Tuesday 20 October 2009

Hughes 369D ZK-HOQ from the shoe box

Hughes 369D ZK-HOQ , c/n 70-0709D , came onto the register on 04-11-1980 with the agents Dalhoff & King Aviation Ltd of Ardmore. It went briefly to Alpine Helicopters at Queenstown before heading to Taihape with Rangitikei Air Services on 09-06-1981.
On 23-10-1981 it was cancelled and went off to become DQ-FDR with Helicopter Services (Fiji) Ltd of Suva.
It returned to NZ and to its ZK-HOQ marks on 02-11-1982 with Wanganui Aero Work Ltd.
The two pics below show it at Stratford on 20-11-1984.

An owner ship change on 01-12-1987 saw it listed to Stichting Marine Services of Auckland for use by Greenpeace Marine Division.

Now the shot out of the shoe box is this one below showing ZK-HOQ at Lake Vanda Station in the Wright Valley, Antarctica whilst it was based aboard the M V Gondwana. I am guessing during the 1989/1990 voyage.
Below, two later shots of it at Christchurch on 31-01-1991
The old CAA hangar in the rear background & old customs building in right background.
Oceania Helicopters became the proud owners from 20-03-2008 and the last I heard [June 08] about this helicopter was that it was serving aboard the M V Esperanza out of Cairns; Still on Greenpeace duties.

1 comment:

  1. Ray has corrected me on the site that the two photos of Wanganui Aero Works photos where taken.
    It was indeed at Stratford.
    [I have amended the blog suitably]
    Thanks Ray.

    All I really had to do was to read what was on the back of the photo's

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