RNZAF Lockheed C 130H Hercules NZ7001 - First to Last

Many photos have been posted on social media of the RNZAF C-130H Hercules NZ7001 touching down on what remains of RNZAF Base Wigram grass yesterday, 19 February 2025.  It drew a huge crowd and it was a fitting end to a 60 year unblemished flying career.  So I thought I would go back to the beginning and post this screenshot of NZ7001's first touch down at Wellington:

This is on 24 March 1965, and I think you can see crowds lining the airport fence on Calabar Road.

Fast forward to 10 February 2025 and NZ7001 comes in low over the fence at Wigram on its final flight. 

 It will make a great exhibit for the RNZAF Museum when they can get a large enough space to display it (alongside their Lockheed P 3K2 Orion NZ4203 which was trucked down from Woodbourne to Wigram last year).

Robinson R66 ZK-HNG 9

Noted at Ardmore this morning was Brookby Quarries' Robinson R66 ZK-HNG9.   This was imported new in 2024 to replace the company's Bell 505 ZK-HTI3 which was exported to Brazil.  It is now flying there as PS-CPH.

 

Hanmer Hughes selection

 Four more photos from the fabulous Hughes fly in at Hanmer on 15-02-2025.

MDHI 369E ZK-HTZ4 c/n 0352E on hover taxi to its parking place.

This began its career in PNG as P2-PAI in 1989, then to Australia as VH-WHC2 from 09-01-1998 with a change of registration to VH-NPH on 24-06-1999.

It became ZK-HTZ4 on 05-10-2022 with International Heliproperties NZ Ltd, transferring to Poponui Ltd of Tauranga on 21-10-2022.

Current operator, Eastland Heliservices Ltd of Gisborne, listed it from 16-10-2023.

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Up from Southland was High Country Helicopters Ltd.'s Hughes 369D ZK-HZK2 c/n 79-0561D.

Its life also began in PNG, but in 1979, as P2-PHR with the same operator, Pacific Helicopters Pty Ltd of Goroka.

It moved to Australia to become VH-PLF from 14-04-1997.

Helicopter Finance registered it in NZ as ZK-HZK2 from 21-04-2006 and it joined High Country at Waikaia from 14-04-2008.

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MD 520 NOTAR ZK-IDL3 c/n LN051 is also a recent addition to the NZ register, being listed to a 'Private Owner' on 30-10-2024. It is operated by Nelson Helicopters.

This was first noted with McDonnell Douglas Helicopters of Mesa, Arizona in July of 1993 and went to India to become VT-TEX until returning to the US register on 22-02-2022 as N520NH.

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Cast your mind back to August of 1965 because this was when this Hughes 269B N9408F c/n 84-0132 came into the world.

After at least five operators in the States it came to NZ and became ZK-HTU from 29-03-1985 and initially operated out of Hanmer. Four more operators followed until it had an incident in the Tararua's on 27-02-1994.

Following repairs it returned to the register as ZK-HOR2 on 19-12-1995. After five more operators it joined current owner Alex Forsyth of Ashburton on 10-09-2023.

More from the Hughes helicopter fly in Hanmer 15-02-2025.

 Here we have three more Hughes helicopters noted at the Hanmer fly in on 15-02-2025.

Hughes 369B ZK-HDZ2 c/n 51-0959D of Fox Franz Heliservices.

It first raised its rotor head for the Hughes Helicopter Inc of Culver City, California as N1101U in October of 1981 and went to Cardiac Systems Inc of Ellerbe, North Carolina in 1982.

Cancelled in September of 1985 it became ZK-HDZ2 on 07-10-1985 for Helicopter Se

Its Kiwi registration was cancelled on 26-05-1986 for it to become P2-IHB with Island Helicopter Serviced Ltd at Rabaul.

On its return to NZ it took up its old ZK-HDZ2 registration on 31-07-1990 with Waimana Helicopters Ltd with a move to Amuri Helicopters Ltd at Waikari from 28-09-1994.

Damaged near Cheviot on 16-01-2004 it was ultimately repaired and was taken on by James Scott at Fox Glacier from 02-10-2007 and has traded under James as Alpine Adventures and Fox Franz Heliservices Ltd.

Cloudy Bay Helicopter's Sweitzer 269C ZK-HIM3 popped down from Riverlands.

Built as N7505Z and used by the City of Baltimore from late 1987 until it briefly became ZK-HHU2 on 04-03-1993 with Flightline Aviation Ltd (Mosgiel) before being shunted off to Australia to become VH-CAG3 for Diamond Drilling (Tas) Pty Ltd, Wynyard, Tasmania from 14-02-1994.

This was cancelled on 13-11-1997 for its return to NZ to become ZK-HTJ2 with Alf Speight of Westport. 

Seven operators later it was with Argus Helicopters Ltd from 18-10-2016 and they re-registered it as ZK-HIM3 on 28-10-2016.

Its current operator, Cloudy Bay Helicopters Ltd took control from 15-03-2017

Hughes 369D ZK-HOS3 c/n 1187D is a recent addition to our register having been listed to Phoenix Trading 2002 Ltd of Christchurch on 25-04-2024.

Built I believe in 1982 and moved to Sweden to become SE-HMN then to Norway as LN-OMT. It was allocated SE-HRK in Aprill 1986 but this was not taken up and it became LN-OPM. In mid 1989 it did become SE-HRK but was damaged during a training exercise.

Partially repaired it was exported to the USA and was allocated N493ES to Eastern Shore Helicopter Inc of Labelle, Florida. 

This US registration was cancelled on 18-10-2019.

Next it was noted during February 2023 at the earlier Hughes 500 Hanmer fly as a bare airframe on a trailer.

Its return to the air was completed by Argus Aviation at Motueka.

Around Auckland

Noted at Ardmore this morning was the Piper PA46-500TP ZK-ROW3 owned by Finbar Airways and based in Napier.  This was formerly ZK-UTE3 reregistered after Finbar's Cessna 208EX ZK-ROW2 was sold to Barrier Air in October 2024, becoming ZK-SDA3 in the process !

Nearby was the Ardmore Flying School's Cessna 172R ZK-TAS2 in a smart new paint scheme.

 Up at the Inflite base at Albany their AS355F1 ZK-HKY2 has been refurbished and repainted in an overall black scheme.

Another of the Inflite fleet, AS350B2 ZK-HJZ4,  is currently flying as "Police 4" searching for any illegal crops in the Opotiki and Coromandel areas.

Hughes helicopter fly in at Hanmer 15-02-2025

 Bill Hales of Woodbank, on the outskirts of Hanmer Springs, hosted a fly in of Hughes Helicopters last weekend. Main day being 16-02-2025.

Below we have three of the visiting helicopters.

Just in from Te Anau was the MDHC 600N NOTAR ZK-IJD2 c/n RN029 of Fiordland Helicopters Ltd.

A product of MD Helicopters of Mesa, Arizona in 1998 as N603BP and was delivered to the U.S. Border Patrol Air Operations out of El Paso, Texas on 16-12-1998.

In May of 2002 it transferred to the U.S. Customs & Border Protection Air & Maritime Operations, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC.

It was withdrawn from service in August 2010 and went into storage at the Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Group (AMARC) facility in Tucson, Arizona.

 'Regenerated' in March 2012 it became N2638S for the Dale County Sheriffs Office in Ozark, Alabama.

This US registration was cancelled on 28-09-2016 and it was shipped into Mount Maunganui for its NZ certification to ZK-IJD for Amalgamated Helicopters NZ Ltd on 04-10-2016.

Ownership moved to Fiordland Helicopters Ltd at Te Anau on 29-10-2024.

As you can see it still carries the "SHERIFF" and fleet number "4" from its final operator in the USA.

Half a dozen Hughes/Schweizer 269's made it for the weekend.

Above is the Hughes 2969C ZK-HGP c/n 73-0221 as listed to Trap And Trigger Ltd of Upper Hutt since December of 2022. 

This came new to New Zealand in late 1973.

A little more of its history can be seen  HERE

The MDHI 369E ZK-HAC3 c/n 0561E has been with Wanaka Helicopters Ltd since 11-09-2020.

It did however have a life in the USA initially as N70551 with MD Helicopters Inc of Mesa, Arizona from August of 2001 before taking up the N691F marks with the City of Oklahoma City Police Department from January 2003.

Its US registration was cancelled o 21-08-2014 for its move to NZ where it became ZK-HGF7 from 29-08-2014 with Alister Yeoman of Ashburton and then on to The Hangar Company (Ashburton) Ltd on 29-09-2016.

The Te Anau Helicopter Services Ltd had it briefly in 2016 before returning it to The Hangar Company.

Wanaka Helicopters Ltd picked it up from September 2020 and re-registered it as ZK-HAC4 on 18-09-2020.

Gulfstream N252DV into Christchurch

 Yesterday - 17-02-2025 - the Gulfstream GVII-G600 N251DV c/n 73114 cruised into Christchurch International Airport.

First flown on 18-03-2023 as N614GS with Gulfstream Aerospace for delivery to 600 Aviation LLC (De Vos family) of Grand Rapids on 30-06-2023.

They re-registered it as N251DV on 07-07-2023.

The Blackhawk ZK-HKU overhead Hanmer

Spotted passing near Hanmer on Saturday was the Sikorsky EH-60A Blackhawk ZK-HKU3 c/n 70-1132

of Kahu NZ Ltd.

After completing a job at Cardrona it flew from Wanaka to Twizel, overhead Hanmer, on its way to Omaka and Bridge Pa.

This Blackhawk has been mentioned several times previously. See here

 

A few from Healthy Bastards 2025 # 2

The 2025 edition of the Healthy Bastards STOL championship took place a Omaka on Saturday 15 February.

Below we have five photographs of the action from Grant Newman.

Rob Mackley's Lockheed 10A Electra ZK-AFD c/n 1145 showing how it is done.

 

Andy Richmond's Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub ZK-CVC c/n 18-7709103 is showing Mark Miller's Miller M1 Superchamp ZK-MMJ how to do it.

Paul Godfrey enjoying the day in his Skystar Kitfox IV ZK-JFA c/n C94080051.

The Zenair CH701 STOL ZK-NVY c/n 5770 with Frank Barker on the stick and pedals.

Converting horsepower into noise and dust is the North American Harvard 3* ZK-XSA c/n 78-6647 from Fighter Pilot Ltd.

RAAF Boeing 737-8 A62-002 Overnighted at Christchurch 15/16-02-2025

 The Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737-8 Max BBJ A62-002 c/n 67960 overnighted at GCH Aviation at Christchurch International Airport on 15/16-02-2025.

This 737 first flew as N787BJ from Renton on 17-05-2023 and was cancelled on 25-07-24 when it was transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force to become A62-002. It arrived in Canberra on 02-08-2024.

It cruised into Christchurch from Queenstown on the 15th and departed for Ohakea today - the 16th.