Question time # 174 resolved. ZK-GBO.

The flying machine in question was the Schleicher Ka-4 Rhonlerche II ZK-GBO1 (c/n 320/57).

ZK-GBO was registered to the Piako Gliding Club on 14-02-1958 and first flew in NZ thanks to Ralph Court on 07-03-1958.

Sometime in its early life it was called "Little Stinker" thanks to its "BO" registration.

Like almost all training gliders it has had its share of incidents over the years.

On 20-07-1958 BO struck the Tiger Moth ZK-AQA whilst landing.

It was damaged at Hobsonville on 13-01-1963.

The Piako Club sold BO to the Southland Gliding Club as of 14-08-1965 at which time it had accrued 1902 flying hours during around 9300 flight.

 The pic above shows ZK-GBO at Invercargill in 1968 thanks to Tom Smellie.

Below we have ZK-GBO bringing up the rear in a triple tow out of Invercargill on 06-02-1968.

The tow plane is Piper Cub ZK-BNS with ZK-GEY on the short rope and ZK-GEA in the middle.

On 01-06-1971 it was transferred to the Hokonui Gliding Club at Gore.

It had some sort of an incident at Gore on 23-01-1972 and another near Queenstown on 04-06-1972.

In March of 1977 it was listed to the Air Cadet League Gliding Club - firstly the Wellington Branch from the 23rd; and then back to Gore from 19-04-1982.

Next I heard it was a victim of the Invercargill flood and was eventually sold to Ross Marfell and taken up to Wigram where it sat in the Wigram Aviation Sports Club hangar (WASC).

I don't recall if it ever flew from Wigram !

Its registration was cancelled on 22-07-1991.

The shot below shows GBO and its wings tied up to the WASC hangar walls. Dated 19-10-1991.

Ross sold it to John Schicker of New Plymouth and it was trucked away from Wigram on 24-06-1995 - as seen below being tied uup in the truck.

John is currently in the throes of restoring this glider.

 

I called this ZK-GBO1 because there has been a ZK-GBO2 in the form of a Schempp-Hirth Duo Discus T c/n 41/316. This was registered to Bo Nilsson (hence "BO") of Omarama on 27-10-2005.

It was damaged in a take-off accident at Omarama on 29-01-2011.

This is also nearing the end of a rebuild.

So which one will take up the ZK-GBO marks.

 

If the two Anonymous's would send me their postal address then I will forward each a chocolate fish.

Also do you have any addition history of this glider, or know where the earlier logs books are - then John Schicker would love to hear from you.