Monday 29 February 2016

Wellington International 12-2-2016 (2)

The neat thing about Wellington Airport is that you can get so many great spots to take photos of the aircraft.  After Coutts Street I went down to the Spruce Goose cafe for a coffee on their outside deck.  From there the backgrounds are busier but you get great views with a Northerly wind.

On a Friday afternoon I was the only one up there so I spent another pleasant hour or so in the sun and watched the passing parade.

 Long shots across the runway and apron can result in a bit of heat haze, but nevertheless here are Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 VH-YIH, Qantas Boeing 737-800 ZK-ZQF and Air New Zealand A 320 ZK-OJI at the international terminal.

 A 320s VH-VGQ and VH-VGO and Q 300 VH-TQD at Jetstar corner.

 ATR 72-600 ZK-MVD and A 320 ZK-OXB at Air New Zealand domestic.

 Q 300 ZK-NEM2 in the old Air New Zealand colours.

 Soon to be gone, Beech 1900D ZK-EAG2 arrives.

 Q 300 ZK-NEO2

 and yet another Q 300, ZK-NET2

 ATR 72-212A ZK-MCA takes off with ATR 72-600s ZK-MVD and ZK-MVI in the background.

 And the RNZAF operated what I guess are regular flights - Beech B 200 NZ7123 takes off.

 While C130H Hercules NZ 7001 arrived.  

The Spruce Goose deck gave a great viewpoint for the Hercules as it taxied to the Government hangar.

Sunday 28 February 2016

Tokoroa Duo

The Blue Bus recently stopped over in Tokoroa and found these two aircraft.
The James Lobet Ganagobie Mousebird ZK-JLO (c/n J.L.010) was parked in the corner of the hangar currently with a bit of an engine problem.
Sir Minty has covered the history of this aircraft very well in the two following links :-


Murray Belfield has operated this Maule M-5-235C ZK-JDT (c/n 7054C) since 29-11-1993.
See previous post at :-

Jetstar and Air New Zealand Domestic Go Head to Head at Wellington!

At Wellington the other day:

 Jetstar Q 300 VH-TQD arrived...

 Followed by Air New Zealand Q 300 ZK-NFI2.

Then they went head to head!


Two from AKL on 27-2-16

Boeing 737-476 ZK-PAK msn 24444 ex N944NZ / VH-TJS of Airwork Flight Operations Ltd seen with Parcelair titles and logo. I understand that Parcelair is a joint venture between Air Freight NZ Ltd and Airwork and that over time 737's are due to replace the former companies Convairs on mail / freight work within New Zealand.

Convair C580 ZK-CIB msn 327A of Air Chathams getting airborne from runway 05

Working out of Dargaville.

Working out of Dargaville on the 25th was the NZAI FU24-950 (PT6 powered) ZK-JLU (c/n 234) supplementing the similar locally based ZK-JQB. 
Thanks to Jean210.

Three more from Ashburton

Four more photographs from Allan Bowman taken at the Flying New Zealand National Championships held at Ashburton over recent days.
AESL Airtourer 115 ZK-CWA (c/n 506) was delivered new to the NZNAC/ANZ Flying Club in Auckland on 22-02-1968. It was listed to its current owner; J F Managh Family Trust of Napier on 25-07-2009.
Jabiru SP ZK-JJR (c/n 506) was built by Ashley R Johnston and was registered to the Kintore Trust of Sheffield on 19/4/12.
Here it is  being worked on by the team from "Toughguard" - making it sparkle again.
Cessna 180 ZK-WGT is the earliest production 180 in NZ, being c/n 30012. It is in a period colour scheme.
It was shipped into NZ and became ZK-WGT on 05-01-2007 using the initials of its new owners W M & G W Thompson of Otorohanga.
The RV 6 ZK-RVF (c/n 21496), that was built by Kent Ashton of Rotorua, and first registered to him on 19/9/00.  On 16/8/02 it was sold to the Cardinal Partnership of Tauranga (Ike and Trish Stevens) with Trish flying it in aerobatic competitions.  

Saturday 27 February 2016

Wellington International 12-2-2016 (1)

As I posted previously, "you can't beat Wellington on a good day" and Friday 12 February was another one.  A light Northerly and stunning sunshine, so I went to my favourite spot off the end of Coutts Street near the runway underpass.  I just photo'd the aircraft pretty much as they came over a one hour period, and here are the Air New Zealand aircraft:

Q 300 ZK-NEC2...

Q 300 ZK-NEF2...

Q300 ZK-NFA2...

Q 300 ZK-NEE2...

Domestic fleet A 320 ZK-OXA...

Domestic fleet A 320 ZK-OJR with a new rudder...

ATR 72-600 ZK-MVB...

International fleet A 320 ZK-OJO...

Q 300 ZK-NER2...

Domestic fleet A 320 ZK-OXG...

ATR 72-600 ZK-MVI...

And domestic fleet A 320 ZK-OXH.


Auckland to Wellington by Air New Zealand 11-2-2016

To follow in Blue Bus's wheel-tracks, first I had to get to Wellington, and I enjoyed a pleasant flight down with Air New Zealand.  I was fortunate to be allocated window seat 3A.

 Our aircraft for Flight NZ 439 was their  newest A 320: ZK-OXK.

 Window seat 3A enabled good views of a couple of big brother heavies -Emirates A 380 A6-EEL.

 and Singapore Airlines A 380 9V-SKK.

 A takeoff view showing six of Air New Zealand's domestic A 320s at the terminal, plus us makes seven!.

Approaching Wellington from over Cook Strait showing Evan's Bay and Lyall Bay with the harbour and the Orongorongos in the background.  As you can see you can't beat Wellington on a good day.

Turning onto finals allowed an oblique shot of the airport.

While taxying in allowed an airside photo of Air New Zealand trans-Tasman A 320 ZK-OJI being readied for departure.


PAC 750XL lost in Nepal.

Reports are indicating that the PAC 750XL 9N-AJB c/n 160 of Air Kasthamandap has crashed at Chilkhaya in Nepal on 26-02-2016 with thirteen souls aboard.
Initial reports indicate that both pilots were killed.
This was originally ZK-KAZ1 which was cancelled from the NZ register on 27-10-2009.
Reports are now appearing on GOOGLE.

Friday 26 February 2016

ZK-CAW

I am sure that you all know the Douglas DC-3 at McDonalds in Taupo.
And I am sure you all know that it was ZK-CAW(c/n 18923).
Below is an extract from an earlier post on ZK-CAW.
ZK-CAW (18923) started life with the USAAF serialled 42-100460 and joined the civil ranks as VH-ANM with Australian National Airways in February 1947. Its final Australian operator was Airlines of NSW from February 1961.
It was modified to "Viewmaster" status (Lengthened cabin windows) before arriving in NZ on 23-10-1961 to become ZK-CAW with South Pacific Airways Airlines of NZ Ltd and was named "George Bolt".
It joined NZNAC in March 1966 and was leased to Fiji Airways as VQ-FAI, returning to NZNAC in August 1969.
It the briefly served with Mount CookAirlines and then South Seas Airways before it went to Fieldair in May of 1971 in the agricultural role..
Its last flight was on 29-10-1984 bringing its total airframe time to 56,282 hours
By November 1990 it was at McDonalds, Taupo.
I managed to gain entry into the fuselage the other day. Pic below.
The cockpit, blocked off by a clear(ish) screen, appears to be fully equipped.
In the freight are just behind the cockpit there are about a dozen information panels.
Some of which I have included below.