Aerobatics at Omaka on Sunday 30th

 There was a gathering of Pitts Specials at Omaka during the weekend.
There were six there to my knowledge. ZK-PTS. ZK-LDJ. ZK-FRJ. ZK-STX. ZK-PUG and ZK-JFD.

                                   Above we see the John Eaton Pitts 12 ZK-PTS2 c/n 180.

                             This has been for sale locally for some time and is now about to be advertised                                                                                                overseas.

Line up. From left to right - Yak 52 ZK-JPW. Pits S-1S ZK-PUG. S-2B ZK-STX. S-1S ZK-FRJ and S-2D ZK-LDJ.

Lurking in the background on the right is Harvard ZK-OTU.

Above is the Yak-52 ZK-JPW c/n 822214 from the Ashburton Yak Syndicate.

Warbird Aero Ltd's North American NA88 Harvard 2A* ZK-OTU c/n 88-13193 was also on the scene.

Also captured by Zac was the locally based Murphy Rebel ZK-VAN3 c/n R798 of the Little Oasis Trust.

And out and about was RR Aviation's Avro 652A Anson Mk1 ZK-RRA.

Thanks to Zac Yates for the report.

Pitts S 1S ZK-MPM Returns

Pitts S 1S ZK-MPM was built by Maurice McGruer of North Shore as a 35 year homebuilding project and it was first registered on 6/8/10.  It did not fly much and ended up stored near Kaikohe.  I understand that it was going to be parted out and its engine used for another project until David Wilkinson heard of it and decided that wasn't going to happen.  So he bought it with Andrew Hope and transported it back to his hangar at Ardmore where they refurbished it and now it is flying again.  A great save David!

It was registered to the MPM Syndicate of Drury on 15/6/23.  Here it is along with Pitts S 1 ZK-JFD at Matamata over the weekend

And a nice flying shot of David Wilkinson flying ZK-MPM - back in the sky where it belongs.

Thanks for sending the photos David.

Guimbal Cabri's times Five

It has been a busy time at Christchurch Helicopters in the last couple of months with five Guimbal Cabri G2's arriving for certification and delivery.

Alphabetically speaking we have ZK-HRN2 c/n 1322 registered on 18-05-2023 for a private owner.

Below we have ZK-HUA4 c/n 1323 for John Campbell Holdings Ltd of Te Araroa, also from 18-05-2023.

Both these being factory new machines.

ZK-IKO2 below - is c/n 1116 and was registered to P M and J L Moore Holding Trust of Gisborne and was previously ZT-RSE with the Starflite International Aviation Training academy at Durban and Mossell Bay, South Africa.

By my count we have had 47 Cabri airframes listed on our civil register out of a production line of 333 so far.

Not a bad % to NZ.

Also at Christchurch Helicopters are two additional Cabri's.

VH-VHZ3 c/n 1115 was listed to Daniel R Black of Alpha, Queensland on 01-05-2023 and is ex ZT-RSD, also ex Starflite of South Africa.

And VH-XT4 c/n 1095 as registered to Special Mission Helicopter Pty Ltd of Oxley, Queensland from 03-05-2023. This is ex ZS-HJE and also ex Starflite.

 

Pauanui

Finally a settled fine weekend brought a flurry of activity to Pauanui airfield this Saturday including a group of 3 from Te Kowhai.   Amongst these was the Vans RV12iS ZK-DOL2 which was completed in 2022 and has now been painted in its final colour scheme.

And the Zenair CH601HD ZK-ZKP which was completed back in 2021.

Up from Taranaki was a group of 4 aircraft including the 1951 vintage Cessna 170A ZK-OCC which has had its registration position revised to a small ZK on the tail.   This was imported into NZ from Canada back in 2008.

Also from Taranaki was Cessna 182Q Skylane II ZK-JSB2 which has a new smart paint scheme.  This was imported from the US in 1996 and has been with its current Waverley owner since December 2022.

The latest addition to the Tauranga Aero Club fleet is Cessna 152 ZK-TAG2 which was acquired this month from Air Hawkes Bay where it was registered ZK-TOE.

 

A New Zealand Connection to a Modern Day German Fokker Triplane

I recently found this photo of a newly completed Fokker Dr 1 Triplane in Germany:

There is a New Zealand connection to this aircraft as the rotary engine is a CAMS Gnome that is manufactured at Omaka.  It is fortunate that the photo is with the cowling off so you can see the rotary in all of its glory.  

I reckon this might be the sixth modern Fokker Triplane build with a rotary engine - after Mikael Carlson's one in Sweden, three in America and one in Australia which also had a CAMS Gnome rotary but unfortunately crashed (but the engine is being re-used in another build).

Airbus Industries AS 350 B3 ZK-HDQ

 Captured on camera at Christchurch Helicopters today was the Airbus AS 350 B3e ZK-HDQ3 c/n 7721.

This was previously listed as ZK-IDT - initially with Helicopters Queenstown Ltd (Ngai Tahu Tourism) on 22-01-2014 - and relisted to Helicopters Queenstown 2020 Ltd from 26-03-2021.

It was re-registered to ZK-HDQ3 on 04-07-2023 with the same owner.

Photo above from Tony McFarlin taken just before mid-day.

Photo below shows it as an Airbus H125B3e.

Lower photo was shot by Dave Paull at about 1:50pm.

Way back when ! Piper Cub ZK-BJZ

The Piper PA-18A-150 ZK-BJZ c/n 18-4631 was one of our early Piper PA-18's.

Imported by the NZ agents Airwork (NZ) Ltd of Christchurch and registered on 12-12-1955 gaining its NZ CofA on 23-02-1956.

Vanair Ltd of Hasting became the first operator being listed to them from 06-08-1956.

Cookson Airspread Ltd of Wairoa took it on from 26-03-1964.

The photo below comes from CMM Senior and was taken at Hastings Bridge Pa.

Notice the DH82 Tiger Moth fuselages in the background - there are also two Tiger Moths in the open hangar plus another Piper Cub parked outside.

This was the Temple Martin domain.

Unfortunately, it was involved in a fatal accident at Rangianua, 15 miles northeast of Wairoa on 27-02-1965 claiming the life of George Mildon.

Hartz Super (EAA) Acro Sport N19ED

 The EAA Acro Sport N19ED c/n 18 was built by Edwin H Hartz of Green Valley, Arizona and registered as a Hartz Super Acro Sport on 17-07-1978 and gained its Airworthiness certificate on 27-05-1980.

Ed was very active in aerobatic competitions in the early years with the aircraft.

He moved to New Zealand, and I believe had a farm in the Te Anau area, where he built a hangar and airstrip for this aircraft. A change of address to Te Anau was listed on 15-07-2017.

 I don't believe he flew it all that much in NZ.

N19ED above in its hangar at Te Anau about mid 2021.

Ed's other and perhaps more active hobby was as a amateur (ham) radio operator, gaining his ticket in 1961 - I think as K8VIR. He continued this hobby mainly as ZL41R up until his passing in March of 2021. He was also an avid fly fisherman.

The aircraft was reported as sold on 30-09-2022 and was cancelled from the US register on 02-12-2022 and is now in the hands of Kevin Langford and based at Ashburton.

Two photos below taken at Ashburton by roving reported CMM on 22-07-2023.

Precision Helicopters Hokitika

With the sale of their Taranaki operations to Skywork late last year Precision Helicopters are now only operating in the Hokitika area primarily using AS350B2 ZK-IEB for tourist flights from a helipad near Hokitika Gorge.   IEB was imported from the USA in early 2022.

And hangared on a nearby farm is Bell 206B ZK-IRC2 which was imported by Precision from the UK back in 2015 and now repainted in the fleet red colours.

 

More on the Sad Endings at Whangarei

Back in early June I posted about the sad ending of Pioneer 200 ZK-CIR at Whangarei.  There were several other airframes in behind of which several people wondered what they were.  Now thanks to Pete Garlick we have details and photos of them:

Cessna 172K ZK-NCA2 crashed at Whangarei in July 2010 due to suspected carb icing and was cancelled on 22/5/13.  It hasn't been posted on the blog previously so this is all you are going to get.

Cherokee 140 ZK-CNN was withdrawn from use and cancelled on 10/1/11.  It also doesn't seem to have appeared on the blog previously.

And finally this is also where the Morane-Saulnier MS 880B Rallye ZK-CKK has met its end.  This has had a long and recently not very happy history, having been damaged at Ardmore in December 1989 and eventually being cancelled in August 2000.  It then underwent a long rebuild being registered again on 1/2/07.  It sat outside at North Shore for a long time during which time water leaked through the canopy and caused irrepairable damage to the main spar.  So it was cancelled again on 20/6/23.  There are photos of it on the blog if you want to go back and have a look.

Thanks very much for the photos and information Pete.

More helicopters from Wanaka

AS350B2 ZK-HAA3 previously with Wanaka Helicopters changed ownership to a local private owner in February this year.   It was imported from the USA in 2014 briefly as ZK-IDV before changing to HAA.

Privately owned in Cromwell Robinson R22 ZK-HPU2 was originally imported new in 1990 as ZK-HDD2.   It was rebuilt following an accident in 1991 becoming HPU in late 1993.

Following the take over of the Back Country Helicopters operation at Makarora earlier this year AS350B2 ZK-IPG has joined the Wanaka Helicopters fleet.   This was imported from the USA in 2014.

 

Some new helicopters at Queenstown

A visit to Queenstown Airport today offered up some of the latest additions to the tourist helicopter fleets including 2 brand new AS350B3 acquired by Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters in March this year, ZK-IHO and ZK-IKW.

Over the other side of the Airport at the Heliworks base was EC130T2 ZK-ICH3 which was acquired from Australia in March this year.

 

Life Flight Beech 200 ZK-LFL at Wellington

Life Flight now have their third Beech 200 King Air, ZK-LFL on line for medical duties out of Wellington.  This follows ZK-LFA and ZK-LFI.  Tim Gorman photo'd it recently on arrival to Runway 34 at Wellington International:

ZK-LFL (c/n BB1814) was registered to Air Freight NZ Ltd of Palmerston North on 23/8/22.  It was imported from Australia where it was VH-MWV.

Life Flight's earlier Jetstreams ZK-LFT and LFW have been listed for sale.

Thanks for the photo Tim.

Couple of Tecnams & a Cabri

A brief visit to Oamaru Airport offered one of 2 used Tecnam P2008s imported from Australia back in March, ZK-TZT2,  for the growing training fleet of the NZ Airline Academy.

Over at a very sunny Wanaka was our sole example of the Tecnam P92 taildragger, ZK-TBJ,  which was imported new back in 2019 and is currently registered to a Tauranga owner.

And visiting from the Waitangi Station, Kurow,  was their Guimbal G2 Cabri ZK-HDS4,  which was imported new back in 2014.

 

Some helicopters in Canterbury

Noted at Christchurch today was one of 2 new Guimbal G2 Cabri's imported recently,  ZK-HUA5 which  is registered to John Campbell Holdings, Te Araroa.  John is a well known former champion long distance running athlete.

Down the road at Mt Hutt Aviation near Methven was MacKenzie Helicopters, Tekapo AS350BA ZK-HBX2.   The was originally imported from the USA in mid 1996 as ZK-HYP2,  becoming HBX a month later.

And the only active helicopter at a very windy Mt Cook was AS350B2 ZK-HBT6.  Originally imported from Australia in 2006 this is currently registered to High Country Helicopters, Riversdale but is being operated by Inflite/Mt Cook Skiplanes & Helicopters.

 

More on Super Cub ZK-BQX

 As mentioned yesterday the Piper PA-18-95 Super Cub ZK-BQX c/n 18-5764 was imported by the New Zealand Piper agents, Airwork (NZ) Ltd, of Christchurch. 
It was one of a batch of fourteen imported which covered the registration from ZK-BQN to ZK-BQZ (minus ZK-BQR as the last letter "R" was not issued in this time period).

It was registered to Airwork on 07-05-1957, received its NZ CofA on 26-06-1957 and was delivered to Omaka for the Marlborough Aero Club on 02-07-1957.
During the next six or so years it was hired briefly to the Nelson and Wellington Aero Clubs, and from 26-04-1964 joined Bob Sinclair at the Sinclair Flying School at Paraparaumu.Above - as seen at Wellington on 08-05-1964 with some unreadable script at the top of the rudder.

Parked beyond is my favourite Cessna 172 ZK-BWW.

Above as seen at Paraparaumu on an unknown date - but marked with Sinclair Flying School titles.

Note the olde control tower on the hill with the Comms and Met unit in the longer building beneath with the Crash Fire team out front. The Sinclair Flying School were in the blue buildings on the left.

At Paraparaumu on 28-06-1968 in a different paint scheme. 

The Cherokee ZK-CUC was from the Tauranga Aero Club and just passing through. 

 It had a nose over incident at Paraparaumu (not by me) on 19-06-1969 and was then listed to Lease Equipment Ltd of Wellington from 17-06-1970. 

By September of that year it was back with the Wellington Aero Club.

As noted at Paraparaumu on 11-01-1971.

Above is ZK-BQX as noted at Paraparaumu on 08-03-1971.

It was then acquired by Frank Prouting of Blenheim (Camden Stations, Awtaere Valley) from 01-05-1972 :-

And then Ray Patchett of Omaka picked it up from 03-07-1981-  with a partnership with M R Alexander taking effect from 31-08-1981 - until it went solely back to Ray from 07-04-1983.

At about this point it carried the "FILTHY SQUADRON" title.

Then we see Glenfield Ward Ltd of Ward become the listed owner from 04-04-1986.

And from 13-03-1998 R C and M E Williams of Paraparaumu took it on  

Hangared at Paraparaumu on 18-02-2002.

Above at Paraparaumu on 20-01-2013.

Above at Omaka on 31-01-2015 thanks to Andy Heap

With a change to Cub Partners of Lower Hutt from 13-05-2016. 

It was made available on line through the Kapiti District Aero Club during this time.

Current listed owner is Zac Dillon And Ed Hazlett Partnership of Omaka.