ZK-UTE

The first Beechcraft A36 Bonanza to be registered in NZ was built as N3170W  (c/n E-515) and was imported by the then NZ agents James Aviation Ltd of Hamilton who registered it as ZK-DUL on 27-02-1974.

After a period of demonstration it was sold to W D Bremner of Auckland (Bremworth Carpets Ltd) from 23-04-1975. They moved it on to Dennis Thompson International Ltd at Ardmore from 23-08-1976 - replacing it with the Cessna 340 ZK-DSD and later the Cessna 441A ZK-WDB.

DTI sold it to J G Stubbs and Co Ltd of Mangere from 13-10-1976, who became Stubbs Holdings Ltd on 27-06-1984.

The distorted photo below shows ZK-DUL at Ardmore on 04-09-1979.

Photo below shows ZK-DUL in a new scheme at New Plymouth on 30-10-1984.

My history of it is a little vague for the next few years but I believe it was listed by DTI later in 1984 and was that it was damaged 1km short of Bridge Pa on 11-01-1985. 

I have a note that Repair Co of Feilding had it in August of 1985 followed by Manawatu Aerial Top Dressing Co  of Feilding from 05-12-1990 and its registration was cancelled as withdrawn on 19-12-1995.

After a period of storage at Feilding it was re-worked to reappear on the register on 23-12-2004 as ZK-UTE2 with Farmers Air Ltd of Gisborne.

Pic below is ZK-UTE2 at Napier on 29-02-2008

And below a shot from Henry of it at Taupo on 03-09-2011.

From 1-03-2017 it was re-listed from the Farmers Air Ltd name to Andy Stephenson Aviation Ltd of Gisborne until being sold to Michael and Amy Law of Warkworth on 10-08-2018 to replace their Cessna 177RG Cardinal ZK-KCW which they had sold in July to Chris Douglas of Whangarei.

 Keith Morris captured it at North Shore on 14-09-2018.

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To help complete (or confuse) the picture - the original ZK-UTE was a Fletcher FU24-954 which began life as ZK-VAL in 1979 with the c/n 268.

Pic below of ZK-UTE1 at Napier on 16-03-2000.

It became ZK-CRY2 on 02-07-2002 and is still currently listed with Super Air Ltd at Hamilton.

Check out more on CRY Here