Thursday 19 September 2019

Chipmunk ZK-JIT

This aircraft was delivered to the RAF on 16-05-1952 as WK627 and as of April this year was still painted in its original RAF colour scheme.
Here is a link to a photograph of her as WK627.  WK627 link
It is known to have served with the Northumbrian University Air Squadron in the early 70's until it was struck off charge at No 5 Maintenance Unit at Kemble on 5 December 1974
Its UK registration was cancelled on 21-04-1975 and it was registered as ZS-JIT to Ralph Saxe of Springs, South Africa on 08-01-1976.  
It was last flown in South Africa on 8 June 1986.
It was shipped to New Zealand in 1995 but its South African registration was not cancelled until 07-12-2000.  
Finally it was registered to Ralph as ZK-JIT on 29 May 2001 under Chipleigh Trust of Palmerston North.  
It first flew here on 22 June 2002 at Palmerston North.

And two shots taken at Masterton on 26 Jan 2003.

Tragically, Ralph Saxe was killed in the crash of his Yak 52TW ZK-YTW at Timona Park, Feilding on 23 January 2012.
Photo above at Ardmore on 8 August 2012 by Keith Morris.
It was noted for sale in the rain at Dennis Thompson International Ltd at Ardmore on 8 August 2012 for $99,950 and 6780 airframe hours.
It was sold to CTE Tooling Pty Ltd of Berkeley Vale NSW on 15 August 2018 and appears to be based at Wedderburn south of Sydney - still as ZK-JIT.

 Two shots as seen on 27 April 2019 at Wedderburn, New South Wales by David Eyre.

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