Ashburton Akro Fest 2026 #2

 Also at Ashburton for the Akro Fest we see the Sonex  ZK-CSL2 c/n 1476 of Cameron Day.

See HERE for more on ZK-CSL.

The American Champion 8KCAB ZK-DCL2 is c/n 1087-2009.

See Here for a recent post on this aircraft.

Morris Tull also had his MXS ZK-MXS c/n 0013 on site.

 

And Chris Schadler had his Rihn DR-107 One Design ZK-WAM3 c/n 94-0115 down from Whakatane.

See Here for more on ZK-WAM.

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Also hanging around - but not part of the Akro Fest was the Moravan Zlin Z50LS ZK-ZSO c/n 0070 which is mounted on the back wall of the Ashburton Aviation Museums hangar.

Ashburton Acrofest Friday the 6th

 The South Island Akro Fest 2026 is being hosted by the Mid Canterbury Aero Club at Ashburton this weekend.

Below we see four partaking Pitts Specials.

Above we have the Morrice Tull Aerotek Inc S-1S ZK-FRJ c/n 1-0025.

See here HERE for more on ZK-FRJ.

ZK-KEM is a Pitts S-1D with c/n AACA/404 as listed with Alex Kaandorp.

See HERE for more on ZK-KEM.

The Brad Pearpoint Pitts S-1S ZK-PEG c/n AACA/179/2

Drill down through here HERE to find more on ZK-PEG.

And ZK-PUG the Aerotek Inc S-1S c/n 1-0020 of Andrew Love.

Click here for  Search results for ZK-PUG

The New Rescue Helicopters Story and Taranaki's New Airbus H145 D3 Helicopter

We have occasionally featured new Rescue Helicopters on the blog but in a somewhat random way.  However as investigated I found that there is a Government funded programme to upgrade the fleet in association with the six major Rescue Helicopter services around the country.  These six services are: 

-the Auckland Regional Helicopter Trust and Northland Emergency Services Trust covering Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel, 

-the Phillips Search and Rescue Trust covering the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taranaki and surrounding areas, 

-the Hawkes Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust covering Hawkes Bay and East Coast communities, 

-the Life Flight Trust covering the bottom of the North Island and the top of the South Island, 

-Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue covering Canterbury and the West Coast, and 

-Helicopters Otago covering Otago and Southland.

The Government invested $27.3 million in 2024 and 2025 (along with other fund raising by many organisations) to upgrade the New Zealand Rescue Helicopter fleet and purchase 16 new Rescue Helicopters by June 2027.  These helicopters are mostly Airbus H145 D3 helicopters with 5 bladed rotors although there are some D2 models with 4 bladed rotors.  And the Auckland Regional helicopter Trust and Northland Emergency Services Trust operate Leonardo AW169 helicopters.  These new helicopters are all twin engine models and have larger cabins with improved patient care facilities, and also have the latest technology in their cockpits and enhanced performance and better all weather capability.

Within the last couple of days the new New Plymouth based Airbus H145 D3 helicopter has been delivered and I think it is the ninth of the sixteen that will eventually be delivered:

ZK-IXC (c/n 21514) was registered on 6/7/26 to Search and Rescue Services Ltd of Taupo.

Topdressing DC 3s (9) - ZK-BKD

It has been a while since I did my previous post on topdressing DC 3s (which was on ZK-BBJ), so here is the next one in alphabetical registration order, ZK-BKD:

ZK-BKD at Gisborne on 2/6/73 and below also at Gisborne in a later scheme.

Douglas C47A-25-DK (c/n 13521)

Built by The Douglas Aircraft Co, Oklahoma City, OK with 2x 1200HP 18cyl Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 engines as 42-93592 6 Jun 1944 USAAF 

14 Jun 1944 USAAF Pacific TSP, Manila Declared surplus 13 Sep 1945 stored at Manila 

13 Dec 1945 Australian National Airways @ 2,111 hours Flight Time.   Exported to Australia, flown. 

VH-ANU 17 Dec 1945 Australian National Airways “Lemana” Fitted with 9-cyl Wright R-1820-65 engines Converted to passenger configuration Jul 1953 cancelled 14 Jun 1955.

Exported to New Zealand flown to Whenuapai 14 Jun 1955 with 22,866 hours Flight Time.

ZK-BKD 19 Jul 1955 New Zealand National Airways Corp, Wellington “Kotare” 

17 Oct 1961 Mount Cook & Southern Lakes Tourist Co, Timaru 

Converted to Skyliner 27 Jul 1963 3 Jul 1970 NZ National Airways Corp, Wellington 

13 Jul 1970 Fieldair Ltd, Palmerston North converted to topdresser First flight as Ag Dak  28 Aug 1971 Last flight as Ag Dak flight 23 Jan 1983 @ 51,277 hrs Flight Time (8019 hours ag work) 

30 Mar 1984 Fieldair Holdings Ltd, Palmerston North.   Cancelled Oct 1987.

Put on display at a museum in Rotorua, then moved to Gisborne and placed on plinth above the Crash Palace Wine Bar without engines.

This photo of ZK-BKD was taken in 2013 and I believe it is still there.

Avid Flyer ZK-JDF update.

 The somewhat modified Avid Flyer Mark IV ZK-JDF c/n 1459D was captured on landing at Rangiora yesterday, 31-10-2026, by regular contributor Aaron Murphy.

Worthy of note is the large tailwheel and what appears to be an adjustable shock absorber mount on the main gear.

Below is an earlier photo of ZK-JDF from John Wagtendonk taken on 25-11-2023 showing the original small tail wheel and the ballast weight in the rear fuselage. 

More earlier info on this Avid Flyer can be seen at https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/search?q=zk-jdf

First flight of Challenger ZK-WLF at Christchurch

 The Bombardier CL600-2B16 Challenger 604 c/n 5560 started life with the manufacturers Canadian test registration of C-GLXH29 in April 2003 and was delivered to the Toy Store at Fort Lauderdale, Florida to become N604CC from October of 2003.

It was moved on to Stream Enterprises LLC of Natick, Massachusetts to become N604BS in February 2005. Luigi Logistics LLC of Franklin, Tennessee took it over in March 2022 and then it disappeared into the TVPX Aircraft Solutions system in April 2026.

We next see it ferrying into Christchurch from Pago Pago on 26-06-2026 with its US registration being cancelled on 13-07-2026.

It was registered in NZ as ZK-WLF on 23-07-2026 to GCH Aviation Ltd and is seen above landing following its first flight in NZ.

It carries small 'APEX' titles just behind the cockpit.

A similar Challenger ZK-JCJ2 is operated by GCH Jet Operations Ltd since February of 2020.

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - That's a Wrap for 1982!

I started this series on Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand in July 2025 with Pete James' powered Easy Riser which I think was the first microlight to fly here in late 1977.  Microlights were not required to be registered until late 1981 and there were quite a few that flew back then with varying degrees of success.

However from December 1981 when Murray Hagen's Pterodactyl Ascender ZK-ESS and Ken Asplin's Quicksilver ZK-KJA were registered, the floodgates of microlight aircraft registrations were flung open and the demand for this type of aircraft and microlight flying was huge!

I chose this photo because it was taken shortly after the hugely busy 1982 microlight year.

I reckon there were 134 microlights registered in New Zealand in 1982, which is an amazing number when you think about it. Of those 134, the types were Pterodactyls, Mirages (33 of them registered in 1982!), single seat Quicksilvers, an American Aerolights Eagle (which crashed with the first microlight fatality), Kasperwings, Skycraft Scouts (47 were eventually registered but the importers reckoned they bought in about 80 of them), Delore Skytrikes made in Christchurch and two other types of weight shift trikes - Ultraflight models made in Hamilton and Ultrasports models from England, Rotec Rallys, Goldwings, Vector 610s, Teratorns, Phantoms (only 2 but influential), the locally developed Re Fledge One, the German Firebird M1, DSK Nomads and Mitchell Wings.  That represents an impressive 18 types of microlights and there were a few more of the above types and others that did not get registered.

Next, on to 1983 and beyond!

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Mitchell Wings

The next type of microlight to be registered in New Zealand was the Mitchell Wing.

The Mitchell Wing is the brainchild of Don Mitchell, an aeronautical engineer who worked for Northrop during WW 2 and participated in the design of the Northrop Flying Wings.  In the 1974 a hang gliding enthusiast, Dr Howard Long, approached Don Mitchell to design a foot launched hang glider wing which became the highest performance hang glider of the time.  An engine was added to become the model B 10F (for foot launched) and then Don Michell fitted a tricycle undercarriage with a steerable nosewheel, and the B 10 Mitchell Wing was born.  By 1980 over 500 sets of plans or kits had been sold which gives an idea of the success of the ultralight/microlight.

The structure of the wing was of a thick plywood spar with foam D ribs covered in 1 mm ply and built up wooden ribs.  The wing was covered with Ceconite which made it more like a homebuilt aircraft of the time.  At the ends of the wings were rudders that could also act as air brakes, and in the absence of a tail, roll and pitch were controlled by stabilators which operated differentially like ailerons but could also move up or down together like elevators.  3 axis control was by a control stick.

The length of the B 10 Mitchell wing was only 6 feet (1.83 metres) and the wingspan was 34 feet (10.36 metres).  The wing area was 136 square feet.  Empty weight was 185 pounds (84 kg) and MAUW was 525 pounds (238 Kg).  And with a two stroke 23 HP Zenoah G25GB-1 engine the cruise speed was around 45 mph and the stall speed was around 25 mph.

We have had five B 10 Mitchell wings registered in New Zealand plus one U-2 model (this was also called the Mitchell Super Wing and had a 9 foot long fully enclosed fuselage while retaining the same wing).

ZK-FEJ (c/n MAANZ/109).  Mitchell Wing B 10  Registered 2 Dec 1982 to Bruce J. Lambess & G. N. Johnstone, Whangarei, then 12 Jan 1984 G. N. Johnstone & J. D. McKay, Whangarei, then 26 Aug 1987 B. J. Lambess & G. N. Johnstone, Feilding (later Warkworth).  Cancelled 25 Nov 1998 as withdrawn from use.  (I did see this machine at Feilding when I was a member of the Manawatu chapter of the AACA (as was Bruce Lambess) and it was stored without the covering).

ZK-FFT (c/n MAANZ/204)  Mitchell Wing B 10.  Registered 20 Jun 1983 to R. G. Johnston, Foxton. then 21 Apr 1986 Andrew A. Jasper, Westport.  Cancelled 26 May 1995 as withdrawn from use.

ZK-FKY (c/n MAANZ/330)  Records show that this was a Mitchell Wing B 10 but it doesn't look like one to me.  The answer is found in the accident report: 

"The redesigned aircraft was very different from the original Mitchell Wing B10. It comprised an enclosed, streamlined fuselage with a rear mounted engine and propeller. Tricycle undercarriage was fitted, with a retractable nosewheel. Tail booms on either side of a shoulder mounted stub wing supported the tailplane, elevator and twin fins and rudders. Detachable outer wing panels allowed easy trailerage on the ground. The structure was mostly wood, with plastic foam ribs and stiffeners under plywood skins. A light alloy frame structure supported the engine and wings."  Also of interest in the accident report was that the aircraft was fitted with a ballistic recovery parachute (but it wasn't deployed before the impact.  I did not realise that ballistic parachutes were available this early.

ZK-FKY was registered on 30 Apr 1985 to A. M. Fairburn, Pukekohe.  Engine failed in 1986 and withdrawn from use.  

Then in Jan 1990 the airframe was returned to airworthiness and the aileron droop system was removed in attempt to make elevators more responsive.  Following several abrupt pitches up and down one wing came off and the machine fell into the Waikato river, 4km NE of Port Waikato (owner-pilot killed) 25 Jan 1994.  Cancelled 1 Sep 1994 as destroyed. 

ZK-FVC (c/n P1416 and MAANZ/432)  Mitchell Wing B 10

Constructed in Canada as C-IFOQ 1984 Registered 17 Aug 1987 to Chris J. Easton, Toronto, Ontario. Cancelled from the Canadian register 22 Sep 1989 and exported to New Zealand. 

Registered ZK-FVC 2 Nov 1989 to Chris J. Easton, Maraetai, then 19 Sep 1998 Daniel G. Sutherland, Whakatane.  Cancelled 11 Apr 2006 as registration revoked Cancelled 22 Sep 1989.

ZK-LYN (c/n AACA/324) Mitchell Wing B 10.  Lyn was Geoff Tubby's wife.

Registered 7 Dec 1982 to Geoff A. Tubby, New Plymouth.   Cancelled 2 Oct 1996 as withdrawn from use.

And our only U2 Mitchell Super Wing was also built by Geoff Tubby after his earlier B 10 model:

ZK-LGT (c/n AACA/324/2)  U2 Mitchell Super Wing.  Registered 20 Nov 1987 to Geoff A. Tubby, New Plymouth.  Cancelled 2 Oct 1996 withdrawn from use.

I have tried quite hard to see if I could find a photo of ZK-LGT but to no avail - does anyone out there have a photo of it?.(if so I would love to see it).  So below is a photo of a U2 Mitchell Super Wing from Air Britain so you can see what the type looked like:

Champion 7ECA Citabria ZK-CMP at Taihape

Peter Garlick recently delivered the Champion7ECA Citabria ZK-CMP North to its new owner who has an airstrip just South of Oakura on the Northland East Coast.  And Peter has sent a couple of photos from his transit stop at Taihape:

On finals for the Valley Road airstrip at Taihape.

And parked up beside the hangar.  ZK-CMP has been in long term ownership at Omaka for more than 15 years but it goes way back, much further, to 1966.  You can see its history HERE

Thanks for the photos Peter.

Noted at Hood Aerodrome Masterton on Saturday the 24th

 Damon Edwards has kindly sent in these three photographs as taken at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton on Saturday the 24th.

This American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathalon ZK-DCL2 (c/n 1087-2009) was first registered on 22-05-2009 and went online with the Kapiti Districts Aero Club (Inc) of Paraparaumu. A change of title on 28/03/2011 showed it listed to Robert Ballinger of Paraparaumu. It has since been listed to a private owner.

The Lancair Legacy RG ZK-LCJ is c/n L2K-310 appeared on the Australian aircraft register from 28-04-2008 as VH-LLQ2 with Findelta Pty Ltd of Surrey Hills, Sydney. In early December 2016 it moved to Adventure Plus Paragliding of Oatlands, NSW and was operated by Antony Prehn of Wollongong.

A move to Mount Macedon, Victoria from 24-01-2025 had it listed to Bernard Jones on behalf of Lincoln D Jones of Palmerston North, NZ.

It was ferried from Port Macquarrie to Norfolk Island on 28-02-2025, and on to Auckland and Palmerston North on 01-03-2025.

It joined the New Zealand register as ZK-LCJ on 28-07-2025 listed to LDJ Peak Ltd.

(The ZK-LDJ registration was already allocated the Pitts S-2C Special and LDJ Peak Ltd)

Above we have the Cessna A185F Skywagon ZK-SKD c/n 18502479 of Skysports (NZ) Ltd

See HERE for more info on this airframe.