Hughes 500 Fly In Hanmer 18-02-2023

The Great Hughes 500 Fly In was held at Hanmer over the weekend of 18 and 19-02-2023.

Below is a selection as taken on the 18th. 

The Kawasaki Heavy Industries built Hughes 369D ZK-HCM7 c/n 6708 appeared as JA9279 back on 13-04-1981 and was registered in NZ on 17-02-2004.

Current operator is High Country Helicopters of Waikaia, Southland.

ZK-HDZ2 c/n 510959D started in the USA as N1101U in October of 1981 followed by time as ZK-HVZ from 07-10 1985 through until being exported to PNG as P2-IHB in mid-1986. 

It returned to New Zealand to become ZK-HDZ2 from 31-07-1990. 

Current operator is Fox Franz Heliservices Ltd.

This is Hughes 369D ZK-HJO2 c/n 1070204D of Fiordland Helicopters Ltd of Te Anau. 

Initially N8699F from late 1977 becoming VH-AJZ in early 1988. 

It joined the NZ register on 16-02-1996.

Hughes 369D c/n 390480D is a product of 1979 and served as HB-XIR in Switzerland followed by time in Italy as I-DEBO, then to the UK register as G-CIBK (spending time in Italy and Sweeden), then to SE-JPM in Sweden from late 2013. Following a brief listing in the USA as N41VS it became ZK-HMT3 on 06-04-2017.

 It is currently listed with Blackbat Ltd of Auckland.