Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026 (9) - A "New" Tiger Moth

There were several Tiger Moths present and flying at Wanaka and they flew in de Havilland flypasts along with Bevan Dewes' Fox Moth and Vaughn Davis' Chipmunk.  But there was another Tiger Moth on the airfield, being Wanaka Helicopters newly acquired ZK-APS:

As with all Tiger Moths ZK-APS  has a long and interesting history and is probably a bit like "grandfather's axe".  Its fuselage was built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company at Hatfield in 1940 and shipped to New Zealand where the de Havilland Aircraft Company of New Zealand built the wings and gave it the c/n of DHNZ 45.  It became NZ795 with the RNZAF on 30/1/41 and served with 1 and 3 Elementary Flying Training Schools and then was put into storage at Shelley Bay in Wellington.  In 1947 it was sold to the Southland Aero Club who registered it as ZK-APS on 15/8/47.

It then went to the South Canterbury Aero Club and it crashed at Timaru on 22/12/56 and was cancelled on 8/3/57.  It was then rebuilt at Timaru by Aerotech Ltd with an enclosed cabin and was registered ZK-BUO on 11/11/57.  It then passed through owners at Oturehua (near Naseby), Waipiata (near Ranfurly) and New Plymouth before being sold to the New Plymouth Aero Club on 16/11/67and they converted it back to open cockpits. It crashed at New Plymouth on 11/9/68 and was sold to a Hamilton owner, and it crashed again, this time at Puketaha Point on 18/2/72.  

It is photo'd here at Timaru on 23/3/74 where it had Honey Puffs sponsorship.  Simon Spencer-Bower bought it on 22/3/74 (one day before the above photo)and he repainted it in its wartime yellow RNZAF training scheme and operated it for many years.  And finally it was registered to Wanaka Helicopters Ltd who re-registered it back to ZK-APS in early December 2025.

Thanks for the photo of ZK-APS Mark

Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026 (8) - Another One That Didn't Make It

There was another aircraft heading for Wanaka that didn't make it (along with the USAF F 22s Raptors and the RNZAF).  This one was somewhat smaller and they made it as far as Lord Howe Island:

This was the Sling 4TSi VH-JEJ4 which was registered to Julie Johnston of Perth in March 2025.  It was flown all the way from Perth to Lord Howe Island when the weather report provoked a "yeah-na" reaction, and the owner then flew across the Tasman to Queenstown commercially before making the airshow.

Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026 (7) - Yaks, Harvards, Spitfires and a Mustang

There were quite a few aviators from the Warkworth area that made the trip down to Wanaka, and a couple of them were Rob and Nong.  Nong took lots of photos and here are a couple of them:

Display aircraft waiting their turn to strut their stuff, Yak 3 Full Noise with Harvards and Yak 52s.  There were 13 Yak 52s there and 6 Harvards  (as well as 2 Nanchangs).

Warbirds flying over the wall of fire - Mustang, 2 Yak 3s (3M and 3U) and 2 Spitfires (Mk IX and XI).

Two more from Wellington yesterday April 11th.

 On short finals for runway 16 at Wellington on Saturday 11-04-2026 - thanks to Allister Jenks.

The Hawker Beechcraft B200C King Air ZK-RFB c/n BL-154 as listed to Skyline Aviation Ltd of Napier and operated for the New Zealand Air Ambulance Service. 

Beside the large fuselage graphics it has the 'Te Manu Karanga' script.

The RFB registration is to honour the long serving air ambulance doctor Ross Freebairn.

It arrived in from and returned to Napier.

For more info on this aircraft See HERE

The Cessna A152 Aerobat ZK-ELS c/n A1520816 joined the Wellington Aero Club just over a year ago after nine years of service with the Kapiti Aero Club at Paraparaumu. 

This factory new Aerobat first flew in NZ on 10-10-1978 before delivery to Associated Aviation at Paraparaumu. In mid 2005 Rick Lucas Helicopters/Helipro Aviation Training of Palmerston North  operated it until passing it on to Associated Aviation (Wellington) Ltd in March of 2013. The Kapiti Districts Aero Club took it on in Mat 2016.

The Canterbury Aero Club flight into Wellington

 Three aircraft from the Canterbury Aero Club visited Wellington on Saturday the 11th.The Piper PA-28-181 Archer TX ZK-LJO c/n 2881232 did a Christchurch to Nelson, Wellington and return to Christchurch flight on Saturday.
This was a factory new aircraft for the Canterbury Aero Club - arriving at the Club on a flat deck truck from Lyttelton - on 29-01-2020 - along with the pre loved PA-28-161 (which became ZK-EBM2). (Recently mentioned HERE )

Above. Also flying from Christchurch to Wellington return - but via Omaka - was the Piper PA-38-112       ZK-EYG2 c/n 38-82A0096. 

This Tomahawk, ex N9150A, initially became VH-NFY. It was ferried across the 'Ditch' flying from Lord Howe Island to Norfolk Island on 08-10-1993 - then on to Auckland the following day.

It became ZK-JCZ from 10-12-1993 with DTI at Ardmore, then to the Ardmore Flying School later that month. 

After two further owners it was acquired by the Canterbury Aero Club (Inc) from 07-05-2004. They re-registered it as ZK-EYG2 on 07-05-2004.

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And Below. The Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk ZK-JHO c/n 38-82A0121.

Built as N9252A it spent its first fourteen years in Seletar as 9V-BNR with the Republic of Singapore Aero Club.

It became ZK-JHO on 06-06-1997 - joining the South Canterbury Aero Club (Inc) at Timaru in May of 1998.

In late 2020 ZK-JHO (along with PA-38 ZK-PAD) moved to the Canterbury Aero Club at Christchurch - with the two Alpha's ZK-VCA and ZK-VCC moving to the South Canterbury Club at Timaru.

Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026 (6) - Broussard and Beaver

Since we posted about the Max Holste Broussard at Wanaka (HERE) it has been registered as ZK-OUI2 (which is the very French registration we alluded to), and it has a registered colour scheme.  It was displayed at Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026 with the NZ Warbirds Beaver ZK-CKH:

The photos are from Down Under Aviation News on Facebook.

The Beaver and the "French Beaver" flying together.

Warbirds Over Wanaka (5) - Republic Seabee N6224K

 David Berger's Republic Seabee N6224K was at Wanaka and is now named "Honoria Glossop":

Who is Honoria Glossop you may well ask.  Well, she is Bertie Wooster's nemesis in PG Wodehouse's novels.  Some more details about her are explained in this video from David:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Y79MJdk8g&t=1s

And there is some wonderful footage of flying off glassy Southern lakes on the video too.

The Rainbow Skyreach Bushcat ZK-ZOL

 An Autumnal shot of the Rainbow Skyreach Bushcat ZK-ZOL c/n CH205C parked at Omarama 

on 02-04-2026.

Imported from South Africa by Kevin Mattson of  Bushcat Aviation Ltd of Taupiri and first registered on 21-01-2019. One of seven Bushcats, plus one Cheetah, in NZ.

Meek and Mild Aviation Ltd of Mosgiel became the proud owners earlier this year.

Robinson R44 Raven II ZK-ILS

 Noted operating out of the Mechanics Bay Heliport yesterday was the Robinson R44 Raven II ZK-ILS c/n 13212.

This was imported through Skysales Aviation (NZ) Ltd of Christchurch and registered to them on 15-11-2011 for listing to Heli-Works Queenstown Helicopters Ltd a month later.
They sold it on to Stephen McCowan of Matakana around October of 2017, followed by a move to East Coast Plant Hire Ltd of Gisborne from March of 2019.
It then went to Argus Aviation (NZAP) Ltd at Taupo in October of 2024 and resurfaced after due attention to join EagleFlight Technics c/o Helicopter Me of Auckland in late 2025.

Gardan (SUD) Horizon ZK-CLK update in OZ

 The Gardan GY-80 Horizon 150 VH-YOG c/n 71 spent its formative years in New Zealand as ZK-CLK between April 1965 and November 1999. 
It has been with Allan Churn at Ferndale Western Australia since mid 2009. 

I will let Allan take up the story of its latest move.

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Hi Dave.

I thought I would update your records for NZ SUD Horizons.

You may recall ZK-CLK went to Perth around 1999 .

Blair Howe was the importer (to Bunbury)....

he sold it to Dennis Coxall (also of Bunbury), who sold it to me in 200

I have now sold VH-YOG to Geoffrey Boutcher, who lives in Boort, in rural Victoria.

A ferry pilot, Hamish Johns, flew it across to Boort on 2 March 2026, via Caiguna and Ceduna, arriving at Boort on 4 March. Hamish said it didn't miss a beat...did 130kts at 9,500ft.

My only reason for selling "Smiley", was to provide room in my hangar to assemble my Barber Snark.

Above - refueling along the way.

Below is a section of the Great Australian Bight.

The direct line distance from Bunbury to Boort, Victoria is around 2700km.

Some earlier background on ZK-CLK and our other GY-80's can be found HERE

The Barber Snark that Allan has acquired is ex ZK-JIU c/n 003 and was registered as 19-3116 on      03-03-1999.  

See Here