Pauanui

Activity continues apace at Pauanui leading up to New Year and new visitors to the airfield included Helicopter Me's AS350B2 ZK-HBQ5 dropping off some passengers before returning to its Mechanics Bay base

And down from Ardmore the 2019 registered Pitts S1 Special ZK-RMR with Hamilton based RV6A ZK-VIA in the background

The Sport Aircraft Year 2019

As has been my wont for the last few years, I will review the sport aircraft year that was 2019:

By my reckoning there were 52 new sport aircraft registered during 2019 (which compares very favourably with the 33 in 2018), plus 2 new sport helicopters.  4 sport aircraft were re-registered with new registrations and 2 more were returned to the register with new registrations, and one aircraft was restored with its original registration.  There were 14 pre-used imported sport aircraft in the total of 52.

Among these were 6 new Savannahs. Tecnam's were back with a new agent and 6 being registered including our first P 92 Taildragger ZK-TBJ.  Another blast from the past saw the registration of 2 new Pitts S 1 Specials ZK-PUG and ZK-RMR.  And the Vans keep coming with 10 being registered during 2019 (3 RV 6s and one RV 6A, 3 RV 7s and one RV 7A, plus one RV 12 and one RV 14).

There were 3 new types registered, being the Class 1 microlight Supermarine Spitfire Mk 25 ZK-RGV, the Chilton DW 1 ZK-CHT2, and the NZ Warbirds latest acquisition being the exotic Siemens-Schuckert DW IV replica ZK-SSW (which was listed on the CAA register as a Fokker D IV).

Gary Marsh in his 75% scale Supermarine Spitfire Mk 25 ZK-RGV at Stratford.

 John Gray's Chilton DW 1 (replica?) ZK-CHT2 at Rangiora. 

The NZ Warbirds Siemens-Schuckert D IV replica ZK-SSW at Ardmore.  The NZ Warbirds also registered a Bristol Fighter replica ZK-PRK to add to their growing WW 1 collection.

13 sport aircraft were cancelled from the register in 2019, sadly including 4 aircraft lost in fatal accidents being Vans RV 4 ZK-JRX (which crashed in 2018), Vans RV 12 ZK-LSV, Tecnam P 2002 ZK-WAK (in a mid air collision), and Tecnam P 2002 RG ZK-SGO.  4 sport aircraft were exported being the well known Thunder Mustang ZK-TMG2, Rans S 7 ZK-ROO, Murphy Rebel ZK-DKZ2 and Glasair III ZK-ELB2, and 3 were withdrawn being the Mosquito XEL helicopter ZK-HNG6, the Aerianne Swift very light motor glider ZK-LAJ and the Avid Flyer STOL ZK-SPY.

I reckon we will see quite a lot of new sport aircraft in 2020 as we already know several that in the registration pipeline.

Highlight of 2019?

2019 has been a great year for aircraft happenings in New Zealand, but what do you think was the highlight?

I reckon it was early on in the year, on January 13th, when the Avspecs restored ex RNZAF Mosquito ZK-BCV flew here again for the first time in 64 years.  It was a fantastic day watching it fly with the Spitfire chase plane, and hearing 3 Merlins on song!  So here are some memories:

Does anyone else have a favourite aviation happening they would like to nominate?

ZK-MOT

I have just  received he following email from Robert Turner in the UK.

Rather than regurgitate it I include Robert's full email  below.

          Hello,

I very much enjoy your blog from afar - I live in the UK, but long ago

learned to fly with the Motueka Aero Club / Associated Aviation

/ Nelson Aviation College, and it’s good to keep in touch with the

goings-on in the old country.

I came across the attached photos that might be useful to fill a

space if you are doing a piece on early microlights - this is ZK-MOT,

a Ultralight Flight Mirage MkII, at NZMK. It was assembled by Motueka Aero

Club members in an apple packing shed in Riwaka over a few

weekends in 1982 or thereabouts.

As you can see from the second

photo it had a "full IFR panel", including ASI, altimeter, boot, and

very very wide screen display. The altimeter has either lost a hand,

or it says that I’m at 50’, so is clearly not the most useful bit of kit,

and as I recall, the ASI had a position error of about 50% depending

whether or not you were flying in balance, and whether the clamp

holding it in place was tightened up properly.

I see from my log book that I flew it for about 10 hours before I

departed for the UK - great fun provided you avoided the usual

Tasman Bay sea breeze. The worst bit - being non-radio I had to

climb to 1500’ for a standard rejoin - 1500’ is a long way up in

one of those.

Best wishes, and thanks for the blog.

Robert Turner

PS - sorry about the image quality - scanned from time-worn originals.   

ZK-MOT was registered to the Motueka Aero Club on 13-08-1982.

To Hamish Hamilton and P Tomlinson of Hokitika from 16-12-1987.

To Treetops Aviation at Hokitika 17-01-1992.

T McIntosh of Ross from 05-05-1996.

Its registration was cancelled on 30-07-1999 as revoked.

Pauanui

Settled weather on the Coromandel since Xmas day has seen a large number of visitors to the Pauanui airfield and amongst these was the Ardmore based Stearman ZK-BOE2  ("77")  which was very busy offering joyrides 

Up from the Hawkes Bay came 1978 model Cessna 180K ZK-EYH

Not often seen out and about the North Shore based Mooney M20C ZK-RMM which has transitioned through 4 ZK registrations since its arrival from Australia in 1987

And also from North Shore the very smart Vans RV14 ZK-VNX which arrived from Australia in late 2018.

Dargaville Yesterday 28-12-2019

I drove up to Dargaville yesterday for the last Saturday lunch of the year, and the lunch as usual was great.

A somewhat blustery wind maybe kept some flyers at home, but there were several planes and crews that were from far afield returning home to family and friends in the North.  And there were some locals across from Whangarei which made for a lot of plane speaking!

Greg Van der Hulst had flown up from Rangiora in his Rotax powered Jabiru J 200 ZK-CPA2.  I don't think I have seen this Jabiru since 2006.

And there was another Jabiru up from Rangiora!  Colin Ashby had flown up earlier in his Jabiru J 230 ZK-PSH.

John Zinzan flew from Taupo in the Cessna 172P ZK-EWF.  This was first registered in New Zealand in 1981 and has only appeared on the blog once previously, back in 2012, and it hasn't changed at all since then.

Mike Hopper has added some nose artwork to his Texan ZK-TXS2.  The plane is now named "Sexy Texy".

Here is Mike in Sexy Texy leaving to fly home to Whangarei later in the afternoon, flown by Jack de Reeper.

Followed by Mark Norgate in his tri-gear Sonex ZK-VDB.

Whitianga

The Mercury Bay Aero Club held its annual Open Day at Whitianga airfield today and the event attracted a wide variety of aircraft including locally based Cessna 180 ZK-AMK2 of Matahui Airlines, which was reregistered from ZK-KMK in November 2019.   The original AMK was a Short Sunderland back in 1947.

Not blogged here before is Aeroprakt A22LS ZK-FXB2 which was imported from Australia in 2017 and is registered to a Cambridge owner

Jim Gemmell's highly polished Cessna 170B ZK-JCG3 has had its registration moved to the tail.  It was imported from Australia and registered in August 2019.

And locally based is our sole Waiex appropriately registered ZK-WYX.

Tango Charlie Echo

I was very  pleasantly surprised to capture the Helio H-250 Courier ZK-TCE (c/n 2503) at Rangiora on the 24th.

It now wears larger wheels.

It has appeared on this blog before Here

Up on the Tasman Glacier on 10-9-2019

A definite highlight of 2019 for me was our skiplane flight up on to the Tasman Glacier and return helicopter flight, on 10 September.  I have posted some photos previously on the blog but it was so photogenic that I thought I would post a few more:

The head of the Tasman Glacier ahead of the Turbo Porter.

Just prior to touchdown - it was very smooth onto the snow.

Even lower!

Spectacular views on a spectacular day.

Our Turbo Porter ZK-MCT with an amazing backdrop!

Then our helicopter arrived....

Dwarfed by the scenery.

Our return Squirrel ZK-HBR2 awaits.

More dwarfing by the scenery!

Then all to soon the turbo Porter took off down the slope...

and climbed out.

Followed by us in the Squirrel

That's our landing area below.

Question time for Christmas day

Merry Christmas all.

Herewith a dozen photographs for you to ponder.

QUESTION TIME 

now COMPLETED

All answered to 

my satisfaction

**************************** 

Number 1.

Solved

This one is not particularly civil - but we have had four of this type on 

the register. 

I am looking for the type of the background aircraft - not the blurred 

Flying Kiwi in the foreground !

ZK-CKE2 tells us  it is an Avro Anson Mk1.

Which indeed it is - at the Air Force Museum.

****************************************

Number 2

Partially solved

Oops ! not floating very well at all.

Aircraft type please.

And to help sort out the influx of correct answers -

Tell me where and when ?

Allan has got it with Tiger Moth.

But more details required yet.

Nice try with the details there Allan - but alas not ZK-APM

And no Peter it is not ZK-APX that I am looking for either.

I didn't realise so many Tigers went swimming !

Planecrazy4 has cracked it with the 

Tiger Moth ZK-AJE 

the 'Chocolate Plane' of the Otago Aero Club.

Date 05-06-1952 into the Otago Harbour.

*****************************************

Number 3

Solved

Ignore the NOTICE.

Very knobbly.

What aircraft type would you find this in ?

Allan has identified it as the 
Chrislea Super Ace which is at the
Ashburton Aviation Museum.

*****************************************

Number 4

Solved

We know its a DC-3.

But which one ?

It is indeed the old CAA Cal Flight DC-3 
ZK-AUJ
With a colour swap.
Thank you ZK-CKE2.

***************************************

Number 5

Solved to my satisfaction

Aircraft type please.

Planecrazy4 suggests it is a 
Lockheed C130J Hercules.
I think it is still listed as an LC130H.
With UTC Aerospace Systems NP2000 props.

****************************************

Number 6

Solved

What type would you find this on then ?

This is the leading edge of the Zenair 

CH701 STOL ZK-SLO 

Thanks Anonymous.

****************************************

Number 7

Solved

The nose of what ?

Yes - good spotting there Planecrazy4.

It is the Mil Mi-34C (Hermit) ZK-HUN5.

Ready for delivery a couple of days ago.

****************************************

 Number 8

SOLVED

Winging it.

But the wing of what.

And if you know that then you probably can provide the registration as well ?

We have a correct answer from Planecrazy4

The de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk ZK-CPY

****************************************

Number 9

Solved

A nice easy one !

What sort of aircraft is this engine mounted on.

And can you suggest a 'ZK' registration for same ?

Anonymous has picked this as the 

Arnold Gallagher

Special ZK-CZE - which indeed it is.

A considerably modified Cessna 150.

*****************************************

Number 10

Solved

No I'm not kidding you.

What model is this ?

And where would you expect to find this one ?

As bobgod infers it is indeed a peddle car in the Mount Cook 

terminal in 2014

*****************************

Number 11

Solved

Aircraft type please ?

It is the Just SuperSTOL ZK-KAB .

Thanks you ZK-CKE2.

*****************************************

Number 12

Solved

What do you make of this then ?

On what flying machine would you find this ?

ZK-CKE2 has cracked as the 

Martin Jet Pack.

***************************************

No number.

Solved

A grotty photo from the olde shoe box.

Just the type and model would be sufficient thanks !

It is indeed the Helio Courier H-250 ZK-TCE

Planecrazy4 scores another point.

The unadulterated long shot of ZK-TCE landing at NZRT recently.

********************************************

SCORE

         Anonymous  2.0 

               Planecrazy4 score 4.5        

          bobgod   1.0

ZK-CKE2  4.0

Allan    1.5 

My problem now is how do 

I split up the chocolate fish prize ?

Safe and happy flying.