Bell 212 ZK-HBQ set to take flight

Imported by Oceania Aviation to New Zealand in December last year was the Bell 212 JA9566, later become ZK-HBQ/4.  The helicopter has been outside engine running today (6 April) and it was anticipated a first flight under ZK marks was to be conducted before the day was done.

Thanks to Blue Bus for the following enlightenment:

Trucked into Oceania Aviation Ltd's hangar at Ardmore 07-12-2015 was the Bell 212 JA9566. Built in 1981 by Bell Helicopters and allocated their test registration of N18091 it soon popped up on the Japanese register as JA9566 from 08-09-1981 initially with the ages Mutsui Co Ltd before delivery to the Japan Coast Guard at Akeno Airfield from 25-11-1981. It has remained with the Coast Guard up until its cancellation on 19-11-2015 as exported to NZ. It has become ZK-HBQ/4 with Oceania Aviation whilst they do their magic on it. The first ZK-HBQ was a 1956 Bell 47G-2 which arrived in NZ in late 1966 and the last Blue Bus saw of it it was an amusement device on a rotating arm at Queenstown in the early 1980's. Issue two was to a Bell JetRanger briefly in 1988 and number three was a Robinson R44 Raven II.