Revised version of yesterdays original post.
Thanks to Weheka for sorting me out.
In November and December of 1960 Rural Aviation Ltd of Bell Block, New Plymouth, imported a batch of five new Cessna aircraft.
One of these was the Cessna 180C c/n 50909 which had been allocated the US registration of N6409X on the production line.
Rural Aviation Ltd registered it as ZK-BYI on 24-11-1960.
The first two photos below show it at Bell Block in its original paint scheme and with dainty wheel spats.
Above - At Bell Block, New Plymouth via Allan Wooller.
Above at Bell Block from Ray Deerness.
The New Plymouth Aero Club used it for a short time before Rural sold it to Ray Verrity of Te Awamutu on 16-01-1961.
It didn't have a very good run as it was damaged at Hamilton on 12-03-1966 and then at Hamilton on 12-03-1966. Then on 17-08-1968 it was overturned at Auckland.
Ownership transferred to the Waikato Flying School at Hamilton on 22-04-1970.
And above I shot it at Wellington on 20-04-1971.
It struck a fence in a weather related forced landing near Thames on 05-05-1971
followed by another incident at Paraparaumu on 31-10-1971.
R (Bob) S Shewry of Tahora took it on from 29-03-1972 and it is seen below at Stratford (thanks to Allan Wooller) during 1972 in a new colour scheme.
From 29-08-1973 it moved to the Air Photos (1973) Ltd and in the three shots below we see it wearing the Air Photos titles.
Below at Ardmore on 13-11-1973.
Below at Ardmore on 13-11-1973.
Below - At Ardmore in 1974 from Allan Wooller.
And below at Timaru from the CMM collection.
It was damaged in a ground loop on the Gibbs Strip at Tokoroa on 15-12-1974 and was later sold on to Earnie Colling of Cromwell from 05-03-1976.
It had another oops on 02-05-1986 near Geraldine.
Above we see it at Wanaka 08-01-1983 in another paint scheme.
And below at Timaru on 07-06-1984.
Tuckers Flat Mining Co of Hokitika took it over from 29-11-1990 followed by Wilderness Wings Ltd of Hokitika on 29-04-1993.
Below at Hokitika.
It then spent a short time with K Smith of Taupo from May 1997 until it returned to Hokitika for J S and L F Kerr on 14-09-97 who traded as Tandem Skydive West Coast NZ out of Franz Josef.
Now two shots from Christchurch on 02-11-2001.
Above showing 'Tandem Skydive' and 'Glacier Country' script on stbd side.
Below - unmarked on port side.
Below - at Christchurch on 17-06-2003 with just the 'Glacier Country' script.
Tim and Anna Hutchinson of Double Hill Station (Upper Rakaia River) appear in the books from 08-04-2002 followed by Argo Industries Ltd (Paul Horrell) of Queenstown from 24-06-2004. This changed to the Papa Juliet Trust of Queenstown on 29-03-2005 and it was noted below at Te Anau on 10-10-2008.
It was transferred to its current listed owner Mount View Developments Ltd - also of Queenstown from 16-05-2015.
It was spied at Christchurch on 26-05-15 - below.
It was spied at Christchurch on 26-05-15 - below.
Above at Timaru on 16-02-2017.
Finally the top of the fin transfers as seen on 16-02-2017 at Timaru.
These stem back to its Tuckers Flat days.
These stem back to its Tuckers Flat days.
Some previous posted pics of ZK-BYI can be seen Here. Then scroll down somewhat.
I believe it was also fully IFR capable for a time.
ReplyDeleteI was told it was the first single engine IFR equiped aircraft in NZ when owned by Rural and flown by Miles King, never on AG? The aircraft was owned by JS & LF Kerr from 1997 until 2002 and spent all that time approx 3040 hours on skydive ops at Fox Glacier, then transferred to T Hutchinson and replaced with 185 ZK-DKJ. Never owned by Aoraki Aero Co Ltd at any stage and did not go back on Wilderness Wings book as far as I can remember. Aoraki had the next serial number to BYI, BYJ, and Wilderness Wings at that stage operated BJY. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteThe transfers have been there since Tuckers Flat days.
ReplyDelete