Some Central Otago helicopters

I have had the good fortune to photograph these helicopters yesterday.

 Above is our only MDHC 600N NOTAR. ZK-IHI (c/n RN047) in its hangar at Cromwell. This is a 1999 model which has spent time in the States, the UK and India before arriving in NZ to be registered here on 20-11-2012 to Heliview Taranaki Ltd.

Smaller cousin MD 500N NOTAR ZK-HVA5 (c/n LN089) was a good catch outside at Queenstown. It is of about the same vintage as ZK-IHI and first served in NZ as ZK-III with Jo Faram in late 2008 for about five months before going to Australia. This very low timed airframe came back to NZ to become ZK-HVA5 on 27-03-2014 with Van Asch Wines Ltd at Queenstown. It went on line with Over The Top Ltd on 06-05-2014.

 An interesting change was the Eurocopter AS 350 B3 Ecureuil ZK-IKJ (c/n 4536). After three months on the UK register it was registered in NZ on 12-01-2009 to Treetops Aviation Ltd before transferring to Volcanic Air Safaris Ltd at Rotorua. It went back to Treetops in March of 2012 until being registered to Over The Top Ltd at Queenstown on 14-07-2014.

Here we see it on the pad outside the Heliworks hangar. It carries the small script "operated by Southern Lakes Helicopters" below the door; and that looks like the Over The Top logo on the bottom corner of the door.

 Above : Returning from an outing is the Over The Top Eurocopter EC 130 B4 ZK-IUP (c/n 4118).

 This MDHI 369E ZK-HTN3 (c/n 0551E) was listed to D J and N A Shanks Ltd of Te Anau on 05-03-2014. It bears their Milford Helicopters operating titles.