But wait - that's not all. Gulfstream B-8260 at Christchurch.

 Captured arriving at Christchurch this morning from Shenzen was the Gulfstream GV-SP (G550) B-8260 c/n 5373 of Nanshan Jet.

It was built as N703GA by the manufacturer and cancelled from the US register on 22-08-2012 for delivery to China.

More Nelson jet arrivals. N37EX.

Another executive jet arrival at Nelson today is the Dassault Falcon 50EX N37WX c/n 309.

First noted as N9038B with an airworthiness date of 12-04-2001 before being taken up by SBC Aviation Holdings of San Antonio from 07-06-2001 and remaineing with them until 11-02-2009 when it joined Falcon Leasing of South Florida LLC at Coconut Grove, Florida.

Challenger N300NZ at Nelson

 A New Zealand based executive jet, Bombardier Challenger 300 N300NZ, c/n 20397 arrived into Nelson from its Queenstown base this morning.

Built in Canada as C-GUGY it quickly moved on to N300CF and with an airworthiness date 25-03-2013 it disappeared into the Bank of Utah books from 29-03-2013.

It then popped up briefly as N939SG before taking up the N300NZ registration from 03-03-2016 with TVPX ARS LLC Trustee of Concord, Massachusetts to be operated by Southern Flight Holdings Ltd and to be based in Queenstown where it arrived on 15-04-2016. 

It has been mentioned several times on this and the MRC blog.

Another photo from Lord Nelson.

Homebuilt and Sport Helicopters of New Zealand - Eagle R & D Helicycles

The next type of sport helicopter to be registered in New Zealand was the Eagle Research & Development Helicycle, the first of which appeared here in November 2004.

The Helicycle was designed by B J Schramm the founder of Rotorway and after much development the first example with a turbine engine flew in September 1997.  It was the first experimental single seat turbine powered helicopter to become available on the market and it used the Solar T62-32 engine that was and still is readily available.  Schramm conceived the Helicycle to be as affordable as a SUV and to be the motorcycle of the sky.  It comes as a kitset and is currently manufactured by Helicycle Ventures LLC of Mesilla in New Mexico.

The specifications of the Helicycle are:  length 18 feet 6 inches (5.63 metres), rotor diameter 21 feet (6.4 metres).  The empty weight is around 500 pounds (227 Kg) and MAUW in New Zealand is 850 Pounds (385 Kg).  With the 150 HP Solar T62-32 engine the cruise speed is around 95 mph (83 knots).

We have had three Helicycles registered in New Zealand to date, as follows:

ZK-HJU3 (c/n 2-17) was built by Alan R Cameron of Drury and it was registered to him on 29/11/04.  It is photo'd above at a flyin at Pikes Point on 29/10/05.  I remember that after it had taken off the grass below its exhaust was burnt!

It flew impressively.  It was damaged in a heavy landing near the Bombay Hills on 9/12/06.  I don't know if it was repaired but it was exported and its registration cancelled on 13/7/07 to become ZU-RBG.

Our second Helicycle was ZK-IBN (c/n 3-17) which was built by Chris D Green of Taupo and it was registered to him on 27/4/06.  It was sold to Bradley J Yorke of Wyndham on 18/10/09 and then to Mark A Van Der Linden of Wairoa Gorge near nelson on 4/8/10.  It was advertised for sale on Trade Me where I got the photo from, and it was eventually sold abroad.  It was cancelled from the New Zealand register on 12/1/15.

And our most recent Helicycle is ZK-HRZ2 (c/n 6-15) which was built by John Hood of Washdyke and registered to him on 24/11/20.  John says that it is really nice to fly.  

It it photo'd above recently.  Thanks for the photo John.

Also at Christchurch today.

 At Heli Maintenance Ltd's facility at Christchurch International today (21-12-2022) for some pre-Christmas attention was the MDHI 369E ZK-HIB4 c/n 0319E as listed to Bill Hales of Hanmer Springs.

The following is an extract from the now defunct NZ Aviation News Magazine written at the time of its initial registration in NZ.

Bill has been operating helicopters for many a year out of Hanmer Springs and has just acquired another MDHI 369E which is now listed as ZK-HIB₄. 

Built in 1989 and registered in the experimental class as N1611W and retained by McDonnell Douglas Helicopters at Mesa in Arizona as a FAA compliance machine. 

In May of 1990 it was moved on to Menasha Corporation of North Bend, Oregon. They had a name change to Menasha Corporation Management Services LLC in May of 2006. 

After an incident involving Christmas trees in November 2006 it was cancelled from the US register in June 2009. It underwent a total rebuild and resurfaced as a practically new helicopter on 26 March 2020 and registered as N85CU with Utility Helicopters Inc of El Cajon, California. 

Interestingly it now has a Hughes 369D instrument panel. 

It came out of its container at Christchurch Airport on 24 July 2020 and became ZK-HIB4 thanks to Heli Maintenance at Christchurch Airport from 24^th August 2020. 

Photographs today at Heli Maintenance facility at Christchurch Airport.

The Robinson R44 Raven II ZK-HUF2 c/n 10754 has been with Ahaura Helicopters Ltd of Ahaura on the South Island West Coast since 26-08-2014.

This was originally registered as VH-HGQ2 from 31-05-2005 with HeliFlight Pty Ltd of Sydney for delivery to Craig Doyle Holdings Pty Ltd at Dayboro, Queensland from 22-07-2005. 

Its Australian registration was cancelled on 31-07-2014 for its move to Heli Maintenance at Christchurch for its NZ certification.

Falcon 900 VH-PPD at Christchurch

 Currently parked up at Christchurch International is the Dassault Falcon 900C VH-PPD c/n 185.

This was built as F-WWFF by Dassault before moving on to become HB-IGT from 04-10-2000 with Credit Suisse to be operated by Aviation 604 AG.
It next popped up on the Australian register as VH-PPD on 11-10-2002 with Paspaley Perling Co Pty Ltd of Darwin. Next in line was Lloyd Aviation Jet Charter Pty Ltd of Darwin from 03-03-2006 followed by Maxem Aviation Pty Ltd of Applecross in Western Australia.
 Then it was with Trepang Services Pty Ltd of Parap, Northern Territory for a month from 26-02-2018 and 26-03-2018 ending up back with Lloyd Aviation Jet Charter Pty Ltd at Parap, NT.

It flew Brisbane to Auckland on 14-12-2022 - then to Sydney on the 17th - before tripping into Christchurch on the 19th.

Ardmore 21 December

Noted on the Dennis Thompson ramp at Ardmore today was the last of the BMH CT4E Airtrainers sold to Australia being the former ZK-PTL,  now registered VH-KQP.   It will be delivered across the Tasman in the near future.

Registered to a Christchurch private owner the AS350BA ZK-HPQ3 has lost its very colourful Kakariki scheme in favour of new black & white colours.   This was originally imported from the US back in 1995 as ZK-HYW2 for Rick Lucas Helicopters,  becoming HPQ3 in 2016 upon sale to Christchurch Helicopters.

Visiting was the former GCH Aviation AS350B3 ZK-IHL which is now believed to be Tauranga based.  This was imported new back in 2011.

 

Bombardier Global Express VH-8MJ at Nelson

 The Bombardier Global Express BD-700-1A10 VH-8MJ c/n 9385 was captured at Nelson today by Lord Nelson

This is a 2011 built aircraft initially on the Canadian register as C-GCLI to the manufacturer.

It took up the VQ-BRL registration from 08-02-2011 followed by N383BV in January of 2012.

Re-registered as VH-8MJ on 11-11-2022 to Bombora Global Pty Ltd of Sydney, NSW it is operated by Business Aviation Solutions Pty Ltd of Tugan, Queensland.

It arrived at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport from Honolulu on delivery on 26-11-2022 and flew Sydney to Canberra to Sydney and then to Nelson on the 17th.

I believe this is the first Australian business jet to use Australian alpha/numeric registration letters.

Photo from Lord Nelson.

Warbirds Beaver at Kaipara Flats 19-12-2022

A colorful visitor to Kaipara Flats this afternoon was the NZ Warbirds Beaver ZK-CKH and I happened to be there.  This aircraft has been covered many times on this blog but I post it here because of the spectacular colour against the green grass of the airfield and surrounding fields, so something good has come out of all the rain we have had!

Sideslipping in....

Over the trees and through the heat haze....

Flaring....

And a short roll out.

Then taxying in to park.

Nice!

Tauranga 19 December

A visit to Tauranga Airport this morning offered up the rarely seen Beech C23 Sundowner 180 ZK-DVG.   This was imported new back in 1974 and has been with its current Otorohanga owner since 1987.

Added to the Aviation Training fleet at Tauranga this year is R44 II ZK-HEW3.     This was originally imported new back in 2004.