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.
Is that a piper seneca? had any luck with the piper malibu pictures?
ReplyDeleteYo there PD.
ReplyDeleteYes this is a Seneca.
Re Malibu pics :
Flick me a brief email to bluebus@windowslive.com and I will send you a couple that I have. I don't particularly want to clutter up the blog site with them.
Have you heard what NZFS plans to do when Wigram closes? Obviously they are not going to just close doors if they are expanding the fleet this late in the game.
ReplyDeleteHi there James.
ReplyDeleteThey are setting up a bases at Christchurch International; having a purpose built hangar and office constructed at Rangiora; and also currently have a base at Ashburton.
A blue & yellow Stearman has also just been added to their fleet based at Ashburton.
That aircraft just keeps on going , my family operated it for years (20?) as an IFR trainer with TKFS out of Waikerie and Adelaide airport . I still have a 12" model of it made by a student , one engine feathered of course !
ReplyDeleteHi there Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteTks for the note.
What do you know about the Australian history of this Slab wing ?
Who are TKFS ?
All I have is that it was registered on 22-05-1973.
Was with Airlines of South Aust from 14-04-1998.
Then with August Aircraft Maintenance from 17-11-03.
And Angry Palm from 28-04-2006.
Can you fill in the years between 73 & 98, or add any other details please.
It is off course now ZK-NFS; initially with the NZ Flying School & after their demise it went to Southlink International (Chris Johnston)from 30-11-2009.
Regards
I first flew VH-MEP at Waikerie, South Australia in 1984 during my instrument rating training there with Tony Kingham Flying School. It would have been operating with TKFS for maybe at least 2 years prior to that. Sometime in 1985 TKFS moved to Adelaide Airport where it continued to be used for instrument flying training and for charter flights with Augusta Airways, an associated company. I joined Augusta Airways in 1989 and flew MEP on training and charter operations as part of my duties until I left there in 1997. Later that year Augusta Airways became part of Airlines of South Australia and MEP was still flying with that operator, I think, until sometime in the mid 2000s.
ReplyDelete