Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Fleet T-057

 Tony McFarlin captured the Airbus A330-243 MRTT T-057 c/n 1945 arriving at Christchurch on the 14th.

MRTT is for Multinational Tanker Transport Fleet (NATO).

This first flew with the Airbus test registration of F-WWKD on 06-11-2019 and was delivered to Airbus Defence & Space on 04-12-2019 to become EC-337. It was delivered to the Royal Netherland Air Force on 01-04-2021 as T-057.

It departed Eindhoven for Brussels and Dubai on the 13th and continued on to Kuala Lumpur and Christchurch on the 14th.

New owner for Rans S-7 ZK-TKB

 Back on March the 14th I spotted the Rans S-7 Courier ZK-TKB2 c/n 0707466 doing circuits at Rangiora.

For more details from a previous blog post on this aircraft  SEE HERE

It appears to now have a Sensenich propeller.

New owners were recently listed as Innovative Aviation Ltd of Rangiora.

Christchurch visitor yesterday - Sunday the 16th.

 Stopping over in Christchurch yesterday was the Gulfstream GV-SP (G550) N888KZ c/n 5309.

As N509GA with Grumman Aerospace it gained its airworthiness certificate on 12-07-2010.

It was delivered to Exxon Mobil Corporation of Dallas, Texas on 11-03-2011 as N300A with change to N300AY, still with Exxon Mobil from 19-01-2018 until transferring to KZ Partners Inc/Incorporating Services Ltd of Dover, Delaware on 12-04-2018.

Current operator appears to be listed as Executive Jet Management.

A Glider at North Shore!

On a trip down to North Shore yesterday afternoon for some Avgas, I didn't expect much action but I was gobsmacked to see a glider on the airfield.  I have never seen a glider there in all my visits:

The Glaser Dirks DG300 Elan ZK-GCB2 (c/n 3E-3) had made an outlanding at North Shore, not being able to make it back to Whenuapai after a cross country flight up North.

Of course I went to take a closer look, and while a was there the Eagle 150 ZK-XAB landed and taxied past making a nice contrast of fibreglass flying machines.

And another nice surprise was Stan Smith's DH Dragon ZK-AXI arriving, from the Warbirds event at Ardmore I guess.  Unfortunately it was into the afternoon sun.

Then the sun came out for a nicer photo.  The DG300 has been owned by K S Jasica of Orewa since 9/3/23.  He was planning an aerotow back to Hobsonville but I couldn't wait for that as the Australian Grand Prix was beckoning.

Eurocopter AS 350 B3e ZK-HWD /4

 Another great addition to the Christchurch Helicopters Ltd.'s fleet.

The Airbus AS 350 B3e c/n 8857 was test flown with the French test registration of F-WWPN taped inside the rear window as seen below prior to initial delivery. 
It was registered as LN-OXL on 25-05-2020. 

It went via the Norwegian Eurocopter agents Ostnes AS to Airlift AS and is seen on delivery below on 20-06-2020.

Title passed to Nordea Finance Equipment AS on 19-04-2022 with the Norwegian registration being cancelled on 16-07-2022. It then passed through Dragonfly Helicopters/Ostnes AS and became OY-HZN and ultimately operated with GreenlandCopter A/S out of Tasiilaq, with a short lease to Air Greenland in February 2024.

Its Danish registration was cancelled on 14-02-25 for it to become ZK-HWD4 with Christchurch Helicopters from 19-02-2025.

Above ZK-HWD4 pushed out at the Christchurch Helicopters facility on Friday 14-03-2025.

Friday helicopters

 At Rangiora on Friday the MD 500N NOTAR ZK-HSB3 c/n LN044 was parked outside Aerofix Ltd and about to depart.

ZK-HSB was built in the latter part of 1992 as N52184 before heading down to Guatemala as TG-DIS in January of 1993.

From there it moved to South Korea to become HL9135 in November 1996.

It entered the ZK register on 17-08-2023 for its current listed owner, Cyclic Services Ltd of Auckland, and about to join the Waipara Hills Helicopters fleet.

Just arriving was the Phoenix Trading 2002 Ltd's Aerospatiale AS 350 B2 ZK-HLS6 c/n 2634 below.

This Squirrel arrived in NZ after an early life in Italy as I-PRID from 1992 followed by time in the USA from 1999 initially as N816CE, then as N816CF from 2010, and lastly N991DW before joining Phoenix Trading in Christchurch on 08-06-2016.

Two Cessna's on Friday.

 Captured snorting out of Rangiora yesterday (Friday the 14th) was the Cessna 172 ZK-BSU c/n 29604 of Horizon Adventures. 

For more on this aircraft See here.

A pleasant surprise over at Christchurch International Airport was the Cessna 180 ZK-BVG c/n 50068 of the BVG Syndicate with its West Aero Engineering motif on its fin.

The above shot was taken before remembering to switch on the 'fence removing' camera app.

This aircraft has also been mentioned previously on these pages. See here.

New to the register at Rangiora.

 It was very rewarding pie run into Rangiora yesterday for viewing newly registered aircraft.

Doug Anderson's ICP Savanna S ZK-DUV2 c.n 22-10-54-0896 was having its vinyl colours added.

First registered 0n 31-01-2025.

Doug registered his Airborne Windsports T-Lite as ZK-DUZ3  c/n TL-T13-0029 on 07-03-2025.

MCTOW is listed as 210kg.

Our fifth Australian Aviation Works Karatoo J6 was registered as ZK-KTI c/n J6-676P to Ian McPhail of Christchurch on 18-02-2025.

Guimbal Cabri G2 ZK-HVG at Nelson 14-03-2025

Noted at Nelson Airport this morning by Bill Mannix was Murchison Heli Tours Ltds Guimbal Cabri G2 ZK-HVG3 c/n 1007.

This little helicopter has been mentioned several times previously

See Here

 

Tandem Taildraggers from the South at Hawera on 9-3-2025

Jordan Elvy produced a good effort to head up to Hawera pre-dawn last Sunday 9/3/25.  The reason for such dedication was to catch the aircraft whose pilots had attended the AOPA. AGM the previous day before they departed for Centennial Park at Taupo.  There were 30 visiting aircraft on the airfield, but a few sport aircraft took my eye:

Steve Lyttle's new Cub Crafters Carbon Cub CC11-160 ZK-SCH2 is now flying and is getting around the country, having been at Mandeville and Highlands Motorsport Park recently

And for a comparison, here is a real Piper Cub - Gavin Wills ZK-BFV up from Omarama.  This Cub started out as a topdresser for Airwork in March 1955 and on 24/5/58 was involved in a fatal accident near Hawarden.  It was obviously rebuilt and was converted into a 3 seater  "pregnant Cub" and has been owned by Gavin Wills since 10/5/72.  You can see its history HERE

And rounding out the trio of Tandem Taildraggers was Graham Johnson's R&B Bearhawk Patrol ZK-MAY2 up from Christchurch.

Thanks as always for the photos Jordan.