Plastic Parrot ZK-CTA flocks off

ZK-EAR was listed to New Zealand Aerospace Industries of Hamilton on 13-10-1975 and was ferried across the Ditch in its Royal Australian Air Force markings of A19-055 and also wearing its ZK-EAR markings on the lower fin and strake. I spied it at Bankstown on 23-11-1975 still wearing these dual markings.

Two shots of ZK-EAR at Bankstown on 23-11-1975.
Below we have ZK-EAR/A19-055 on the left with ZK-EAQ/A19-054 centre and ZK-EAP/A19-053 on the right. The ZK registrations of all three were cancelled on 12-12-1975.

During its earlier days with the RAAF it was also known as VM-YBI and near the end of its military career it could be heard on the Airwaves as "Torch 55".
The RAAF sold it off on 22-05-1993 with it being airfreighted to Auckland on 27-07-1993 for Hugh Jones of Takapuna. Hugh registered it in NZ as ZK-CTA2 on 27-10-1993.
It was leased by the North Shore Aero Club from 29-02-2008.
I believe it carried the name "Black Pearl" at about this time.

Two views here of ZK-CTA at North Shore Airfield on 09-03-2008.

Ownership changed to Airlift Trading Ltd of Auckland, which is another way of saying Hugh Jones, on 29-03-2010.

As ZK-CTA it departed from Kerikeri on 14-08-2012 for Norfolk Island. After overnighting it moved on to Lord Howe Island and then to Coolangatta in the 15th. Its NZ registration was cancelled on 21-08-2012.