Helicopters at Motueka

Spotted on Wednesday (2023.05.10) at Motueka Aerodrome were three choppers receiving maintainence at Argus Aviation on the north side of the aerodrome.

MD 520 NOTAR - ZK-ISO (cn LN-006)

This bright red machine, was originaly built in September of 1991 as N526FB (LN006). It first saw service with the City of Phoenix Police Department of Phoenix, Arizona.

In May of 2006, N526FB was sold off to Germany, and became D-HABF of Hahn Helicopter Flight Services Gmbh, Germany. Whilst in Germany, it operated for just under 4 years and took on the bright red scheme.

During January 2010, the airframe was listed for sale.

Eventaully, purchased by New Zealand customer Faram Aviation Group Ltd of Hastings in August of 2013, the aircraft joined the New Zealand register as ZK-ISO. Coast to Coast Helicopters of Blenheim purchased the machine in October 2018, where it still resides.

ZK-ISO was previously featured on the blog here.

MD 520 NOTAR - ZK-IEG (cn LN-016)

Built in April 1992, this machine first saw service with Heli-Max of Ontario, Canada as C-FMYW (LN-016). On February 13th 2006, C-FMYW was purchased by Heli-Transport of Trois Rivieres, Canada. LN-016 first saw New Zealand skies in 2011 after being purchased by Reid Heslop Helicopters Ltd of Wakefield, as ZK-IJW (Previously mentioned here). ZK-IJW had multiple different operators in the South Island over the next 5 years before being purchased by Heliventures NZ Ltd of Oamaru in December 2016. Heliventures NZ re-registered the machine as ZK-IEG in January 2017 before being sold off to Hanmer Springs Helicopters (Amuri Helicopters Ltd), of Hanmer Springs on the 14th of September 2018 where it remains. The Amuri Helicopters logo can be noted on the tail boom.

ZK-IEG was previously mentioned on the blog here.

Aerospatiale AS350FX ZK-HJM (cn 1671)

A second Hanmer Springs Helicopters (Amuri Helicopters Ltd) machine was next to ZK-IEG (pictured above), ZK-HJM, an Aerospatiale AS350FX (c/n 1671). 

ZK-HJM flew from Twizel to Motueka on the 27th of April 2023 with a flight time of just over 2 hours. It remained in Motueka for two weeks before travelling to the West Coast the day after being photographed above.

ZK-HJM has been featured on this blog here.

 

At Christchurch Helicopters 16-11-2017

 At lunch time on Thursday 16-11-2017 at Christchurch Helicopters I managed to capture these four helicopters.

 The Robinson R22 Beta ZK-HCT6 (c/n 4270) went new to Wanaka Helicopters Ltd from the NZ distributors Skysales Aviation (NZ) Ltd in April of 2006.

 

 The Hughes 369E ZK-HSC3 (c/n 0409E) initially went to Japan as JA6069 in February 1991 and joined the NZ register on 11-03-2003 with Alan Speight of Pukekohe.

See earlier post Here

Ownership passed to Otago Airspread Ltd of Mosgiel on 01-07-2016 and very recently - 26-10-2017 - to Christchurch Helicopters 2001 Ltd.

 Above we see the Guimbal Cabri G2 ZK-HZO (c/n 1057) which is a re-registration of ZK-HCS5. 

A stranger lurking over near the back fence was the McDonnell Douglas 500N NOTAR ZK-IEG2 (c/n LN016). 

This began its NZ career as ZK-IJW from 24-08-2011.

Previous posts on ZK-IJW can be seen Here

 It joined Heliventures NZ Ltd of Oamaru on 22-12-2016 and was re-registered to ZK-IEG2 on 25-01-2017.

Magnaman comes South # 3

On the 24th Magnaman visited Glenorchy and found the McDonnell Douglas MD500N NOTAR ZK-IJW (c/n LN016) at work.

IJW is registered to Action Helicopters Ltd of Upper Moutere and wears a small sign advising that it is operated by Action Helicopters but proudly displays a larger Heliglenorchy sign on the fuselage and their WWW address along the tail boom.

Now where does Hidden Lakes (2008) fit into all this ?

Also operating from Glenorchy is the NZ Aerospace FU24-950 Walter conversion ZK-PDZ3 (c/n  157). This Fletcher initially went to Australia as a 950 with a Lycoming IO-720 engine but returned to NZ and became ZK-NZS2 on 09-02-2004 and was listed as a Walter conversion on 20-02-2004. It began its meat bombing at Wigram with Skydive Tandem before going to Skydive Glenorchy on 15-09-2011 with a change of registration to ZK-PDZ3 on 02-12-2011. 

Title changed to Skydive Queenstown on 17-10-2012.

It wears Skydive Paradise on its fuselage side.

Something different was the Cessna 680 Sovereign VH-EXG (c/n 680-0072) as registered to Melbourne Air Holdings Pty Ltd and operated by Executive Airlines Pty Ltd of Essendon. 

Below we have the Aerospatiale AS 350B2 ZK-HQN3 (c/n 3909) of Heli Tours Ltd.

 This was briefly ZK-IEO on import from June to August 2014.

Shot through the wire fence was the Heli-Works Queenstown Helicopters Ltd Robinson R44 Raven II ZK-ILS (c/n 13212).

The Glenorchy Air Services and Tourist Co Ltd Gippsland GA8 Airvan ZK-LOR [for Lord of the Rings] is c/n GA8-03-034 and took up duties at Queenstown in September 2003.

ZK-IBV above is Aerospatiale AS 350B2 (c/n 3761). It has been with The Helicopter Line Ltd since November 2012.

NOTAR ZK-IEG

Noted yesterday at Heli Maintenance in Christchurch was the MD 500N NOTAR ZK-IEG2  (c/n LN016).

This NOTAR was originally N52110 with MD Helicopters of Mesa Arizona from 08-02-1992 before venturing up to Canada to become C-FMYW with Heli-Max Ltd at Trois Riveres Quebec four months later. It was re-listed to Heli-Transport Inc of same address on 13-02-2006 and was noted soon after listed for sale with around 6400 airframe hours.

It popped up in NZ as ZK-IJW with Reid Heslop Helicopters at Wakefield from 24-08-2011.

See more Here.

By 22-12-2016 it was listed to Heliventures NZ Ltd of Oamaru who re-registered it as ZK-IEG2 on 25-01-2017.

I noted it yesterday wearing small Amuri Helicopter Ltd markings and in this all white scheme.

Of interest on the rear of the fuselage was the 'Down To The Wire' label.

For more on this project see https://www.facebook.com/WiresKillPilots/

To complete the picture - so to speak - we have below a pic of it as ZK-IJW as seen at Glenorchy on 24-10-2015 by Magnaman.

And as ZK-IEG in its Heliventures NZ Ltd scheme at Heli Maintenance Christchurch on 16-11-2017.

A couple of new Squirrels

Noted at Queenstown Airport this morning was the latest AS350 added to the Heliworx fleet being a brand new example 350B3 ZK-IHW3.   This was imported back in August 2024 and assembled at Queenstown.

And the latest addition to the Alpine Helicopters' fleet AS350B3 ZK-IJW2.    This was originally imported from Chile back in late 2013 as ZK-ITM being reregistered IJW in September 2024.  Note the registration is displayed just as "JW" unlike others in the ZK-I..  series which have the full registration painted on.

 

NOTAR ZK-IJW - Updated

Visiting the Oceania facility at Ardmore 04 September was this Wakefield/Nelson based Hughes 500N Notar ZK-IJW operated by Reid Helicopters and first registered in NZ 24 August 2011. 

During the latter part of the afternoon blades were removed, however by 06 September the NOTAR was on its way south again to its Tasman Bay home.

Wayne G photo

Rotary News

 

Things have been a bit quiet on the blog, so here's some stuff. Spotted in Helipro's hangar at Palmerston North on 1 May was Bo 105 DBS-4 9M-SAR ex SAR Helicopters in Malaysia. This was originally ZK-HSJ with Northland Emergency Services Trust in Whangarei from 20 August 2003 until cancellation on 13 January 2006, when it was exported to Malaysia. It did very little flying there (12 hours I believe), and has been in store at Palmerston for some time. It is expected to appear on the register shortly.
 

 

Continuing the theme of incomplete helicopters in hangars, recorded at Heli Maintenance in Christchurch today was MD500N ZK-IDZ, c/n LN046. This machine arrived earlier this week, and is ex C-FPRX of HeliMax Ltd/ HeliTransport Inc of Trois Rivieres, Quebec. Built in 1992, it was one of 6 purchased by HeliMax in 1993 for a contract, and like the others, has been in store for some time. Interestingly, three of them have found their way here earlier (c/n LN16 as ZK-IJW, LN019 as ZK-HEN, and LN047 as ZK-IEN), and I understand another is also in prospect. So that makes 25 the number of MD500N's we have seen in New Zealand (with at least another 2 due later this year), out of a production run of 111 - a further example is due to delivered in June this year to the City of Oakland Police. We have more MD500N's than any other country outside the US, and they only have around 35!





Oamaru report.

We don't very often get reports from Oamaru.

So this belated selection of pics from CMM is most welcome.

Pics were taken back on 28-12-2016.

All four aircrfat have been mentioned in previous blog posts.

 Cessna 180C ZK-BYJ (c/n 50908) is still with the HKJ Syndicate of Oamaru.

 The Cessna 172N ZK-EOI (c/n 17271937) has been with the North Otago Aero Club since about mid-2006.

 Garry Hawkins of Kurow still operates his Jabiru UL ZK-LEI (c/n 574)

In the 'big new hangar' was the MD 500N NOTAR ZK-IJW c/n LN016, which was only transferred over to Helivenrtures NZ Ltd on 2-12-2016.

It still carries its Heliglenorchy signage.