Tuesday 14 April 2009

More Cessna 180/185's at Omaka

These four were seen at Omaka on Friday 10-04-2009. Above is Harvie Beetham's Cessna A185F ZK-NRC . c/n A185F-02860. This aircraft had served in Malasia and Singapore before coming to NZ to become ZK-TAL1 on 28-05-1979 for Taupo Air Services. It was damaged at Martins Bay, Stewart Island in march 0f 1983 and eventually cancelled in 1992. It was rebuilt incorporating parts from another C185 and a set of new wings and became ZK-NRC on 22-11-1999. It lives at Kai Tak, out the back of Dannevirke.
Cessna 180A ZK-TSM . c/n 32678. is of 1957 vintage having been built as N7781A before going to Australia as VH-DEC from 06-12-1962. It was re-registered VH-DEQ on 12-05-1981 and moved up to PNG as P2-DEQ from 25-07-1985. It was damaged at the Arufi Mission Strip in Jul7 1990. Shipped to the UK in May of 1991, it was rebuilt and registered as G-BTSM on 09-07-1991.
Imported into NZ in 2008 it retained its last three UK letters to become ZK-TSM with M & M Parks of Tapanui on 30-07-08.
A somewhat older Cessna 185C Skywagon ZK-JHS . c/n 0677 went to PNG new as VH-DJU in March 1964 and in the 70's moved down to mainland Australia. It ferried into Auckland from Norfolk Island on 15-07-1993 to become ZK-JHS on 29-0701993 for John Stephenson of Stephenson's Pharmacy at Whitianga.
Last for this batch is the Cessna 180K Skywagon ZK-EYH . c/n 53011. This came to NZ as a two year old in 1982 when it flew in from Pago Pago on 24th May. Mount Hutt Aviation used it on the Chatham Islands in the early to mid 80's before it went to the Cruikshanks of Queenstown on 12-04-1985 and traded under various names including Remarkable Aviation and Air Wanaka. Since 23-11-2000 it has been listed with the Riverside No 2 Trust out of Waipawa, HB.

3 comments:

  1. Great to see this old 185 of mine still lives! I owned and operated this Cessna 185F (SN 18502860)in Singapore and Malaysia on the US register as N3395S during the 1970s flying the parachute clubs of both Malaysia and Singapore regularly and doing charter flights to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

    Originally purchased to enable me to commute to biweekly meetings at the Arun Natural Gas Project in Locksumawe Indonesia, the Robertson STOL kit made her the best short field plane I have ever flown, bar none. I often did regular flights into a 1400' grass strip surrounded on all 4 sides by 60 foot high palm trees and fully loaded needed only half the strip.

    This bird has a colorful past which I would be glad to discuss with anyone interested.

    I can be contacted by email at Mel@theseoshop.com

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  2. Mel!

    So glad I found you again! I helped you fly paradrops in Singapore in 95S 1978. One morning I was flying my RSAF Bell 212 in Changi when you flew in. I met up with you, got checked out by Rudy Frey and the rest is history. I had a blast flying para for you, and I think we did an Air Rally in Malacca one year.

    I live in Madison, WI and fly Dassault Falcon 2000s for NetJets. I own a SIAI Marchetti SF.260, my old primary trainer in the RSAF. If you get this, my email is falcon2m@charter.net

    Blue skies and short fields,

    Dave Tan

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  3. Hello,
    We have verity of Cessna 180 spares for sale, condition new surplus, if required please contact.

    Shah
    e.mail. multanflyingclub@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete