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 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.
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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.
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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.
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As noted at Paraparaumu on 11-01-1971.
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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
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Hangared at Paraparaumu on 18-02-2002.
Above at Paraparaumu on 20-01-2013.
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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.
Great seeing the pictorial history of this dear old Cub. I have images taken even earlier on old Rongotai airfield circa 1957 however I'm a long way from home at present and unable to access them
ReplyDeleteCheers for that.
ReplyDeleteWould be nice to get some earlier pics at some time to add to this post.
OK, will sort some out when I return home in September
ReplyDeleteZK-BQX is rather dear to my heart as it was online at the Marlborough Aero Club along with ZK-BTO during the year 1964 when I got my PPL. I don't think it would have gone to the Sinclair Flying School until a bit later than you say as I have a logbook entry dated 22 Nov 1964 flying from Omaka. I don't actually recall it being sold before I left Blenheim at the end of that year. Great little plane and I think it looked its best in the original Piper colour scheme that it used to have. I think your website is great - keep up the good work - from Maurice Benner.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your Blog that always provides great info on planes around the place.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to see a little focus on ZK-BQX which is dear to my heart due to it being one of the training planes when I was getting my PPL during the year1964. The other Cub in the Marlborough Aero Club fleet at the time was ZK-BTO that I did my flight test in.
(ZK-BTO was sadly destroyed later from a stall/spin accident after it had been sold to the Nelson Aero Club).
I think, however that BQX probably went to the Sinclair Flying School a little bit later than the date you gave as I have a logbook entry for it on 22nd Nov 1964 at Omaka.
I think it stayed at Omaka for the whole year as I don't recall it being absent for any length of time.
It was good value learning on Cubs as it put you right for pretty well any other light plane.
I like the original light red Piper colour scheme as it was in 1964. Those later paint jobs seem to be base on the Piper one for later Cubs, like ZK-BSK which I flew when with the Wellington Aero Club in 1965.
I don't seem to have any photos of BQX for some reason but have some of BTO.
Anyway, all the best,
Hello Maurice.
ReplyDeleteThat date of 26-04-1964 for BQX came from the CAA ownership change records.
I see from my log book that I flew the Cubs BSK, BTV and BQX at Wellington on 27-05-1964 and then ferried BQX back to Omaka later in the day and got a lift back to Wellington with Peter Duggan-Smith in the Cessna 310 CFG.
Not sure why BQX was in Wellington but it was leased out for brief periods from its early day with the Marlborough Club to Nelson and Wellington and probably Paraparaumu.
I next flew BQX out of Paraparaumu on 12 through to 16-04-1971 down to Taieri and back from the Sinclair Flying School.
Of interest I was doing a Cub type rating at Omaka on 14-11-1962 in BTO with Lorna de Blicquy (not sure of the spelling here) and lost the tail wheel in a rabbit hole mid field. Lorna came to NZ from Canada with Husband Dick who did seasonal helicopter work.
Great days.
Cheers.
I seem to recall ZK-BTO was one of just a handful of Cubs painted in a blue/white colour scheme, my memory is a bit hazy now so stand to be corrected here
ReplyDelete