Lake LA-4-200 Bucaneer ZK-EDK , c/n 469 ,was imported from the USA and assembled at Airwork Christchurch in November of 1974 for registration on 09-12-1974 to Rural Management Ltd and delivered to Float Air Ltd of Picton the same month.These two b&w pics show it at the old Canterbury Aero Club site at Christchurch Airport on New Years Day of 1978.
Chemical Technology Ltd of Christchurch became the listed owners on 30-10-1981 and I recall it sitting for yonks out on the Simon Spencer-Bower airfield in a very tired state.Pic below of it at Simon's strip on 30-09-1988
Ownership changed to John Rutherford on 19-06-89 and the aircraft was moved away; I believe into storage.
It has been cancelled for the NZ register as exported on 17-09-2009.
So the only aircraft left in NZ of this type are ZK-DNK at Taupo and ZK-DQN at Whangarei? Sad.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I deeply considered doing a rating on Lake Buccaneer ZK-WWW, but it stubbed it's nose before I actually had to commit. Just as well, as its turned out.
Talking about stubbing noses. I was at Oamaru Harbour the day Barry Barker (owner of Larnach Castle at the time)stuck the nose of ZK-DKA into a big swell on take off. That would be 06-11-1979.
ReplyDeleteThe pointy rubber bit at the front was removed, ending any further ideas of flight that day.