Other Canterbury Aero Club happenings.

Brian Wigley's Cessna 182E ZK-WKK (c/n 53823) parked outside the Aero Club minus engine.

Cessna 172M Skyhawk ZK-FKS (c/n 63305) of Rick Lucas Helicopters outside the Clubs hangar on Friday (30th). Today (31st) it was on the tie downs, still minus upper engine cowling.

In the Club workshop was the Cessna 172N Skyhawk ZK-EJQ (c/n 68793) ex Bill Hales of Hanmer Springs. It has just joined the Club lineup (from 09-01-09). Note the CAC emblem near the top of the fin. This edition to the Club fleet is due to a change to the Indian regs that require their NZ (overseas) trained pilots to have had their commercial licence flight test carried out in NZ on an aircraft type that is available in India before their Indian licences can be granted when they get back home. (Does that make sense ?) [anyway I know what I mean]. Seemingly the PA28's are a bit scarce on the ground over there.

The Club had an open day today and ANZ/Eagle kindly supplied this B1900D ZK-EAR2 from mid afternnon for public inspection. Here it has just taxied past the fuel pumps and is about to stop outside the club rooms.

G-SEEK Cessna T210N at Christchurch

Andy Hopper's Cessna T210N G-SEEK (c/n 64579 ex N9271Y) is currently parked up near the Aero Club at Christchurch.

On the port side fin fillet is this map showing progress.

Learn more on http://www.earthrounders.com/

The difference a day (and circumstances) make.

Yesterday (Friday 30-01-2009) I called into the Canterbury Aero Clubs engineering workshop to see what progress had been made on assembling the new Archer III's. The answer was - None.

Today (Saturday 31-01-0-09) the Archer ZK-EQP has been moved out of the way and N6073E is having the last vestiges of its US markings removed while the wings and tailplane are being attached as you watch (engineer in cockpit working on wing attachments). This was registered as ZK-LJJ yesterday.

This burst of activity being the result of yesterdays loss of the Archer ZK-EBW near Lake Ellesmere.

Thanks to the Canterbury Aero Club for permitting me to poke around. It also was an open day today (Saturday) hence the couple wandering around in the background.

Destroyed by fire. ZK-EBW.

Piper PA-28-161 Warrior III ZK-EBW2 (c/n 2842165) of the Canterbury Aero Club was destroyed by fire late this morning in an incident at Kaitorete Spit (perhaps better known as Birdlings Flat) Lake Ellesmere. The two occupants received only minor injuries when the aircraft was thought to have struck something during a landing on the airstrip there.

Wire strike ??

Rangiora today. 29-01-2009.

A flying visit through Rangiora today found the Cessna 120 N77317 (c/n 11759) has finally succumbed and joined the NZ civil register for Fred Vernon as ZK-XTX as from the 13th. The XTX being applied, and the "N" covered over, in the last couple of days. This is only the second Cessna 120 on our register after ZK-FFK which was listed on 13-09-1983 and is currently with the Vintage Cessna 120 Syndicate of Hamilton.

Above. Mods nearly completed. The Ragwing Aero Special ZK-POP (c/n RWS086) with its engine moved forward to bring the c of g into line and with reshaped cowling.

Below. Taken on 30-03-2005, ZK-POP with is original short Polikarpov style nose.
It has now also gained the Popeye character on its tail.

Above is the Sigma Aircraft Sigma-4 ZK-JRN (c/n 10) coming together nicely and is expected to be at the SAA flyin at Ashburton over Waitangi weekend. This was first registered to Maxim Vassiliev on 24-05-2007. The Sigma ZK-JRC2 previously at Ashburton is now based at Wigram (temporarily) with Hary Devonish -also owner of Hughes 269 ZK-HYQ.

Airborne Windsports Edge X 582 ZK-JOZ2 from the Canterbury Recreational Aircraft Club was outside for me today.

This was built using some parts from ZK-WYN which makes it also ex (parts of) ZK-DUG3.

I remember when. Invercargill flood 1984.

Thanks to the TVNZ news last night for a reminder - The 25th anniversary of the Invercargill floods is going down about now. I was fortunate enough to be working out of Invercagill at the time, although I was away on annual leave at the Gliding championships at Alexandra during the initial event. Our house was on the "hill "at Clifton, so we were not flooded out.
I got back into town on 06-02-1984 and managed to get some photographs of the clean up operations going on at the airport.

The two shots above show the Britten-Norman BN2A-21 F-OCXP (c/n 483) belonging to Montagnat Mining of Noumea being towed back down onto the tarmac . It along with a couple of other aircraft including the Beech 95-A55 Baron ZK-SUN1 and I think a Fletcher had been dragged up on to the stopbanks near what was at the time the H/C (NZ) hangar to escape most of the flood water damage.

Not so lucky were the hangars themselves where some of the aircraft had their noses raised onto boxes and oil drums to try & keep the engines out of the water (with limited success). Above is the Southland Aero Club Piper PA-28-140 ZK-EIC (c/n 7725214) alread stripped to help the drying out process. It went to Hamilton Aero Maintenance for a tidy up and is still curent today around Tauranga.

Cessna 182P Skylane ZK-DYV (c/n 61507) is seen here drying out. It is still current with the same owners.

About to be taken away for remedial action was the Cesna 150H ZK-CXL (c/n 68308) which was syndicate owned. After repairs it went to Rotorua. It is still active, now in the Christchurch area.

One of my favourite machines at the time was this Piper PA-28-235 Cherokee ZK-CIS (c/n 10630). It had its nose raised and you can see the high tide mark runs from about 2/3rd the way up the rudder to about the leading edge of the wing. It is also still current out of Hamilton.

Other aircraft known to have been on the field at the time were Tiger moth ZK-BGP, Cessna 172 ZK-DMH, Piper Hatchets ZK-EIR and ZK-EQI, Fletcher ZK-EFN and ZK-CBD, Piper Cherokee 181 ZK-EDBO, Piper Aztec ZK-DUB, Islander ZK-FFL.

WOW Red Checkers Bomb Burst

My take on a well photographed manoeuvre, taken at Wings Over Wairarapa.

Still pretty spectacular though!

VH-MEP at Wigram

When I was working through Cairns in 1977 one of the pics I took was of this Piper PA-34-200 Seneca VH-MEP (c/n 34-7350165). It was first registered in Australia on 22-05-1973.

Today 26-01-2009 I photographed the same animal at Wigram.

It is to become part of the New Zealand Flying Schools fleet following NZ certification at Avtek Timaru. It will also get a full repaint in the NZFS colour scheme and be upgraded to full IFR standard.

It has new engines which off course are counter rotating and non turbo - ideal for twin engine training.

Question time # 37

An interior item this time.
On what aircraft would you find this box of tricks.
& In case of a flood of correct answers - What specific model - then maybe what registration ?

Question time # 36 Answer.

We are looking at the strengthening modification applied to the undercarriage on some Murphy Rebels.

Two that I know about are the above ZK-JHY which was modified after a landing incident in (I think) November 1989 and ZK-VAL2 was upgraded before it gained NZ certification last May.

NO WINNER !

And Something Else From Masteron

A most pleasant surprise at Masterton was the reversion of Tiger ZK-ANL to agricultural configuration. This machine was the last of a long line of working Tigers and was operated by Marshall and Neville out of Bridge Pa as a sprayer until 28 December 1980. The spray gear looks to be in much tidier than it ever did on the original aircraft, as I recall. It kept company at Masterton with Wanganui Aero Work Tiger ZK-AUZ (fitted with hopper box and spreader) and both machines did it for real. Outstanding!

A Bit of This and A Bit of That..

Visited Queensland across the Christmas/New Year period, but unfortunately the aviation industry was "gone - no forwarding address"! Caloundra was the shining exception - where do you get invited onto the field to wander at your liesure nowadays? The Queensland Air Museum has been struggling along for many years now, and I noted it was under threat from airport development this time. They have some nice stuff under cover, but there are some sad cases as well. This unloved GAF N22 Nomad VH-BFH (c/n 35) gets a bit worse each time, but you will note on the top of the fin the faded emblem of Southern Air in Invercargill. This machine served as ZK-SAL from early 1981 until July 1983 when it reurned across the Tasman. They also have Metro VH-BPV which did time here with Air Albatross (unfortunate name, that) as ZK-SWC in the mid 80's.

Across on the airfield, amongst the vintage machines, was H369HS VH-VLM which left here in June last year as ZK-HLM. It was cancelled from the NZ register on 17 June, and registered to an address in Buderim (just down the road from Caloundra) on 7 July.

The Masterton airshow last weekend produced some interesting visitors that I don't think get around much. Amongst them was Maule MX-7-180A ZK-MUL from Mount Manganui. It was first registered here 17 Jan 07.

Also positioned nicely was C180 ZK-CBH from Palmerston North. The 1956 vintage machine was imported from the US and first registered here 14 Mar 06.

More from North Shore this morning.

Four shots from Sir Minty taken at North Shore this morning.
Above : Imported from Bolivia in late 2003 is this Cessna U206G Stationair 6 II ZK-SKT , c/n 06609. As CP-1783 it was operated by Helibol Helicopters and still carries their patch on the fin along with the Bolivian flag. It was imported and registerd to John & Lorraine Horrell of Nelson on 31-03-04 and first flew here on 19-08-04. It has served with the Nelson Aero Club; Flight Corporaton; and is currently listed to Hopper Developments of Orewa.

Above is the Cessna 152 ZK-ZGR , c/n 82961 , registered on 09-12-2008 to Judith Grant of Auckland.

Another Cessna 152. ZK-MDS , c/n 83624 , was listed to MDR Aviation on 17-06-08 and joined the North Shore Aero Club on 01-08-08.

Also imported for MDR Aviation is this Cessna A152 Aerobat tail dragger ZK-MDO , c/n A152-0974 . It was also listed to the North Shore Aero Cub on 01-08-08.

Great Northern Air Race 2009

CT/4A Airtrainer ZK-CTA of North Shore Aero Club, pictured at North Shore Airfield this morning prior to competing in the Great Northern Air Race with about 15 other aircraft. The team obviously think they can pirate the race for the spoils!

This Airtrainer c/n 055 started life at Hamilton as ZK-EAR on 13/10/75. It was cancelled on 12/12/75 after delivery to the RAAF as A19-055. They sold it back to New Zealand and it was airfreighted back to Auckland on 27/7/93. It was registered to Hugh Jones of Takapuna on 27/10/93 and he owned it until it was sold to the North Shore Aero Club on 22/2/08

Fokker Triplanes at WOW

Some more offerings from Wings Over Wairarapa 09. There were 3 Fokker Triplanes on display as above.

As with my last post, I really don't have any idea what their registrations are. Can anyone provide the details?

The only Fokker Triplane that I know that these are not is ZK-FOK that was built by Stewart Tantrum in Levin, first registered on 19/2/85. This Triplane has a larger motor (a Continental radial from a tank I think), than the other 6 Fokker Triplanes that are in New Zealand - these other 6 came from the USA, (ZK- FOC, FOD, FOT, JOC, JOG and JOK). They are all owned by The Vintage Aviator.

Looking for new homes.

Four in a row sitting in Skysales hangar on 21-01-09.
Nearest is factory new c/n 4410 (ZK-HDJ5 applied for) : then ZK-IHC c/n 4317 : third one is factory new c/n 4409 (ZK-HDI4 applied for) : and last is ZK-ICZ [ex ZK-HCZ3] c/n 3522.

Mustang

Wigram, Fri 23rd

Mustangs turn in the sun

It was the P51 Mustangs turn to be in the sun today.
Here we have ZK-TAF being preflighted before another passenger ride out of Wigram early this afternoon.

WOW SE5A's at Masterton

One of the main reasons I went to Wings Over Wairarpa was to see The Vintage Aviator's SE5A's. These aircraft have been manufactured as if they were the latest SE5A's off the production line - only around 90 years after the last ones! They are constructed in faithful detail down to an amazing degree, including being covered with Irish linen and having remanufactured original Hispano-Suiza engines. There is great detail on these machines on The Vintage Aviator website www.thevintageaviator.co.nz These are truly amazing machines. They were manufactured in The Vintage Aviator factory in Kilbirnie, Wellington, then finished off in their facilities in the old Air Contracts hangar at Masterton. The Vintage Aviator also have a large new hangar at Masterton which is full of really exotic aircraft.

Unfortunately the weather on the Saturday of the airshow was too windy for them to fly, although I believe they did fly on the Sunday.

Obviously, having authentic WW1 colour schemes they do not have registrations painted on. The top photo is of F5690 ZK-SEV which was first registered on 22/3/07, but I am not sure of the other two: ZK-SES first registered on 13/12/07 and ZK-SEO registered on 12/5/08. Can anyone positively identify which is which?

Cat sitting in the sun.

Catalina ZK-PBY sits baking in the Wigram sunshine yesterday at high noon.

The skids about to go under the Robinson R44

Caught at Skysales, Christchurch, on Wednesday was this Robinson R44 Raven II c/n 12463 (ZK-HGK applied for) about to have its skids fitted. As you can see it is suspended from the rotor head, still attached to the base of its shipping crate. The skids are being assembled in the background and will replace the base of the crate.

Yaks in Very Close Formation

As I mentioned in my last blog, the Yak 52's at Wings Over Wairarapa put on a great formation aerobatic display - how about this for close formation! (ZK-YAQ and ZK KGB)

Yaks from WOW, Masterton

There was a great representation of the New Zealand Yak 52 herd at the Wings Over the Wairarapa airshow, with 9 of our 15 local examples present. 8 of them took part in a Reno style air race and also provided an excellent formation aerobatics airshow routine.

As pseudo warbirds, some of these machines are now being repainted in registered colour schemes, whereby they do not have to display a registration, so it is difficult to know which ones they are.

The light grey and red Yak "718" is ZK-YAC of Yak 52 Ltd, Mt Maunganui (note it is minus one wheel which it temporarily donated to ZK-LIZ which had a wheel malfunction).

The blue and red Yak is ZK-YAQ of Russian Aero Adventures, Pauanui Beach, and

The dark grey and red "67" is ZK-ZAY of Street and Cook Construction Company of New Plymouth.