Question Time - Tip Jet helicopter?

Recently I scanned this photo from Jim Barnett's photo collection.  Jim thought it was taken at Opotiki in the mid 1980s:

The unregistered helicopter has Rotorjet Mk 1 on the tail.  It looks like it is a tip-jet helicopter and appears to be well made.  Jim thinks it was started up but did not fly.  Can anyone shed any light on this interesting machine?

This might be a Question Time for which there is no answer!

Tecnam P92 Eaglet ZK-NSL at Tokoroa 7-3-2026

 Mark Pattenden was at Tokoroa last Saturday where he photo'd the Tecnam P92 Eaglet ZK-NSL:

I thought it looked different and on checking I found that it is sporting new trim.  I guess this would have been added after it was rebuilt after crashing at Thames on 28/8/22.

Thanks for the photo Mark.

The 15th Tiger Moth at Kaipara Flats on 7-3-2026

This is how you move a Tiger Moth around  - like a wheelbarrow with the weight balanced over the wheels:

Bruce Lynch's and Arjen Visser's Tiger Moth ZK-ASM was the fifteenth Tiger Moth on the airfield for the Tiger Moth Club flyin.

Thanks for the photo David.

Beta Alia CX300 N401NZ and Beech B200C ZK-RFB at Napier

Last week the New Zealand Air Ambulance Service hosted the Beta Technologies Alia CX300 electric aircraft at its Napier base (after the end of its lease to Air New Zealand) and it was marked with their name and logo:

This photo shows the Beta Alia with the latest Skyline Aviation Beech B200C ZK-RFB outside the Hawkes Bay Air Ambulance Centre hangar at Napier.  It gives an good idea of the size of the Beta Alia.

The reason for the hosting the event was because the NZ Air Ambulance Service has placed a deposit for two electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for delivery in 2028.  This is the A250 version of the Beta Alia which has four vertical lifting electric motors as well as the pusher motor, and it has flown in the US as it the photo below.

Well, that is interesting!

Vans Aircraft at Kaipara Flats for the Tiger Moth Flyin

The lovely weather over the weekend and the attraction of a lot of Tiger Moths brought several Vans aircraft to Kaipara Flats:

A surprise was RV 8 ZK-VAF from Omaka which arrived on Friday and accompanied the Tiger Moths.

On Saturday another RV 8 ZK-SST flew in from North Shore.

As did RV 7 ZK-JPH4 which now has a new Auckland owner.

RV 6 ZK-VNZ  flew up from Ardmore.

And RV 3 ZK-WHO flew down from Whangarei.

All of these RVs have been covered on the blog previously

ZK-JOY in Nelson.

 The Cessna 182Q ZK-JOY2 c/n 18265177 flew into Nelson ex Christchurch, and via Lake Station on Saturday. Today (Sunday the 8th) it departed for Masterton and home base at Tauranga.

This 182 flew into Auckland from the USA as N7386S on 12-11-1976 and became ZK-EJC from 18-01-1977 for delivery to K.V.C Holdings. 

By October of 1994 it was with Joy Leslie of Dunedin.

Joy re-registered it as ZK-JOY2 in September of 1995.

It has been listed with current owner Skytrack Aviation of Mount Maunganui since May of 2012.

Diesel powered Cherokee warrior ZK-LYD.

The latest addition to the Tie-Upp Aviation fleet at Rangiora is the Piper PA-28-162 Warrier II ZK-LYD c/n 28-8316038.

A 1983 production aircraft initially listed in the States as N4292D. 

It came to New Zealand to become ZK-MBF for the Massey University school of Aviation at Palmerston North from 29-06-1990.

In December of 2010 it passed to Eagle Flight Training until being acquired by Oceania Aviation in May of 2016.

It has been re-engined with a Continental 155hp CD-155 diesel engine ( see here ) and fitted with a three bladed prop - re-registered as ZK-LYD on 15-12-2025 - and now purrs quietly in the skies around Rangiora.

Airways Corporation Cheyenne at Nelson.

 Nelson Airport on Friday the 6th.

Bill Mannix photographed the Airways Corporation's Piper PA-42-1000 Cheyenne 400LS ZK-FIS c/n 42-5527019 as it powered up to Generation Global, having arrived in from Christchurch.

It departed for Paraparaumu and Auckland on the 7th.See here for a short previous post on this aircraft.

More Tiger Moths at Kaipara Flats Today 7-3-2026

After yesterdays influx of Tiger Moths, two more flew in this morning to make a total of 15 Tiger on the airfield - the biggest gathering of Tiger Moths for many years according to John King (and he should know)

Rob McNair flew in from Ardmore in his spectacular black and gold ZK-AUD.

Then Dave Phillips arrived in his East Coast Air Services marked ZK-BEN, flown from his farm airstrip near Clevedon.

And here is an aerial view of Kaipara Flats showing the 14 Tiger Moths and one Thruxton Jackaroo (which started its life as a Tiger Moth in 1939).  A couple of other DH aircraft on the airfield were Bevan Dewes' DHC1 Chipmunk (top right) and the NZ Warbirds DHC2 Beaver (at the bottom).

Tiger Moths (and a Jackaroo) at Kaipara Flats Today 6-3-2026

The weather was excellent across the North Island today as eleven Tiger Moths and a Jackaroo arrived at Kaipara Flats airfield from North and South.  I tried to get photos of them arriving:

Jim Schmidt's ZK-CCQ is a local Kaipara Flats resident.

ZK-BFF is based at Whitianga and was flown by Peter McVinnie.

Alan Coubray flew in in his and Martin Farrand's ZK-ATM2.

ZK-ASV is based at Drury and was flown by Wayne Thomas..

John Pheasant flew in from Tauranga in his Jackaroo ZK-PHZ.

Woodsy flew the NZ Warbirds ZK-ATN from Ardmore.

Jerry Chisum flew the Darton Field Flying Syndicate's ZK-BAL.

Amanda Rutledge flew in in Ace Edwards' ZK-BEC which is based in the Pukekohe area.

Wayne Tantrum flew his newly restored ZK-AJH from Omaka via North Cape.

ZK-BEF is based at Wanganui and was flown by Darren Luff.

Carl Jackson flew the Omaka Real Flying Club's ZK-BER from Omaka.

And John Bayne flew his recently acquired ZK-BMY from Gore via North Cape.

With Bruce Lynch's ZK-ASM hangared on the airfield that made 12 Tiger Moths and the Jackaroo, and more Tigers are expected tomorrow