More from Hamilton 31-08-2018

 Just a couple of clicks away from Hamilton Airport is the Mystery Creek facility where the Douglas DC-3 ZK-AZL is housed. 

Even with my charm and good looks - this was as close as I was permitted to go without a site induction - the deck just beyond the reception area.

 Over at the Airfield was the Air Tractor AT-502B ZK-MAE c/n 502B-3091.

First flown in the States as N2358P for delivery to Australia where it became VH-FZQ with Field Air at Ballarat on 04-08-2017. 

It was ferried from Ballarat - reaching Hamilton on 26-03-2018 and became ZK-MAE with Super Air at Hamilton on 15-05-2018.

The Stoddard-Hamilton SH-3R Glasiar III ZK-MKP2 c/n 3191 has been listed with BOP Marine Life Trust from 03-04-2015.

Hamilton. Friday 31st.

I managed to capture these photos between the showers at Hamilton today - 31-08-2018.

 The Bell 206B JetRanger ZK-HHC2 is c/n 1715 and has been with Ashworth Helicopters 2009 Ltd since 24-05-1996.

Hughes 369E ZK-IDS c/n 0232E as listed to Precision Helicopters New Zealand Ltd of Blenheim.

See an earlier post on ZK-IDS HERE.

An unexpected catch was this Pacific Aerospace 750XL ZK-PNX3 c/n 131 as re-registered from ZK-ASA on 24-08-2018 or Phoenix Aviation Ltd of Gore.

Sukhoi SU 29(s) of New Zealand

The next type of sport aircraft to be registered in 2007 was another full on aerobatic aircraft - Rob Fry's Sukhoi SU 29 ZK-SUK (c/n 75-01) which was registered here on 23/11/07.  I have previously posted about this aircraft HERE .

In that post I detailed how it was flown under the Russian registration RA-7501 the went to the US for ten years as N229RM before going back to Japan under the Russian registration RA-3358K where it was flown at airshows between 2004 and 2007 by Jurgis Kairys, Svetlana Kapaniana and Rob Fry.

ZK-SUK at North Shore on 26/11/15.

Since I last posted on ZK-SUK it was sold on 12/8/17 to Phillip R Little of Brightwater, and it was cancelled on 18/1/18 as exported.  It has since returned to its old US registration of N229RM on 19/1/18 under the ownership of Souther Field Aviation Inc of Americus, GA.

ZK-REB

This aircraft was from of of a large production order of North American NA88 AT-6C-NT Texans for the US Military. The 'NT' in the designation tellingus that itt was built at Dallas, Texas. 

It was allocated the c/n of 88-13189 and the given US serial of 41-33716 but was one of many siphoned off as part of the Lend Lease scheme and allocated to the Royal Air Force and given the RAF serial of EX743 and would have become a Harvard MkIIA. 

However it was diverted to the RNZAF and shipped directly to New Zealand aboard the James Hogg to be assembled at Hobsonville and taken on charge by the RNZAF as NZ1040 on 26-06-1943.

In about mid-1955 it was converted to a Mk2A* (28 volts).

Above we see it at Taieri - date and photographer unknown.

Above and below. 

Place, date and photographers unknown.

At the end of its military career in 1972 and it eventually ended up in storage at Woodbourne until sold off along with thirty one other Harvards on 01-05-1978. 

It was sold to Engine Support Inc of Sebring Florida and after being stripped of its engine and other parts was sold on to John Regan and was placed at the Silverstream Railway and Vintage Transport Museum between Upper Hutt and Stokes Valley. 

It was moved back to Blenheim by Mike Nicholls and stored for some time before going down to Christchurch to the Canterbury Flight of the NZ Confederate Air Force where some restoration was undertaken.

 I believe that the NZ civil registration of ZK-REB was reserved for this aircraft.

But by 1994 it was up at North Shore before being sold overseas to Mike Spalding of North Queensland Warbirds at Mareeba, Queensland, so the ZK registration was never taken up (NTU).

In October of 1999 it became VH-XXH painted in a blue US Marines colour scheme and carried the '33176' and 'MARINES' markings. On 07-02-2000 it was re-listed to Cairns Airport Hangar Pty Ltd/North Queensland Warbirds and it first flew on 11-07-2001

Christchurch on the 28th.

On the 28th I did a buzz around Christchurch International and found Bob Dylan's mode of transport parked up.

This Grumman Aerospace G-IV N473CW c/n 1194 is listed with Air Lake Lines III Inc of Saint Paul, Minnesota. 

It began life as N77QR with Pfizer Inc in 1992 followed by a period as N77CP.

 On the Western grass the Cessna 182R ZK-OAD  c/n 18268127 was on the tie downs. 

This came in from OZ as VH-AOD and became ZK-OAD with Brendan Morrison of Mosgiel on 15-03-2008.

And the two Aero L29's ZK-SSU and ZK-VAU have found new parking spots beside the Canterbury Aero Club.

Cavalon Gyrocopter at North Shore 29-8-2018

I don't recall ever seeing a gyrocopter at North Shore airfield previously, but there was one visiting today:

AutoGyro Cavalon ZK-DJW2 (c/n V00135) is registered to GyroFlight Ltd of Nuhaka (near to Wairoa on the East Coast), so it was a long way from home.  It was first registered to them on 28/1/14.

Fletcher FU 24-950 ZK-EME

The resident Super Air turbine Fletcher at Dargaville last Saturday was a new one to me - ZK-EME (c/n 256).

It seemed to have a mix and match port outer wing panel.

ZK-EME was manufactured by New Zealand Aerospace Industries and was first registered to them on 7/7/78.  It was sold to Fieldair Ltd of Palmerston North on 9/10/78.  It went through the series of Fieldair restructuring changes, to Fieldair Holdings (Central) Ltd, PN on 6/11/81 and to Fieldair Holdings Ltd, PN  on 30/3/84, in whose colours it is photo'd at Masterton on 9/3/85.  It was withdrawn at Palmerston North in 1991.

On 22/8/97 ownership transferred to Agtech Air Services Ltd of Dargaville (Peter Butcher) and I think they operated it in the above scheme.  I assume this as the above photo was taken at Hamilton in 2003, and ownership transferred to Super Air Ltd on 10/2/03.

Super Air rebuilt ZK-EME in 2005 with a PT6A-34AG engine and fuselage stretch, and it first flew in this colourful guise on 20/11/06 as a Fletcher 2000 Ex.  The above photo was taken at Hamilton on 6/6/13.  However it is currently registered as a NZ Aerospace FU 24-950.

I came across a spectacular video of ZK-EME topdressing HERE .  I guess it must have been taken from a following helicopter, it is well worth a look.

Airwork's Latest

Pushed out of the Fieldair Engineering hangar at Auckland International this morning, Airwork's latest 737 ZK-PAU (ex N971NZ)

Auckland Seaplanes

The busy DHC2 floatplane ZK-AMA operated out of the Wynyard Quarter on Auckland Harbour was noted today wearing appropriate "Auckland Seaplanes" titling.

The company also acquired the former Astro Air DHC2 ZK-BBX in June this year,  which was damaged in an accident in October 2017,  and is now believed to be going to Tauranga for rebuild.

ZK-TGS

A belated report from Rangiora from the 18th when I captured -:

Pipistrel Alpha Trainer ZK-TGS c/n 926AT912 LSA just back from another flight.

Tie-Upp Aviation is a recent start up Company at Rangiora using this Alpha Trainer which is the first LSA example registered in NZ.

The last three letters of the registration ZK-TGS give us the Company motto of 'Train Gain Shine' which is on the rear of the fuselage.

                                        It carries the name 'Clifford' on its forward fuselage.

Two visitors at Ardmore on 26-8-18

Glasair Sportsman 2+2 ZK-SPO msn 7071 departing Ardmore yesterday afternoon, this smart looking aircraft is registered to Adventures New Zealand Ltd of Fielding

Bell 206L-1 Longranger ZK-HVF msn 45404 registered to Shaws Wire Ropes Ltd of Cambridge at Ardmore late yesterday.This is ex VH-OMJ and took up ZK marks on 4-5-18

Jetranger Topdressing at Ruawai 25-8-2018

On my way back from Dargaville late yesterday afternoon, I came across a slick helicopter topdressing operation just North of Ruawai.

The helicopter being used was Bell 206B Jetranger ZK-IPM3 (c/n 2067) which is operated by P E Maw of nearby Matakohe.  It was first registered in New Zealand on 25/7/18 and is ex C-GCHK.

The helicopter was topdressing nearby fields so I could see the whole operation in front of me.  The hopper slung below the machine was reloaded about every three minutes with the helicopter hovering for around 30 seconds before flying off for the next spreading run.  It was a very compact operation.

In this shot the tail is reflecting the low sun.  I wonder how the economics stack up versus fixed wing topdressing? (which I assume could also have had quite a quick turn around from the nearby Ruawai airstrip).  I do not know what they were spreading.

And surprisingly here is the previous ZK-IPM which is ZK-IPM2 , that I photo'd at North Shore only two and a half months ago!  It was re-registered as ZK-HKM5 on 18/7/18, but that is not all - it has previously been ZK-IAE and ZK-HCV3!  Is this a record for one helicopter to have four registrations in New Zealand?

Lunch at Dargaville Today 25-8-2018

There weren't many visiting aircraft for lunch at Dargaville today but there were a lot of lunchers which was good.  One regular visiting aircraft was Ross McLean's Socata TB 9 Tampico ZK-TBA.  It has been in New Zealand for a long time, having been first registered on 18/1/82.

I caught it leaving for home at Whangarei.

Up...

And away.

Lockwood Air Cam(s) of New Zealand

The next type of sport aircraft to appear on the NZ Civil Register was the unique Lockwood Air Cam.  This aircraft features twin pusher Rotax 912 or 914 engines but can be flown without a twin rating.  It was developed in 1995 from the Lockwood company’s earlier Drifter microlight (of which we have had several in New Zealand), and the prototype was built for the National Geographic Society for photography of forests in the Northern Congo.  It was built to fly low and slow to provide a great view and with the added safety of twin engines.  Because the two engines are mounted close to the centreline its single engine handling is benign.  With the power of the two Rotax engines it can take off in a claimed 100 feet and land in 300 feet.  That’s Valdez STOL performance!

The specifications for the Air cam Are:  length 27 feet (8.23 metres), wingspan 36 feet (10.97 metres).  Empty weight is around 1,040 pounds (472 Kg) and MAUW is 1,680 pounds (762 Kg).  The rate of climb is very good with up to 2,000 feet per minute one up.  The single engine rate of climb is quoted as 300 feet per minute.  Cruise speed can be between a loitering 50 mph and 100 mph, with a stall speed of 39 mph.

We have had only the one Air Cam in New Zealand:

ZK-SUN3 (c/n AC073) was registered in New Zealand to Cyril B Wright of Auckland on 21/11/07.  It was built in the US by John W Herbert of Ketchun, Idaho and was registered N417AC on 1/8/00.  After Cyril Wright purchased the aircraft in 2007 he ferried it with an experienced Air Cam pilot from Idaho to Corona Airport in California where it was packed into a container for transport to New Zealand.  It was re-assembled and test flown at Parakai by the same American pilot.

The above photos were taken at the 2009 SAANZ flyin on Ashburton, on 7/2/09.

Later that year Cyril had the Air Cam at the 2009 Black Sands flyin at Raglan, on 7/11/09, where it demonstrated its impressive short take off abilities.

Cyril Wright keeps the Air Cam on his property at Waiheke Island.  It has not flown much recently but Cyril intends to get back into flying it soon.

There is a really nice video of Air Cams flying low and slow in America at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1myZUs1J6Bs

Question time # 202

Below we have a photograph sent in by Allan Wooller.

Can you name the place and date ?

Sonerai 1 ZK-EEV Revisited

Following from my visit to Te Kowhai on 4 August where I photo'd Gavin Brown working on his single seat Sonerai ZK-EEV2, Gavin has sent a nice photo of his aircraft with all the cowlings on.

At Te Kowhai.  Thanks for the photo Gavin.

The Hairy Mole Rat was also at Te Kowhai on 12 August and photo'd Gavin just about to lift off.  The new canopy looks good.

Boeing 777 ZK-OKT

The latest short-term lease aircraft for Air New Zealand was parked at Auckland International today.

Boeing 777-35EER ZK-OKT is ex B-16717 of Eva Air and was registered to AirNZ on 8th August.

CT4E Airtrainers

The 12 former RNZAF CT4E Airtrainers that have lanquished at Napier Airport for some time now have started to disperse with ZK-PTH noted at Hamilton,  ZK-PTA & PTB on the Dennis Thompson ramp at Ardmore,  and noted at Tauranga today ZK-PTD.

Yeoman Cropmaster ZK-CPW at Hawera Aero Club Dawn Flyin

One of the aircraft that flew in to Hawera for their dawn flyin was the unique Yeoman YA-1 Cropmaster 250R Series 2 ZK-CPW (c/n 119).  The history of this aircraft has been well covered on the blog previously, have a look  HERE

ZK-CPW is still in the ownership of Lindsay McNicol, but the aircraft is now based at Waipukurau, with revised registration letters that really fit in well with the colour scheme.  It is the only Yeoman Cropmaster left on the NZ Civil Register.

The Hawera Aero Club's Dawn Flyin - 19-8-2018

The Hawera Aero Club held their annual Dawn Flyin yesterday.  I don't know how many aircraft they were expecting but a whole lot turned up - 11 local aircraft and 57 visitors!  I suspect that part of the reason was that sport and recreational flyers were bursting to fly somewhere in great weather, and attendees came from Auckland, Te Kowhai, Te Awamutu, Otorohanga, Matamata, Whitianga, Tauranga, Whakatane, Hastings, Waipukurau, Dannevirke, New Plymouth, Opunake, Stratford, Wanganui, Feilding, Foxpine, Levin, Paraparaumu, Wellington and Omaka.

Thanks to Jordan Elvy, here are some of the aircraft that have mostly not been posted on this blog previously:

Gary Williams' new Vans RV 8 ZK-ZRV (c.n 82439) is in Hawera carrying out its test flying programme.  It was first registered on 6/3/18.  Gary has built his aircraft with a raised turtle deck which you can't see very well here with the canopy slid back.

                           
Gordon Pettigrew's Vans RV 4 ZK-RVG has been around since 1991 and I include it here to show one of the obvious differences from the RV 8 which is the blisters cowls.  It is Stratford based so it is appropriate that is is photo'd with a lovely view of Mt Egmont in the background.

Rans S 19 Venterra ZK-JAD3 (c/n 050900071) is owned by R D McIntyre of Whangamata and was first registered to him on 11/1/11.  Sadly, it is now our sole S 19 on the register.

The Feilding Flying Club's Tecnam P 92 Echo ZK-TRD2 (c/n 1300) was first registered on 27/4/10.

and their Fly Synthesis Storch ZK-SAQ (c/n 420A-364) was also there.  It has not been posted previously with the small Feilding Flying Club script.

Also from Feilding was the Manawatu Aviation Club's Tecnam P2002 Sierra ZK-PAJ (c/n 101).

I hope the great weather is a good forerunner for the upcoming flyin season!