China Eastern Airlines to and from Shanghai

In my last post I mentioned that I was off for a few weeks to cruise up the Yangtze River, and now we are back home again after some amazing sights and assaults on the senses.  I did not see much of aviation in China except for a couple of military helicopters at Jingdezhen which is the city where Changhe helicopters are based - they were flying in the distance and one was smaller and the other bigger so I think they were the Change Z-8 heavy army transport helicopter and the Changhe Z-10 attack helicopter (thanks to Google).  Then at Wuhan I saw a Xi'an Y-20 Kunpeng heavy lift military transport aircraft doing circuits at a nearby air base (it looks like a C-17 Globemaster).  And at several places I heard the distinctive sound of military fighter jets overhead but I was never able to see them.  Then there was a big airshow and aviation trade fair at Zuhai I think which was on TV and the most interesting thing to me was a 9 aircraft Nanchang formation aerobatics team that were all painted up identically.

And now for a link to New Zealand civil aviation!  We flew to and from Shanghai from Auckland International by China Eastern Airlines who operate several flights a day I think to and from destinations in China.  Our flight up to Shanghai turned out to be on a fairly new Airbus A350-900 (December 2023) which was a nice surprise as it wasn't the type that was on our tickets.  It was B-32FQ, note that China has now gone to a mixture of numbers and letters in their aircraft registrations.

This was the best photo I could get of it as we boarded around 10 pm in the dark.

Twelve hours later arriving at Pudong airport around dawn and you get a nice view of the landing from the screen in front of us.  I gave the pilot a pass mark for the landing.

Then coming back from Shanghai yesterday we flew in a pretty tired Boeing B777-300 B-2001.  This turned out to be the first B777-300 that was delivered to China Eastern back in September 2014.

Cessna T240 N362CS visits Christchurch again.

The Cessna T240 Corvalis N362CS c/n T24002062 dropped in from Wanaka on Friday morning - returning to Wanaka later.

                                It has featured several times previous in these pages -  See HERE

EC130B4 ZK-IJK 4

Calling into Pauanui airfield very briefly last evening was Inflite's EC130B4 ZK-IJK4 whose registration reflects its owner, John Key.   This was originally imported from Mexico as ZK-HBZ4 in 2016, being reregistered IJK earlier this year.

 

Cessna R182 ZK-MPE

Visiting Pauanui airfield today from Ardmore was the Cessna R182 ZK-MPE which hasnt featured on this Blog before.   This is a 1978 model exported originally to Australia as VH-MII before moving onto NZ in early 2020 and undergoing a lengthy complete refurbishment.

 

Cessna 185B Skywagon ZK-CEW revisited.

 The Cessna 185B Skywagon ZK-CEW c/n 185B-0528 was imported new from the Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas where it had been test flown as N5228Z.

It was registered to the then NZ Cessna agents Rex Aviation (NZ) Ltd at New Plymouth on 15-03-1963.

It was officially listed to Mount Cook Air Services Ltd on 23-05-1963.

                         Above is the best photograph I have seen of ZK-CEW. Source unknow
                                           Taken between March 1963 and October of 1965.

ZK-CEW crashed on the Albert Glacier on 23-10-1965. Some sixty years ago.

We mentioned this in a previous blog post ten years ago. HERE

Question time resolved.

 It has been some time since we have posted a 'Question Time'.

So have a gander at this photo.

Tell me what aircraft make and model do we have here ?

And what ZK registration would you put on it ?

********************************************************

This question was resolved very quickly by "Anonymous"

It is indeed the undercarriage to the Lockheed L12A Electra Junior ZK-LHE.

So, to Anonymous has gone the anonymous chocolate fish to an anonymous address.

Enjoy.

Above : Two views of the L12A undercarriage.

Yes there is some considerable differences between the L10 and L12 undercarriages.

Below :  a view of an L10 undercarriage.

ZK-HTL at Christchurch

 Recently listed to Claridges Helicopters of Christchurch is this Airbus AS 350 B3 ZK-HTL5 c/n 8572.

Originally registered as ZK-ILO2 on 20-09-2018 when it arrived new in country for Helicopters Queenstown and was operated by Glacier & Southern Lakes/Ngai Tahu.

It was sold and re-registered to ZK-HTL5 in June this year.

Titan T51 Mustang ZK-TCV at Nelson

 Titan T51 Mustang ZK-TCV c/n 0081 today at Nelson.

Alan Caudwell's Mustang was out aviating in the circuit yesterday 

 and today was noted in the Karamea area today.

High Flyer over Christchurch.

Whilst partaking of my afternoon tea I noted this chem trail from my lounge window - east bound.

A quick decko at FR24 told me that it was LATAM Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner CC-BGI c/n 38764 on a direct flight from Sydney to Santiago South America.

35,000 feet and 510 knots.

It is due back into Auckland tomorrow.

At the Geraldine Military Museum.

 When next you pass through Geraldine, why not consider a visit to the Geraldine Military Museum.

You will find it is time very well spent.

Below we look at the two main aviation attractions.

Both suspended from the roof.

The Airdrome Aeroplanes Fokker D.VI is a 75% scale replica built by Graham Ritchie of Ashburton and registered as ZK-TBF2 (with the c/n NZ001) on 16-06-2008.

Ownership passed to Greg Burt of Queenstown in September of 2009 - with a move to Dunedin in about 2018. The aircraft however was kept in Greg's special hangar on Rangitata Island Airfield.

Greg withdrew it from use and the registration was cancelled on 26-07-2021 and it was placed in the Geraldine Military Museum in late 2023.

Greg also owns the Rans S-17 Stinger ZK-EEE2, the Mike Kindon built Graham Lee Nieuport 17 replica ZK-RFC2.,and the Paddy McDonnell built Airdrome Aeroplane Fokker D-VIII Replica ZK-FKR2.

Then we have the 7/8th scale Circa Reproductions Nieuport 11 ZK-NIE2 c/n MAANZ/471 as built by John Lowther of Timaru. It was constructed around the Grahan Lee design but little resembled the plans internally, having a wooden instead of allow framework.

 It was registered on 20-03-1992. and first flew at Timaru on 05-06-1993 with its 1600cc VW engine.

It carried the N1895 markings as used by Charles Nungesser on several of his aircraft during World War One.

John sold it to Neil Lopez of Auckland in February of 1997. It was damaged soon after at Pikes Point with the registration being revoked in August 1999.

It was obviously repaired because it was sold by auction in March 2007 and soon appeared in the A1 Rentals showroom at Kerikeri. It was then noted for sale on TradeMe in March 2010 and next noted by me at Oamaru in early 2013 in the care of Colin Hay - having suffered some rodent damaged whilst in storage.

Colin reworked the aircraft and presented it marked as B1506 - the marks as used by Lt Archibald William Buchanan Miller DFC of 29 Squadron of the RFC.  SEE HERE for more on Miller.

During high speed taxi trials at Oamaru on 30-10-2016 an axle snapped and it overturned. (apparently not for the first time).

Now jump forward a couple of years and it now appears in the Geraldine Military Museum.