, most of the Warbirds aircraft were out of their hangar, including 6 Harvards, 2 Airtrainers, the Mustang and the L 29 Delphin - shown here under the wing of the Catalina.

Some More Members of the Local Pawnee Tribe

Following from Blue Bus's blog, I also photographed a couple of glider tug Pawnees over the holidays. The first was Wellington Gliding Club's ZK-TUG at Paraparaumu on 1 January 2009, on a good wave day that saw only gliders flying. This Pawnee was 9M-AMY with Malaysian Air Charter in Kuala Lumpur from 12/64 until 10/75, then VH-WNY of Western Air Crop Spraying at Derrinalum, Victoria until 7/95. It was registered to Wellington Gliding Club on 6/11/95.

Then on 3 January was Auckland Gliding Club's ZK-CEB at a wet Matamata. This was registered to Airwork on 30/5/63 and assembled during 10/63. It was then operated by Rangitikei Air Services based at Taihape from 13/2/64. It was registered to Auckland Gliding Club on 20/10/67, where it has been modified for glider tug duties with the installation of a 260HP engine and a 4 bladed prop.

Extra Good!

Resident at Ardmore since the beginning of December 2008 is Extra EA 300/L ZK-XRA c/n 085. The purpose built aerobatic machine is registered to X Flight Ltd of Auckland.

Launching off runway 03 at Ardmore 08Jan09, Mike Condon photo

Question time # 34

Whats this high tech piece of gear do ?

In case there is a flood of correct answers, then the correct registration for the aircraft would be nice. And if there is still a tie, we will need to know who manufactured its current propellor.

Canterbury Aero Clubs latest arrivals.

Two more Piper PA-28-161 Warrior III's were unloaded from a container at Skysales in Christchurch today. Here we see the wings being moved from the Skysales approved Ag unload station over to the Aero Club hangar. Already in the hangar were the two fuselages. N6073E c/n 2842321 and N6026J c/n 2842320. Parked in between is the Piper PA-28-181 Archer II ZK-EQP coming back together.

More Omarama towplanes

Now that QT # 33 has ben resolved I can show you some of the other tow planes I found during a quick visit to Omarama on 02-01-2009.

ZK-OMA2 which is a Gippsland GA200 with a c/n of 2009413. It started life as VH-AWI4 before changing to VH-IWI and being listed to Ray Patchett of Blenheim on 21-09-94. It ferried from Norfolk Island into New Plymouth, Wanganui and Omaka on 12-10-94. It joined the NZ register as ZK-CMC2 on 20-10-94 with RL & LA Patchett of Blenheim. Keith R Baillie of Seddon feature from 20-07-2000 and then Hogan Ag-Air from out the back of Amberley from 10-04-2001. It was re-registered as ZK-PGH3 on 07-05-2001. We next see it with Chris Donovan Ag-Air at Taihape from 15-04-2003. I then noted it being for sale at Dennis Thompson's at Ardmore in September of 2006. Glider Rentals Ltd of Omarama (Glide Omarama) picked it up from 18-06-2007 and its registration was changed again on 29-08-2008 to the more apt ZK-OMA. Pic of ZK-PGH3 above at AVTEK Timaru on 01-11-2007.

Pic below of it at Southair at Taieri with the OMA letters being applied on 17-10-2008.

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Also on the field was the Piper PA-25-250 Pawnee B ZK-CNG, down from Hororata for the Canterbury Gliding Clubs Xmas camp and for the gliding champs. This is c/n 25-3624 which was with Airwork from 07-06-1966 until moved to Aerial Sowing (Canty) Ltd of Amberley from 31-03-1969. It was listed to the Canterbury Gliding Club on 16-08-1974. It is now back to its two bladed constant speed prop having had a four bladed wooden version fitted for a few years.

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Piper PA-18A Super Cub ZK-BFV has been resident at Omarama now for some years with Gavin Wills. This started as a 150hp ag machine with Airwork from 21-03-1955. It had a serious prang in early 1958 but was repaired and continued with Airwork until a D R Fraser of Harwarden appears on the paperwork. Gavin Wills (then of Alpine Guides Ltd) acquired it from 10-05-1972. Some time in 1979 it was re-powered with a 180hp Lycoming and to a three seater by Bruce Drake.

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Cessna 172M Skyhawk II ZK-DNS c/n 62269 is now used by Youth Glide Omarama as a towplane.

A product of 1973 it was imported by Rex Aviation and registered on 14-11-1973 before delivery to the Tauranga Aero Club on 01-02-1974. It went back to Airwork on 15-12-80 and then to Stewart Logging of Rotorua from 30-09-81. The DNS syndicate of Levin feature from 03-05-1991 with DNS Leasing of Dunedin taking over from 14-08-2007.

Question time # 33 resolved.

We have a winner.
A gentleman from a far away country, who wishes to remain anonymous has come up with the goods.

It is Piper PA 25-235 Pawnee D ZK-PPA , c/n 25-7656063 "Southern Belle" of Southern Soaring Omarama Ltd as seen at Omarama on 02-01-2009.

We were looking into the air intake above the cockpit.

This aircraft was rebuilt in NZ in late 1984 I believe using the fuselage of ZK-CEM. It was first registered to John Shivas of Ashburton on 12-07-1985, first flying here on 01-11-1985 and delivered to Charlie Sewell of Mayfield as a sprayer. It moved north to Barklay Aerial Spraying at Mercer in 1997 and then moved up to Dargaville in 1999 for Agtech Air Services.

It was purchased by Southern Soaring in June and ferried south by Chris Rudge and spent time with AVTEK at Timaru having a tow hook fitted.

Pic at Timaru in AVTEK hangar on 21-08-08.

For All You Petrel Heads

Sorry about that!

I was also at North Shore airfield on Sunday afternoon (had to pick the dog up from the boarding kennel), and I came across this unique microlight. It is a S.M.A.N Petrel ZK JAQ owned by John Eaton of Milford. John has operated this amphibian from Milford Beach on the North Shore of Auckland for several years where he had a beachfront property with a seaplane ramp, (although I never sighted it despite living and working nearby). John says it flies well. It is very difficult to take a photo showing the registration as it is only under the wing and is mostly hidden by the wingtip floats.

It is currently for sale as in the hangar next door John has 2 nearly completed projects - a Canadian Home Rotors Safari helicopter, and more exotically, a Pitts Model 12 with a big Russian radial motor up front. The Pitts has ZK PTS reserved and John is aiming to have it completed for CAA inspection by the end of January. This may be the 45th Pitts Model 12 in the world to fly according to an interesting website www.pittsmodel12.com .

Has anyone taken photos of ZK JAQ operating off Milford Beach?

A Really Different Homebuilt

In the November 2008 new registrations I was intrigued by what the Heydecke V 16 ZK VVV was. On Sunday I found out - it is a 2/3 scale carbon fibre replica of a Policarpov I 16 that was built by Volker Heydecke over the last 2 years. It has a 3.6 litre Rotec radial engine that sounds pretty impressive. Unfortunately it suffered a taxying accident at Ardmore a few weeks ago, but the airframe damage is now repaired. Repairs to the engine and a new prop are to follow.

A nice touch is the required Experimental sign in Russian on the starboard side.

You can see it taxying on YouTube - look under NZ sites as VVV.

Thanks to Volker Heydecke for the photo.