The Two Messengers on the Ground at NZKF Today 7-12-2025

 

After today's photoshoot the two Messengers pulled up for another photo - ZK-AKE2 and ZK-CMM2..  That is the Moth Minor ZK-AKM in the background.

Some more from the New Zealand Airline Academy at Oamaru

 At Oamaru yesterday afternoon 06-12-2025 I managed to catch five of the recent additions to the New Zealand Airline Academy.

Tecnam P2008 JC ZK-NYA is c/n 1265.

Tecnam Mentor ZK-NYC is c/n 1121.

Tecnam P2008 JC ZK-NYX being c/n 1266.

ZK-NYY c/n 156 is a Tecnam P2008 LSA.

Tecnam P2008 ZK-NYZ is c/n 196.

A Couple of Miles Messengers Over Sandspit

I am still buzzing from a couple of flights this morning!  Gavin Conroy flew up to Kaipara Flats in the NZ Warbirds Beaver to get some air to air shots of our two Messengers, and Bruce Lynch graciously offered me a seat in his "Wilbur" for the photo flight.  The conditions were amazing!

Michael Bach flew ZK-AKE2 while Graeme Wood flew the Warbirds ZK-CMM2.  After the photoshoot Woodsy flew off to our starboard side which allowed for some great photo opportunities.

Thanks Bruce, Michael and Woodsy.

R44 II ZK-HYF 2

Visiting Pauanui airfield today from Hamilton was HeliCorp's R44 II ZK-HYF2 in a new grey & black colour scheme.   This was originally imported new back in 2004 and has been with HeliCorp since 2017.

Ashburton 05-12-2025

 I blew into Ashburton on Friday the 5th - alas not a pie run - and snapped the following aeronautical machines of some interest to me.

The late Peter Irvine's Cessna A188B Agwagon ZK-CSD c/n 1880204 was being worked on in the Ashburton Aviation Museum workshop to bring it up to display standard.

Having just been refueled was Brian Hall's very tidy looking and sweet sounding Piper PA-28-235B ZK-DFB c/n 28-10917. It now totes a three bladed propeller.

Michael Fowlers Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II ZK-MKW c/n 34-7970041 was parked facing the breeze.

It has had a brief previous mention Here

Neutron Nosecone Down the Mahurangi!

Back in May I posted about Rocket Lab in Warkworth building a nose cone for their new 43 metre tall Neutron rocket, and you can see that post HERE  There have since been further developments:

A couple of nights ago the now completed Neutron nose cone was transported from Rocket Lab's factory through the streets of Warkworth to Robertson's boatyard on the Mahurangi River, where it was craned onto a barge.  It was subsequently barged down the river as when I went to look yesterday it was gone.  I assume it will be shipped from Auckland to Rocket Lab's Neutron production facility at Wallops Island in Virginia.  From Warkworth to the stars!

Cessna 421 ZK-STV at Tauranga on 1-12-2025

As I was photographing the Diamond Twin Star at North Shore on Monday. Mark Pattenden was photographing another twin at Tauranga:

Cessna 421C Golden Eagle ZK-STV has been around since December 2004, and it now has a new colour scheme.  It is owned by 421 Eagle Ltd of Papamoa.

Pilatus PC-12/45 ZK-PLV update.

The Sounds Air Travel & Tourist Ltds Pilatus PC-12/45 ZK-PLV c/n 400 ferried out of New Zealand in early April this year and was handed over to Gateway Air Centre Inc of Merced, California from 14-04-2025 for delivery to Kalinin Partners LLC as N726KP. It arrived i Juneau, Alaska on 16-04-2025.

 See HERE for an earlier post on its departure.

The photo above from Lord Nelson shows N726KP just out of the paint shop and carrying SeaPort Airlines titles (a division of the Kalinin Group).

Weather report from Woodbourne + Gulfstream N347G

 Lord Nelson was at Blenheim (Woodbourne) today and captured the Gulfstream GVII-G600 N347G c/n 73047 basking in the rain.

This was registered to the manufacturer, Gulfstream Aerospace of Savannah, Georgia, as N947GA in late 2020. It whistled over to the UK to become G-ULFX from 27-05-2021 with Rock Aviation Ltd of St Helier, Jersey. It then returned to the USA to become N347G from 03-12-2024 and appears to be listed to NMS Aviation LLC of New York and operated by Clay Lacy Aviation.

A Diamond Twin Star at North Shore on 1-12-2025

I understand that the North Shore Aero Club is about to add a Diamond Twin Star to their fleet to replace their venerable Beech 76 twin ZK-CGW2.

I also think that this is the Twin Star in question - VH-DSR3 which I photo'd at North Shore on 1 December.