Warrior ZK-MND

It has rightly been pointed out to me that the Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II ZK-MND has not featured on these pages. 

This Warrior is based at Rangiora - as indeed am I - and I probably see it at least once a week but have given it little thought.

First we must go back to 31-10-1977 when Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Ardmore registered the Piper PA-28-161 Warrior ZK-EID with the c/n 28-7816059. 

(and behold - this has not been mentioned on this blog previously either.)

ZK-EID ended up listed with the Westport Aero Club from 03-07-1978. 

I am uncertain where it had been for the previous seven months.

Below is a magnificent monochrome pic of ZK-EID in its Westport hangar on 28-12-1979.

And it is seen below- still in its factory scheme - at West Melton on 06-01-1987. 

It then joined The Golden Bay Flying Syndicate of Takaka from 19-05-1987, with Aeromotive Ltd of Hamilton taking it over sometime in 1993.

They leased it to the Massey School of Aviation at Palmerston North shortly there after until it was registered to the 'School" on 01-03-1994. Aeromotive had it back again from 23-01-1997 

Below - seen at Hamilton on 20-03-2000 with 'Piper Warrior II' on the fuselage side and a Kiwi flag on its rudder.

It returned to the (by now re-named) Massey University School of Aviation at Palmerston North from 01-08-2000.

Unsurprisingly it was returned to Aeromotive Ltd at Hamilton from 19-03-2002 and ultimately sold to Aircraft Rentals Ltd of Rangiora on 31-10-2003.

They (using their initials of Michelle 'n' Danny Nelson, re-registered it as ZK-MND on 14-11-2003.

It is seen below in its new paint scheme and registration marks at Rangiora on 29-01-2004.

It had a couple of leases - firstly to the Canterbury Aero Club (Inc) between 02-03-2006 and its return to Aircraft Rentals on 24-11-2006, and then back to the Canterbury Aero Club again between 19-11-2007 and 07-08-2008 after which it moved back up to the Massey University School of Aviation.

By 15-12-2008 it was back at Rangiora with Aircraft Rentals Ltd until being re-listed to Puraz Health Ltd of Christchurch on 18-07-2011.

 Above we see it at Wanaka on 02-04-2010 with a contact phone number now applied. 

Below in its hangar at Rangiora on 19-11-2017 with the Maule, Super Cub and Cessna 206.

 I spied it below - with Avtek at Timaru on 17-01-2018 - receiving a little attention.

The most recent photo was taken below at Paraparaumu on 01-07-2019 by Tim Gorman.

And as you can see it is still available for private hire.