Airtrainer ZK-LJH

Noted parked outside Dennis Thompson International at Ardmore yesterday (26-12-2017) was the New Zealand Aerospace CT/4A Airtrainer ZK-LJH (c/n 042).

 As can be seen from the photograph below from Magnaman it still retains its full Royal Australian Air Force markings with its NZ registration 'LJH' on the fin beneath the RAAF fin flash.

This Airtrainer was one of  fifty one ordered by the RAAF and built at Hamilton by NZAI. 

These were built and delivered in two batches. 

They were all allocated NZ civil registrations and ferried to Bankstown in full RAAF markings with their full dual ZK-*** registration on their fin and fin fillet. 

See an earlier post on these Here.

The first batch were allocated the NZ registrations ZK-DZP through to ZK-EAZ and were c/n 027 to 063; whilst the second batch had the c/n's 064 through to 077 and the ZK-EUM to ZK-EUZ civil marks.

The RAAF serial system allocates each aircraft type their own numerical prefix - in the case of the Airtrainer this was '19' preceded by an "A' for Australia. This was followed by a three digit number which was usually the manufactures construction number (c/n).

So ZK-LJH was built as c/n 042 at Hamilton by NZAI and issued the NZ civil registration of ZK-EAE on 27-05-1975. This airframe has the manufacture date of 21-06-1975 and first flew on 04-07-1975. So this became A19 042. 

It ferried into Bankstown (Sydney) on 11-08-1975 and was 'delivered' to the RAAF on 17-08-1975 

 Two photos of A19 042 at Bankstown on 23-08-1975.

Its NZ registration being cancelled on 22-09-1975. 

It was allocated the RAAF radio call sign of 'VM-YAT'.

It was sold on the Australian civil market and became VH-JDN on 06-08-1993 with A Norman of Toobeah Queensland; then to C Brown of Applecross from 15-12-1994.

 Steve Black of Quarading West Australia listed it from 15-11-1996 until its cancellation on 17-02-1999 for it to take up its NZ markings of ZK-LJH from 19-09-1999 with A J Hogan of Auckland.

 Above - ZK-LJH at Ardmore on 19-03-2000.

Below at Wanaka on 29-03-2002.

It moved to Wanaka with a 'Private Owner' in September of 2008.

I noted it as being listed for sale on Trade Me in March of 2017.

As mentioned above it is now listed for sale with DTI at Ardmore with 5759 airframe hours.

ZK-LJH at Ardmore on 26-12-2017 by Magnaman.