Rangitata Island invaded 26-08-2012

Russell Brodie's Rangitata Island Airstrip was host to the Annual fly in of the aircraft from the North Shore of Auckland on Sunday 26-08-2012.

 

All photographs sent in by Russell Brodie via iPhone.

Above we have the Cessna 177B Cardinal ZK-DFU (c/n 01663) from the Cardinal Capers Syndicate of North Shore. It is almost back to its old stamping ground. It spent the years between 1986 and 2006 at Timaru, Ashburton, Hokitika, Franz Joseph and then Lake Tekapo before heading up to Auckland. It was originally a New Plymouth Aero Club aircraft from 1972.

Cessna 172M Skyhawk 11 ZK-DXQ (c/n 66074) has always been based up North, spending its first twenty two years with the Bay of Island Aero Club at Kerikeri. It is now a member of the RNZAF Base Auckland Aviation Sports Club Inc at Whenuapai

ZK-ELU (c/n 71322) is an N model of the Cessna 172 currently listed to Andrew Milne of North Shore. Once Nelson based it returned North in mid 1985 for the Auckland Aero Club.

The Grumman American AA5A Cheetah ZK-ERJ (c/n AA5A-0290) served its first two years in Australia before being imported for the NAC-BP Flying Club in Christchurch. Since 1990 it has been in the care of the Cheetah Syndicate of Browns Bay.

A less common sight is the Socata TB10 Tobago of which we have had five in country. ZK-JIE is c/n 1306 and belongs to the RNZAF Base Auckland Aviation Sorts Club Inc at Whenuapai. It spent its youth with the BAe Systems Flight Training at Tamworth in Australia coming over to NZ in the later part of 2003 for Air2there at Paraparaumu.

The Cessna 182T Skylane ZK-PJC (c/n 81476)is a 2004 model which came to NZ last year for Peter and Christine Clark's Pacific Cruises Ltd.

Its hard to believe but this Piper PA-28R ZK-RTE (c/n 28R-35725) is 42 years old. It came to NZ in 2008 after a restless period in the States followed by a move to Canada in 1982. It retained the last three letters of its Canadian registration of C-GRTE as its Kiwi ID.It has been with Carters Aviation since arriving here, but with periods with Air Discovery And the Tauranga Aero Club.