NZ Civil Aircraft: March 2014

Monday, 31 March 2014

Question time # 167 resolved.

Question time # 167 Resolved.

Answer.

New Zealand's first Beaver ZK-AXK.

Thanks to "The Evening Post" we have these fine photographs of the De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver ZK-AXK taken at Rongotai on 12-02-1951.

For the history of this aircraft - check out this great Kiwi Beavers site :-

http://www.kiwibeavers.com/AXK.html

Well done Mit, Lenn and Anonymmous.

Question time # 167 re-visited.

We have had only one reply to the earlier Question time # 167 post.

So here is the "give away clue".

Original clue below.

Sunday, 30 March 2014

The sixth NOTAR built (c/n LN006) was registered as N526FB to the manufacturer; McDonnell Douglas; in September of 1991 but didn’t fly until 11-02-1992. It was fitted out for the City of Phoenix Police Department in Arizona and came on line in early June of 1992. It was sold in May 2006 and went to Germany and became D-HABF on 08-06-2006 with Hahn Helicopters GmbH out of Hahn., followed by Axel Friedhoff GmbH. It was initially noted for sale in early 2010 via Aero Sales Calden with a TTAF of 11,300 hours but eventually sold through Valentini Aviation

It was sold to NZ and became ZK-ISO with the Faram Aviation Group of Hastings on 09-08-2013.

Coast to Coast Helicopters 2013 Ltd took it over in early October of 2013 and have it based in Blenheim with it being flown by the Company CEO, Al Twisleton.

The photograph above was kindly supplied to me by Al, via Lord Nelson, and shows ZK-ISO with spray tanks fitted "somewhere in Marlborough". (May I perhaps suggest The Molesworth).
It carries small "Coast to Coast" script on the px door and still wears the German colours on its fins.

Below is a pic of her as D-HABF during its Hahn Helicopter days (Via Aeroboek).

ZK-EZI at North Shore.

The Piper PA-22-135 TriPacer c/n 22-812 entered the NZ Civil Aircraft Register as ZK-EZI2 on 29-10-2013 with Chris Batten of Silverdale.

This TriPacer joined the US register as N2473A way back on 24-02-1956. Alas its early history eludes me. The first known owner (to me) was Carol A Scanlon of Wilmington, Delaware from May of 1996 followed by Belinda D Wildman of Temecula (about half way between San Diego and LA) from 03-06-2006.

The nice pic above was taken at Cable Airport on 08-03-2009 by Helicopterfriend courtesy of Airport-Data.Com

The three views below have been kindly supplied by Sir Minty and show this aircraft at North Shore. Firstly still marked as N2473A in Stan Smiths hangar on 13-02-2014.

Pic below - coming together and now marked as ZK-EZI on 13-03-2014.

Final view has it parked outside on 29-03-2014.

There must be a story about the bear and parachute on the fin !

Nice.

The earlier ZK-EZI was a Piper PA-38-112 which became ZK-EYF2 on 09-06-2008 and is still active with the Canterbury Aero Club.

Above is ZK-EZI at NZCH on 05-07-2006.

Below as ZK-EYF2 at NZCH on 19-08-2008.

Yellow was a Popular Colour at Dargaville 29-3-2014

Yellow was a popular colour for aircraft visiting Dargaville for the aero club lunch on Saturday 29-3-2014.

Here are some of the North Shore fleet: Corby Starlets ZK-TNT and ZK-TOY, plus Vans RV 7A ZK-POM and RV 8 ZK-WLK, and on the left is Magni M 22 Gyrocopter ZK-MGN.

ZK-MGN taxying in, just in time for lunch. It appeared on the register on 31-3-2013 and it is registered to a business in Warkworth.

And Warkworth owned Zenith CH 701 ZK-ZAR was also in attendance. There were 2 other CH 701's on the field - ZK-ESY and ZK-STL, owned by father and son Adrian (visiting from Te Awamutu) and Greg Van der Hulst.

Saturday, 29 March 2014

Northland Microlight Club Poker Run Today 29-3-2014

I went up to Paul Hopper's airstrip at Silverdale this morning to check out the aircraft that were participating in the Northland Microlight Club's Poker Run for 2014 that was organised by Paul and Rex Swenson. For this event, cards in sealed envelopes are placed at 7 airstrips in the area, and the teams have to land at each airstrip, collect a card and then onto the next airstrip and repeat the process. At the end you have 7 cards with which to make a poker hand and the winner takes all the entry money.

This year 8 aircraft competed on a lovely day for flying, as can be seen in the above view of Paul Hoppers airstrip prior to take off.

Nooky Robinson and Grant Corlett came from Thames in Nooky's Technam P 2002 Sierra RG ZK-SJS.

TL 3000 Sirius ZK-SPR arrived from nearby North Shore Airfield crewed by Phil Southerden and Bruce Reynolds. Phil is one of the agents for TL Aircraft and he told me that ZK-SPR will be departing for Australia soon, and also that they will be bringing in a TL 2000 Sting and another TL 3000 Sirius later in the year.

Harvey Lockie flew his Dyn Aero MCR-01 Club ZK-WIK in from Parakai. It has a new 3 bladed constant speed propellor fitted which Harvey said he was very pleased with, and that it can enable rapid descents when in fine pitch. Although I only went up to photo the planes, Harvey had a spare seat and would I like to fly along? Of course that was a no brainer so soon we were off!

Rex Swenson flew in in his Alpi Pioneer 300 ZK-LPX with Brian Millett as co-pilot.

And Bruce Legg and John Isott competed in the Parakai Flying School's Technam P 92 Echo ZK-CDL.

The first leg was from Silverdale to Parakai which should have been a very quick hop but we were delayed by parachutists dropping onto the airfield. But this gave me great views of the Kaipara Harbour. The above view is from the Southern end of the harbour and you can see the Kaipara River flowing to the harbour just behind the wing. Way in the distance you can just about see our final destination of Dargaville.

Parachuting is the lifeblood of Parakai Airfield. The resident XL 750 was ZK-SDF of Skydive Auckland, the same aircraft I posted about from Taupo earlier in March.

Rex Swenson's airstrip at Makarau was our next destination. As we were the first aircraft to arrive it was quite difficult to find, but Harvey did a good job. I bet the designers of the Dyn Aero MCR-01 would not have envisioned their aircraft operating on such a rural strip!

Above, Brian Leach and crew member Sandy Eglinton arrive in Brian's Avid Flyer ZK-PCL.

Followed by Paul Hopper with Grant Corlett in Pauls Climate Climate 100 ZK-EZY, which is a modified Foxcon Terrier.

Next it was on to Omaha where you can see there are several temporary hangars. However I didn't get a chance to see what was in them.

After a quick turnaround at Omaha we followed Willie and Lorraine Morton on takeoff, and soon overhauled them. They had flown their Aeroprakt A 22 ZK-VAW down from Kaikohe.

Next was Springhill where this Quad City Challenger II ZK-TPL is based. It was nicely positioned for a photo. There were also some quite impressive model aircraft at Springhill.

Another quick turnaround and on over the Kirikiri Inlet of the Kaipara Harbour to Ruawai - the scenery around here is lovely.

Harvey pushes us back at Ruawai.

And then a final short hop up the main highway to Dargaville where there were lots of other sport aircraft in attendance. The attraction was the Saturday lunch that is put on by the Dargaville Aero Club on the last Saturday of every month. It was a palatial spread.

We then all had our 7 cards with which to make a poker hand. Our hand did not include even one pair! so we were not in the running. Brian Leach was the winner with a King high straight, which apparently beat Brian Corlett's 3 Aces after a check with the rule book!

I had a really great day and I offer a big thank you to Harvey Lockie and also the other guys from the microlight club, who made me most welcome.

Harvey dropped me back to Paul Hopper's airstrip and then sped off back to Parakai as photo'd above.

Mixed squadron southbound.

Thanks to Russell Brodie of Rangitata Island Airfield we get a preview of what is Wanaka bound for Easter.

These WW1 aircraft arrived for lunch yesterday (Friday 28-03-2014)

(I spied them earlier airborne near Waipara)

Above is the Hampshire Aeroplane (now PPS) Pfalz DIII Replica ZK-FLZ2 (c/n PPS/Pfalz-1) It was built in the UK back in the mid 1960's for the movie "Blue Max".

It went to the USA in the 1980's and came to NZ to become ZK-FLZ with the Omaka Collection Ltd on 05-01-2007 and transferred to The Vintage Aviator on 01-07-2007.

The Replica Fokker DVII ZK-FOD2 (c/n 01) as also built for the "movies" and ended up in the States in the early 1990's.

It joined the Omaka Collection Ltd as ZK-FOD on 21-12-2006 with a move over to The Vintage Aviator Ltd on 01-07-2007.

**********************

Below we have the Bristol Fighter F2B Replica ZK-JNU (c/n ERS 2). Ed Storo built this in the US in the early 1990's before arriving in NZ to be listed with Peter Robert Jackson of Wellington on 08-05-2002.

Title moved to the Omaka Collection Ltd on 24-11-2006 and to The Vintage Aviator on 01-07-2007

The Fokker Triplane Replica Scout DR1 ZK-JOG (c/n 1823) was listed to the Omaka Collection on 05-11-2002 having been sourced from the USA. It is also now with the Vintage Aviator Ltd.

"A9242" is ZK-JOQ2 (c/n A9507) the De Havilland DH5.

This one came from the Ryders Repilca Fighter Museum in Alabama and was listed to the Omaka Collection Ltd on 06-09-2004; and to The Vintage Aviator Ltd on 01-07-2007.

The "Black Maria" is the Chad Willie Sopwith Triplane Replica ZK-SOP (c/n 533) which was started by Chad Willie in the States until purchased by the 1914-18 Aviation Trust. The wings and completion was done by The Vintage Aviator Ltd and it was registered here on 14-12-2007.

Above we have a rear view of the Fokker Triplane ZK-JOG and the Sopwith Triplane ZK-SOP, with the Bristol Fighter beyond.

Val'e : Sholto Hamilton (Dick) GEORGESON.

GEORGESON, Sholto Hamilton (Dick) - On March 27, 2014, at home with family.

See you when the wind blows!

New Zealand gliding pioneer.

See notice at:

http://deaths.press.co.nz/obituaries/the-press-nz/obituary.aspx?n=sholto-hamilton-georgeson&pid=170405301&fhid=12638#sthash.153Im5QW.dpuf

Thursday, 27 March 2014

Question time # 167

About time we had another Question Time.

Tell me all !

Lockheed Lodestar ZK-ANB.

This aircraft (c/n 18-2383) was built as a Lockheed C-60A for the USAAC with a manufacture date of 14-04-1943 and was allocated the military serial number 42-55946.

It arrived in New Zealand aboard the near new Liberty ship Frances E Willard in June 1943 and was

assembled at Hobsonville by No.1 Assembly Depot and BOC by the RNZAF as NZ3509 with Unit 36 at Hobsonville 03 June 1943.

(Pic below is a representative shot of an RNZAF example)

I believe NZ3509 was used by Leonard Isitt for his mission to Japan as the New Zealand representative at the signing of the Japanese surrender.

Sold to Union Airways from Whenuapai on 13 November 1946 and delivered to Palmerston North that same day for conversion for civil airline use.

It then ntered the New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register as ZK-ANB on 21 November 1946 and was allocated the name Karuwai with Union Airways Ltd until being transferred to the newly formed New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) on 01 April 1947.

It had two incidents to my knowledge : it was damaged at Milson by strong winds on 16-04-1947 - apparently blown across the field, and was damaged in a ground collision with ZK-AQT at Paraparaumu sometime in 1949.

The photo below comes from the National Library Collection and shows ZK-ANB at Paraparaumu in 1949.

The photograph below comes from the Ed Coates collection and shows it with NZNAC, circa 1950, still named "Karuwai".

Like most of NZNAC's Lodestars ZK-ANB was repatriated back to the US in the early 1950s; being replaced by Douglas DC3's.

It was sold to Costine and Co, Boston, USA on 24 November 1951 having been withdrawn from service.

It departed Whenuapai on its delivery flight to the USA on 07 March 1952 arriving in Los Angeles on the 10th of that month.

This last fabulous photo was supplied by Jean 210 shows ZK-ANB in the Western USA not long after its arrival there. In the background is the Canso PBV-1A N68043 (which also went to Canada).

ZK-ANB became N4640V with the Aviation Export Corporation.

In October of 1955 it went to Canada and became CF-IAX with Gulf Radair Co Ltd at Calgary and then went back to the States to Lear's at Santa Monica in 1958 for conversion to a Learstar.

Check out :- http://homepage.ntlworld.com/m.zoeller/LTSRootntl2/Learstar.html

It returned to Canada as CF-BAL for the British-American Oil Company by 1966, with the next known operator being Muray Watts Exploration Ltd of Toronto followed by Lost River Mining Corporation, also of Toronto.

One of its claims to fame was in the parachute jump game:

The following parachute jumps are considered the official Canadian records in their respective categories:

Record Jump

Canadian High Altitude group/day jump.

Date of jump: September 20 1969.

Parachutists : William H. (Bill) cole D-41, and William Murray Smith D-60.

Location of jump: Camp Borden, Ontario Altitude: 31,000 ft, ( recorded on 3 sensitive aircraft altimeters, technician verified).

Freefall time: 130 seconds

It lost directional control on take off at Wales Airport, Alaska and ground looped into a large gravel pile on 07-07-1972.

There are reports that it was active in Canada as late as 1990.

Rotary wings around Christchurch

With all its spray gear attached - Aerospatiale AS 350BA ZK-IBC3 (c/n 2562) dropped in this afternoon. For a couple of earlier posts check out :- http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/christchurch-pics-for-friday-23-03-2012.html

Mount Hutt Helicopters Ltd became Mount Hutt Helicopters 2013 Ltd from 04-06-2013 with a new colour scheme being applied.

The John Butterfield Robinson R44 Raven II ZK-IJB (c/n 10267) has been with Pacific Aircraft Services for a couple of days. It has been listed with John since 29-04-2004.