Above is the Cessna A185F ZK-DKJ c/n 02276, which was having a cargo pod fitted on January 6th. This aircraft was built as a Ag Carryall and imported by Rex Aviation for Astro Air of Napier in November 1973.. At the time it had a belly spray tank. A year later it started to move around; first to Aero Surveys (NZ) Ltd in 1975 then to Goodman Earthmovers of Waikanae. I recall it at this time having a very large aerial attached to it. it passed through a couple more owners before being based at Fox Glacier with Glacier Skydive (West Coast Air Services) as a meat bomber. It is now with Sam Bethell of Timpendean Station, in the Weka Pass near Waikari replacing the onsold C180 ZK-TUA.
Both, despite their vintage of some 36 & 47 years respectively being real tidy examples. The 185's and 180's generally seem to be improving with age.
Did you get any more pics of DKJ ? Inside ? It came off an apparently very nice rebuild a few months back and I haven's seen it since then...
ReplyDeleteBTW the machine that Ken Macdonald had was PKM, originally had with his brother paul, where the P comes from.
Mr Anonymous