Back to North Shore 26-11-2015

After recovering from jetlag and beginning to sort the garden out, I finally made it up to North Shore airfield yesterday for a look-see.  It is still a busy place with Aero Club circuits and various helicopters also in the circuit and hover.  (And a few other interesting things).

One aircraft in a new colour scheme was North Shore Aero Club's Robin R 2120U ZK-TZK which has been painted in the club's new colour scheme, joining ZK-TZL2.

Piper PA 28-181 Archer ZK-KCC is owned at a Paparoa address (near the North Eastern arm of the Kaipara Harbour), and took off heading North, presumably for home.  This aircraft was first registered as ZK-NDA back on 11/2/81, becoming ZK-KCC on 1/5/01.

North Shore Helicopters Eurocopter MBB BK 117 C-2 (or EC 145) ZK-ILJ2 has not been featured under this rego on this blog previously, However I did post it at Ardmore in February 2015 in its previous guise as ZK-IEH.  Proir to that it was ZK-ITF2 and ZK-IGT.  Confused?  At least the "Ï"might still be original!

Skydiving Kiwis Cessna's

Skydiving Kiwis Ltd's Cessna aircraft were captured at Timaru on 25 and 24-11-2015.

 Cessna 180A ZK-BUQ (c/n 32995) was listed to them on 01-05-2012 and was operated out of Rangitata until a move to Ashburton.

Cessna A185E ZK-DAH2 (c/n 185-1492) joined them on 14-10-2015.

Ardmore open day Sunday 22-11-2015

Magnaman offers these photographs taken at the Open Day at Ardmore on Sunday last.

All have appeared on these pages previously.

 ZK-MXS2 (c/n 0013) is Doug Brooker's MX Aircraft MXS. It joined our register on 10-07-2015.

 ZK-NUT is c/n G202028 and is the Akrotech G202 as listed with the great Stunt Company.

 The Yakovlev ZK-PTE is c/n 9010311 and belongs to the Vause Trusts Partnership.

 ZK-SUK (c/n 75-01) is the Robert Fry Sukhoi SU-29.

 Auckland Seaplanes De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Mk1 ZK-WKA (c/n 1585) shows its size.

 Yak-52 ZK-YAC2 is c/n 822108 and is listed to Yak 52 Ltd.

 Yak-52 ZK-YAQ3 is c/n 844515 and is currently listed with Russian Aero Adventures Ltd of Pauanui Beach.

And the Yak-52 ZK-ZAH being c/n 888708 is with Blue 52 Ltd of Hamilton.

The light side of aviation.

Not to be confused with 'The Dark Side'.

A quick visit to the Skytrek Tandem hang Gliding and Paragliding site near Arrowtown produced these flying machines.

 Above is the BGD Dual 25D s/n BGO31717A.

 Above we have the Gin Fuse 23U s/n BD06-K6600179D.

*****

 And now two I haven't identified.

All a bit outside my immediate sphere of interest - but it is aviation.

Gee It's Nice To Be Back Home Again

With apologies to John Denver, it was great to return to New Zealand this morning after more than 3 months away, even if the weather in Auckland was wet and windy forcing the postponement of the Brian Langley Memorial aerobatic competition at North Shore Airfield.

This was taken from Air New Zealand flight NZ 288 approaching North Cape this morning, operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ZK-NZC3 .  A very nice flight.

Holiday bliss.

Where else could you take a holiday like this ?

Fishing in the Ahuriri River and hauling in a clump of Didymosphenia geminata ( better known as didymo or rock snot to most of us) and about to be buzzed by the LS3 ZK-GLS on a competition finish - with a suspicious patch of "weed" in the foreground (not that I would know anything about that).

ZK-DJM revisited.

Further to the original post on the Cessna A185F ZK-DJM (c/n 18502156) at :-

http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/that-oft-overlooked-ski-plane.html

Thanks to Jamie Gunson I can now add these photographs showing ZK-DJM undertaking spray work on his property near Onga Onga on 24-01-2010.

Raven II ZK-HTH

The Robinson R44 Raven II ZK-HFH3 (c/n 13529) first appeared on the Australian register as VH-MTD7 on 24-01-2014 with Heliflite Pty Ltd of Sydney. 

It came over to NZ and became ZK-HTH from 02-07-2014 with East Sea (NZ) Ltd. 

It is now Dargaville based with Helinorth Ltd on long term lease from Helisika Agricultural Ltd and replaces the Raven II ZK-IPZ.

Thanks to Jean210.

South Island Glider Champs pics # 3

Roger Sparks had his Schempp-Hirth Ventus 2cT ZK-GVT (c/n 60) at the rear of the start grid.

ZK-GXG (c/n 31) is the Glider Rentals Schempp-Hirth Discus-2c. 

Max Stevens trying to remain cool and awaiting his turn to launch in his Schempp-Hirth Ventus 2c ZK-GYD (c/n 76).

Graham Parker and Mark Morgan are on their way in the Theo Newfield Schleicher ASH 25E ZK-GZZ (c/n 25062).

South Island Gliding Champs pics # 2

A Mike Tango Syndicate member does some pre flight thinking in the Rolladen-Schneider LS4 ZK-GMT (c/n 4129).

The Melisa Simpson Rolladen-Schneider LS4 ZK-GSC (v/n 4129) patiently waiting for things to happen further up the start grid.

The Doug Hamilton Schleicher ASH 25 ZK-GTF (c/n 25104) looks like it is crewed by Karen Morgan and Terry Jones.

ZK-GUC is the Keith Essex Schleicher ASW 27-18E (c/n 29703) still with ground handling wheel attached (possibly to keep the water ballast even in both wings). 

This is Nigel Maxey's Schleicher ASW 27 ZK-GUZ (c/n 29216) in ground handling mode.