Sunday, 9 February 2025

Tandem Dominator ZK-RCE/2 at Mata on 8-2-2025

Mark Biddle flew across to Mata from Dargaville yesterday in his Neil Hintz Tandem Dominator ZK-RCE2:

Nicely positioned for touchdown on the 700 metre strip.

Then he left mid morning.  I think he just came for the scones with jam and cream!

Ashburton Sport Aircraft Association fly in yesterday 08-02-2025

              The Sport Aircraft Association held its annual gathering at Ashburton this weekend.
Below we have shots of a few interesting aircraft. 
The WACO Partnership's WACO UOC Custom ZK-AEL c/n 4336 in all its radiant beauty was down from Omaka for the day.
ZK-AEL has been mentioned previously  HERE.

Based on Rangitata Island is the Rans S-21 Outbound ZK-DRE3 c/n 2220239 as registered to Henry Bolt on 06-09-2024.

Together but miles apart. 
We have the Vincent Family Auster Syndicates Auster 5C ZK-AZF c/n 1272 and Andrew Vincent's Bede BD-5J ZK-XBD c/n 3904.

Previous mention of ZK-AXF can be found on this link ZK-AZF
&
Previous mention of ZK-XBD can be seen on this line  ZK-XBD

Thruster T500 ZK-RIR at Ashburton

 A stand out in the aircraft line up at the Sport Aviation Associations annual Ashburton fly in was the Thruster Aircraft Thruster T500 ZK-RIR c/n 093544.ZK-RIR first showed itself for the Wall and Cook Syndicate out of Hokitika, being registered to them on 07-08-1996. On 18-05-1997 it was listed to FamMed Health Care Ltd of Hokitika.
Exactly a year later it was over the hill with the Canterbury Recreational Aircraft Club at Rangiora.
Sometime in 2001 it had an engine failure on take off but was repaired and by 28-08-2002 it was Sam Orchard of Seddon, replacing his on sold Bantam ZK-FPQ.
A move to the deep south to Craig and Eric Moncur of Invercargill took effect from 20-01-2008 followed by a change to just Craig Moncur on 21-08-2008.
In July last year Fiona McLoy of Geraldine acquired it to replace her Thruster Gemini ZK-FME.
Nice one.

Below is a photo of ZK-RIR taken at Rangiora on 11-12-1999.

Saturday, 8 February 2025

Shark ZK-SAS/2 at Mata Today 8-2-2025

The Northern Aviators Club held their annual flyin today at Leo Johns' airstrip at Mata.  The conditions were great with the wind right down the strip, and the BBQ wasn't too bad either.  Seventeen aircraft flew in to join Leo's Cherokee ZK-EQX in the field that Leo opens up beside the strip for aircraft parking.

A first time visitor to Mata, Bruce Stevenson flew his Shark Aero Shark 600 ZK-SAS2 up from Kaipara Flats.  I took this photo from David Signal's Foxbat ZK-SGI as we were both about to depart to return to NZKF.  Of course Bruce beat us back!

Thursday, 6 February 2025

Gareth's Southern Odyssey (2)

Not far down from Mt Cook airport along SH 80 and SH 8 is Twizel where Gareth Arscott came across another Inflite Pilatus Turbo Porter -  ZK-MCT:

This is the Turbo Porter that has recently undergone a major overhaul by Inflite at North Shore (see: https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2024/08/pilatus-turbo-porter-zk-mct-ready-to.html ).

It now has the Skydive New Zealand Titles incorporating Skydive Abel Tasman, Skydive Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and Skydive Mt Cook.

Cessna 172 update - ZK-EOX and ZK-CTY

 The Cessna 172N Skyhawk ZK-EOX c/n 17272561 was shipped to NZ factory new.
 It had been allocated the US registration of N5390D but this was not taken up.
It was registered to Dalhoff & King Aviation Ltd at Ardmore on 04-02-1980 and official joined Associated Aviation (Motueka) Ltd of Motueka on 14-08-1980.
This changed to Associated Aviation (Wellington) Ltd from 04-12-1996 and then to the Ardmore Flying School Ltd at Ardmore on 17-04-1997.
It joined current owner Hawk Aviation Ltd of Auckland on 07-01-2019.

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The Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP ZK-CTY3 c/n 172S9819 was airborne in the USA in May of 2005 as N172FA.
It went to Poland to become SP-DPP  and is seen below at Wloclawek Kruszyn, Poland on 17-03-2012 thanks to Jarek Kania/Jetphotos.
On arrival in New Zealand it became ZK-CTY3 from 10-06-2013 with CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Ltd of Hamilton.
From 05-09-2017 it was transferred to L3 CTS Airline Academy (NZ) Ltd's name.
Appollo Flight Research NZ Ltd of Paraparaumu took it over briefly from 14-12-20 for staff transfer to their Kerikeri base. A Company name change to Merlin Labs NZ Ltd took place on 07-04-2021.
It is seen below at Ardmore on 09-12-2023.It was then moved on to the Ardmore Flying School Ltd of Ardmore from 12-06-2024 and is seen below on 14-12-2024.


Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Beech 95 -B55 Baron VH-XCV


An interesting visitor to Pauanui airfield today was the North Shore based Australian registered Beech Baron VH-XCV.    This is a 1976 model imported into Australia in 1989 and believed to have arrived in NZ in early 2024.


 

Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Gareth's Southern Odyssey (1)

I met Gareth Arscott and his wife at Kaipara Flats airfield last year, when they popped in to see some flying that was going on.  Gareth is a very keen aircraft photographer who mainly posts on Flicker, and I introduced him to the NZ Civair blog.  From Auckland Gareth and his wife flew to Queenstown and then proceeded to visit many aerodromes in the South:

A flight up onto the Tasman Glacier from Mt Cook Airfield is a true bucket list experience, and Gareth flew up there on 16/11/24 in Inflite Ltd's Pilatus PC 6 Turbo Porter ZK-MCN painted with Mt Cook Helicopters and Ski Planes titles.
 
There was an interesting sky up in the Southern Alps.

Then the flight back to Mt Cook Airfield was in Inflite's AS 350 B2 Squirrel ZK-HBT5.

Thanks for the photos Gareth (and for those to come).

Hercules farewell over Christchurch 04-02-2025

 A couple of very long shots of the RNZAF C130 farewell fly over Christchurch City today 04-02-2025

                                               Turning on to final for a runway two zero fly past.




Sunday, 2 February 2025

A Few More from GMC Taupiri on 1-2-2025

Here are a few more aircraft that were among the 28 or so at Martin Henton's GMC airstrip at Taupiri yesterday:

Kevin Mattson did a touch and go in his Rainbow Skyreach Bushcat ZK-ZOL just after we arrived.

and Tecnam Brave ZK-DDL2 has been owned by J S Wilson of Hamilton since 24/6/24.

There were also GA aircraft that flew in, here are Cessna 180J ZK-WBG, 180C ZK-KRD and 180J ZK-DKE.  You can find their histories: ZK-WBG HERE,  ZK-KRD HERE (scroll down) and ZK-DKE HERE