Tony McFarlin visited New Plymouth back on 11-02-2022.
Sitting out in the rain was the Piper PA-31-310B Navajo Panther conversion ZK-LTD c/n 31-7300918.
As you can tell from the c/n it was a product of 1973, initially as N222CG followed by N237KX.
It arrived in Australia on 06-12-1988 to become VH-JKC on 23-05-1987.
It arrived in Auckland on 25-04-1993 to become ZK-LTD with Ashton Project Services Ltd of Hamilton on 28-04-1993.
In 1995 it underwent a Colemill Panther conversion thanks to Hamilton Aero Maintenance. This involves fitting Lycoming TIO540 engine of 350hp to four bladed 'Q' tip propellers and winglets. The engine cowling has better breathing, plus numerous other unseen mods.
Note the pro ptips and the panther emblem on the wing tips and rear fuselage.
Avia Air Charter Ltd of Hamilton took it over from June of 2007.
The Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II ZK-JDH c/n 34-7970041 arrived into Auckland on 17-03-1994 after nine years on the USA as N2109F followed by time in Australia as VH-IEE2 from July of 1987.
It became ZK-JDH on 05-04-1994 and by late November 2020 was with Tasman Pacific Aviation Group Ltd of Kumea.
Does it still carry the 'Cable Patrol' script under wing ?
This Agusta AW139 began as VH-NZF c/n 31156 from 06-01-2009 HNZ Cougar Helicopters Pty Ltd of Belmont, Western Australia on lease to Helicopters (NZ) Ltd.
It was entered onto the NZ register as ZK-HNO2 on 04-03-2011 with Helicopters (NZ) Ltd of Nelson. It followed the Company name change to Helicopters (NZ) Limited from 07-07-2011 and then HNZ New Zealand Limited from 30-10-2012. This in turn became PHI New Zealand Limited from 29-09-2020.
It carries the name 'Manupaatiki on its nose.
Tony visited Hamilton on 12-02-2022.
ZK-EME c/n 256 began life as a Fletcher FU24-950 with N.Z.A.I Ltd of Hamilton on 27-07-1978 and joined Fieldair Ltd of Palmerston North in October that year. They became Fieldair Holding (Central) Ltd in November 1981 and then just Fieldair Ltd from May 1984.
I believe it was parked up at Palmerston North for a while from about 1991 but returned to service with Peter Butcher of Dargaville in August of 1997 and then under the Agtech Air Services name from about mid 2002.
Super Air at Hamilton listed it from 31-10-2002 and it underwent a major rebuild to become the P&W PT6A-34Ag powered 'Fletcher 2000 Ex' and first flew as such on 20-11-2006.
It was withdrawn from service and cancelled in June 2021 and now rests at Hamilton along with ZK-JLU and ZK-EMW.
An earlier post on ZK-EME can be found here :- https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/search?q=zk-eme
And another cover up job is the Diamond DA 42 Twin Star ZK-WGA c/n 42.199 which is a 2006 model. This came in from Australia to become ZK-WGA on 28-04-2017 with the Waikato Aero Club (Inc) at Hamilton and carries 'Waikatoaviation.co nz' script on the rear fuselage. This is the commercial arm of the Club.
This aircraft actually spent five weeks on survey work in NZ back in March of 2009 under its VH-FGO registration with Fugro Airborne Surveys.
I flew JDH a couple of years ago, fairly sure it didn't have the Cable Patrol script then although I might have missed it - was conducting a type rating for a student so I might have made them do the uncomfortable underwing part of the preflight inspection!!
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