Whananaki for Lunch Today 20-8-2026

With the forecast of another stunning blue sky day in the North, Brien O'Brien called me and suggested we fly somewhere for lunch - what a great idea!  I have never flown into Whananaki so I suggested we go there.  There is a pretty good store there so something nice for lunch beckoned.  I had not flown on the coast North of Whangarei Heads so I was keen to have a look, and it was stunning!  We took off from Kaipara Flats airfield around 10 am in Brien's Fly Synthesis Texan ZK-TXN2 and as we climbed out there were several much faster RNZAF Texans in the area but they climbed higher than us.  We also heard the Dargaville Aero Club's Texan doing circuits and Harley was out flying on the West Coast in his Texan so there were Texans galore!

Flying North over Mangawhai with Whangarei Heads on the nose and the Hen and Chicken Islands to the right.

A closer look at the Hen and Chickens.

Ngunguru where Stuart Mitchell's  Avid Amphibian ZK-NGU used to fly.

The coast between Ngunguru and Tutukaka is spectacular (actually the whole coast is spectacular!).

Whananaki with the airfield at the wingtip and the Southern Hemisphere's longest footbridge on the left.

A lovely place to park up.  The tree behind with red flowers and no leaves is a flame tree.  We walked into the village and then across the longest foot bridge in the Southern Hemisphere before enjoying a nice lunch at the local beach store (delicious fish and chips).

After lunch we flew further North.  That is Whangaruru down there with Cape Brett in the distance.

Approaching Cape Brett.  The island is Motukokako with the famous Hole in the Rock.

Looking back at Cape Brett as we rounded it.  Click to enlarge to see the lighthouse (right of centre). 

Then we skirted around the edge of the Bay of Islands, that is Urupukapuka Island down there.

And we flew back down the coast.  A long shot of the Poor Knights Islands in the distance.

Back past Whananaki.

Past Tutukaka off to the right with Ngunguru in the medium distance.

Coming up to the Whangarei Heads from the North with the Hen and Chickens (right) and the Mokohinau Islands (left) with Little Barrier in the distance.

Quite a contrast to the beautiful seascapes we had been flying over - Marsden Point.

Then it was straight back to Kaipara Flats for coffee and cake!  A great day - thanks very much Brien.

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Ultrasports Trikes

Well here goes with our early trikes.  In the date order of new types of microlight types the next type to appear, and our first registered trike was the Ultrasports Tripacer trike, the first of which was registered on 19 March 1982.  This trike was manufactured by Ultrasports of Edburton near Henfield in West Sussex in England.

For trikes I will give their weights and general performance, and for the Ultrasport Tripacer these are:  empty weight 180 pounds, MAUW 380 pounds, engine Robin EC25PS of 18 HP, maximum cruising speed 45 mph and stall speed 20 mph.

This is a photo of an Ultrasports Tripacer trike in the UK.  I have not been able to find any photos of New Zealand registered Ultrasports trikes, but we have had six of them registered (and one re-registered with a new registration), as follows:

ZK-EWN (c/n MAANZ/033) Fitted with a Shark 180 hang glider wing.  Registered on 19 Mar 1982 to Flight Sails Ltd, Takapuna, then 19 Apr 1982 G. B. Christophers, Wellington, then 7 Mar 1983 P. A. Devane, Wellington, then 15 Oct 1986 S. L. Southey, Bulls.  Cancelled 9 Mar 1992 as withdrawn from use.

ZK-EXX (c/n MAANZ/022) Fitted with a Lightning 190 hang glider wing.  Registered on 23 Apr 1982 to Shaun Q. Gilbertson, Otama, later Wanaka.  Cancelled 24 Jun 1992 as withdrawn from use.

ZK-EXZ (c/n MAANZ/036) Fitted with a Shark 180 hang glider wing.  Registered on 23 Apr 1982 to G. R. Henderson, Wendon Valley, near Gore Cancelled 31 Jul 1989.

ZK-FCJ (c/n MAANZ/057) Fitted with a Moyes Meteor hang glider wing.  Registered on 13 Aug 1982 to C. F. M. Dekkers, Nelson, later Christchurch.  Cancelled 10 Oct 1994 as withdrawn from use.

ZK-FCV (c/n MAANZ/086)  Fitted with a Shark 180 hang glider wing.  Registered on 31 Aug 1982 to S. J. Askew, Waiotemarama, near Rawene, then  13 May 1987 K. R. Hoffman, Auckland.   Cancelled Dec 1999 as withdrawn from use.

ZK-FSV (c/n MAANZ/419)  Fitted with a MIG 172 hang glider wing.  Registered on 10 Mar 1989 to P. J. A. Brown, Kaiapoi, then 1 Aug 1990 A. G. Hamilton, Oamaru.  Cancelled 12 Mar 1992 as withdrawn from use.  Restored on 21 Oct 1997 to P. J. A. Brown, Kaiapoi.  Cancelled 1 Aug 2000 as withdrawn from use. 

Re-registered as ZK-TXS on 19 Nov 2002 to P. J. A. Brown, Kaiapoi.  Hit tree attempting a forced landing at Loburn 12 Apr 2003 Cancelled 24 Jul 2003 as withdrawn from use.  Restored on 7 Jan 2004 to C. B. Davis, Queenstown.  Cancelled (finally!) Dec 2006 as withdrawn from use.

Tecnam P2012 Traveller ZK-JTK

The Queenstown Air Charters Tecnam P2012 Traveller ZK-JTK c/n 091 has been carrying out training flights in the Queenstown, Wanaka and Alexandra area.

It is seen here doing circuits at Alexandra through the lens of Steve Bunting.

It now carries small Queenstown Air Charter titles below the cockpit and also the Kea emblem which was on its tail during the ferry flight from Italy. 

It ferried out using the San Marino registration of T7-NZL reaching Auckland on 29-07-2026.

Glenorchy Air Service & Tourist Co Ltd/Queenstown Air Charter is the NZ launch customer for this aircraft type.

It will join the Companies two Daher Kodiak 100s ZK-KDK and ZK-KDI and the Two Cessna Caravan EXs ZK-MMZ and ZK-PPR

For more details 

       

  SEE HERE for its arrival at Ardmore from the 3rd Level New Zealand blog.

See HERE for more on the Queenstown Air Charter operations.

Spirit SE 1 to New Zealand!

Some readers of the blog may be aware of the all metal single seat Spirit SE 1 which was sensationally revealed at Oshkosh 2025 when four of them were flown in from their factory in Grand Junction Colorado.  As well, the SE 1 was powered by a brand new 42 HP 4 stroke inverted vee 2 cylinder engine that was also designed and built by Spirit in-house.  And not only all that, but Spirit Engineering Inc showed photos of dozens more of them back in the factory.  And before Oshkosh 2025 virtually no-one knew anything about the aircraft!

The specifications for the Spirit SE 1 are:  length 18 feet, wingspan 24 feet 7 inches, height 5 feet, width 7 feet 5 inches with wings folded.  Empty weight 420 pounds, MAUW 740 pounds.  Cruise speed at 75% power 100 mph with a maximum cruise speed of 112 mph.  And the price was US$69,500.

One year later at Oshkosh 2026, Flyer TV interviewed Steve Wood, CEO of Spirit Engineering Inc and the designer of the SE 1 about progress in their first year which has resulted in 42 aircraft delivered.  Here is the link to the Flyer TV interview:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiDmdvCQnZM&t=3s 

Around 7 minutes and 50 seconds into the interview Steve Wood reveals that a Spirit SE 1 is on the water to New Zealand and due to arrive in Blenheim in late August!  When it gets here it will only be a matter of wheeling it out of the container and unfolding the wings, and it should be ready to go!

N9099Z finally going onto the ZK register - soon ! maybe !

 The Piper PA-46-310P Malibu N9099Z c/n 46-08007 arrived in Rangiora in about July of 2007 and for almost twenty years has remained on the US register and flying around New Zealand - apart from a period of time parked up due to "technical difficulties".

My first decent photograph of it is above - taken at Rangiora on 04-11-2007.

And on 28-12-2009 it was parked out in the elements.

Noted on the move at Nelson on 13-02-2015.

The only obvious external change in all its time here is the addition of a three bladed propeller as seen here at Nelson, thanks to Bill Mannix, on 21-07-2024.

I heard a rumour earlier this month that it was soon to join the New Zealand civil aircraft register.And behold. 

Above.  Bill Mannix snapped this shot of it marked up as ZK-MLB at Nelson on 21-07-2026 outside the RepairCraft facility.

Below. Also captured the same day at Nelson.

More technical difficulties have delayed its official listing on the NZ Civil Aircraft Register.

This was a 1986 production from Piper which gained its Airworthiness certificate as N9099Z on 26-08-1986 and went to Kansas City Aviation Center Inc at Olathe, Kansas until on sold to Riteway Oil and Gas co Inc of Fairmont, Nebraska in January 1987. By August 1995 it was with Hangar Nine Inc of Omaha, Nebraska. on 16-12-1997 it was certified to Kennon Shea of Quincy, California.
It then appears to have been sold through Dan Jay Aircraft Sales Inc of Chico, California to Six Six Hotel Corporation of Bangor, Pennsylvania in 2007 (about the time it came to NZ) and then on 23-11-2009 it was certified to Throwaway LLC of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania.

In NZ it was operated by Ian Andrews, initially out of Rangiora and then from Nelson. 

Rangiora Friday pie run 14-08-2026

 A nice catch at Rangiora today was the stopover of the Titan Tornado II ZK-JKD along with the ICP Savannah S ZK-JUN from Takaka.The Titan has been mentioned previously HERE

Following all the drama getting the engine problem resolved John Osmers named his aircraft "PERSEVERANCE"

Back in March John purchased the ICP Savannah S ZK-JUN from the Whangarei Flying Club and decided to sell the Tornado.

So, today's flight was the delivery of the Tornado from Takaka to Alexandra with its new owner Steve Bunting at the controls. 

Steve is well known from his SAB Avionics business - now Alexandra based.

ZK-JKD departing Rangiora for its new home at Alexandra.

Accompanying Steve down to Rangiora was John Osmers in his latest acquisition 

Savannah S ZK-JUN.

This Savannah, c/n 20-12-54-0751, was registered on 08-12-2022 as ZK-JUN to honour June Billings the Whangarei Flying Club patron and it first flew on 30-03-2023.

Above we see ZK-JUN departing Rangiora and heading back to its Takaka base.

ZK-JSS on a brief visit to Christchurch.

 The Piper Arrow III ZK-JSS flew into Christchurch from Omaka yesterday morning (14-08-2026) and returned to Omaka later in the day. Tony McFarlane was there to capture this image.

ZK-JSS c/n 28R-7837203 is a PA-28R-201 Arrow III. 

As the c/n implies this is a product of 1978 and was initially used in the USA as N9504C before ferrying out to NZ in October of 1990 for J S Spry of Wellington (hence the ZK-JSS registration) from 28-09-1990. After a period with Juliet Sierra Sierra Ltd of Johnsonville from mid 1994 until May of 1996 it went to Brian Swan of Dunedin. Chris Fleming of Mosgiel was next in line from September of 2017. then in May of 2022 Serge Luke took it on, still of Dunedin. From May of last year it has been listed with the JSS Syndicate of Blenheim.

Rangiora on Tuesday.

 Nothing new but a couple of interesting aircraft presented themselves today.

An out of towner in the form of Vans RV-7 ZK-SHN c/n 73115, as built by Christopher Schoen of Kaponga, is seen here in a very long shot of it trying to avoid the camera.

The Titan O-360 engine has a sound of its own.

This was first flown on 21-07-2013 by Les Worsley. 

It flew a pretty much direct from, and back to, Hawera today.

It as been mentioned several times on the pages previously.

Also previously covered was the locally based Just Aircraft SuperStol ZK-KAB2 c/n JA314-08-13 as owned by the KAB Syndicate.

The slats and slots show nicely.

Bristells Among the Sunflowers

A few months ago Martin Henton of the local Bristell agents took the opportunity to gather six Bristells together for a spectacular photoshoot among a field of sunflowers just before they were harvested:

The Bristells were ZK-NGZ, ZK-NGO2, ZK-NGT, ZK-EAC3 in the rear with ZK-SAM4 and ZK-DVB2 in front.

Thanks for the photo Martin.

Lancair ES ZK-EDZ has departed our shores.

 As I type this the Lancair ES ZK-EDZ2 c/n LES-254 is on is delivery flight to Slovenia.

It came to NZ as a ten year old having flown in the States as N764ES and listed here on 16-01-2014.

 I received the following from a regular blog reader :-

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

Thought you’d be interested in the travels of Lancair, ZK-EDZ. 

I have been ‘looking after’ it for the last three or so years. 

Taking it for a warm up flight every month or so. 

It was owned by Kevin Foster at Motueka, who sadly passed away suddenly around 4 years ago. 

The aircraft took a while to sell and was eventually sold to a Slovenian three years ago.

This person is right now in the process of flying it to Slovenia. 

As I write this ZK-EDZ is heading towards Darwin.  

You can follow along HERE

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(I hope these links all work).