The Champion 7EC Traveller Deluxe ZK-BVF (c/n 7EC-637) was registered to the Middle Districts Aero Club of Palmerston North on 6/2/58 and its Certificate of Airworthiness was issued on 16/5/58. It was one of three Champion Travellers that were operated by the MDAC at the time, the others being ZK-BSX and ZK-BUL. I remember them being duck egg blue in colour, but on seeing old photos of ZK-BVF it was mainly white with dayglo orange and the duck egg blue.
Photo'd above at Rongotai in December 1963. The aircraft led an adventurous life as it was damaged at New Plymouth in May 1961 and then at Palmerston North in April 1964.
And here it is photo'd at the opening of the Taumarunui Aerodrome on 28/8/64.
Somewhere along the line it was repainted in this new colour scheme still under the ownership of MDAC Inc. The photo was taken at Palmerston North on 1/11/70 and it was damaged again on 24/12/70, again at Palmerston North. Ownership changed to Russel Giles of Rongotea near Palmerston North on 8/2/73 and he operated it in this scheme for many years.
Fast forward to a shed at Kairanga on 1/4/04 where Dave Paull took this photo of what he assumed to be ZK-BVF looking worse for wear. This presents a problem as it was in the newer red and white colour scheme with MDAC in 1970. One possibility is that it is the fuselage of MDAC Traveller ZK-BSX that was later refurbished by Mark Miller into his Miller Superchamp ZK-MMJ and an old rudder from ZK-BVF was just thrown in? From comments received this is correct - it is the bones of ZK-BSX. Thanks for the comments guys.
Whatever, ownership changed again, this time on 30/10/19, to Jeffrey Thompson of Palmerston North and it is photo'd above at the recent Feilding Aerodrome Open Day, looking in great condition. It has not appeared on the blog previously.
It is also remarkable that in its 66 year history it has always been owned in the Palmerston North area.
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The fuselage at Kairanga is BSX.
ReplyDeleteBVF was purchased by Russell Giles from the Middle Districts Aero Club in the above paint scheme and retained this and their name on the fuse until purchased by Jeff.
Hi
ReplyDeleteI read with interest your Facebook article on BVFs history.
I soloed on BVF in 1961 at the Middle Districts Aero Club & at that
time the other 2..aircraft were BSX & BPW Both of which also
appear in my logbook.
BUL must have been acquired after about March 1961 as I left
Palmy about then .I have no idea about what happened to the
other aircraft.
Thanks for publishing the info !!
David KIlsby
I think the airframe of ZK BUL was on the possession of Dennis Moore at one time but do not know what became of it
ReplyDeleteI had a feeling there were 4 of 'em - David Kilsby has named the fourth - BPW
ReplyDeleteRussell Giles was my brother-in-law & went flying with him at the approx age of 10. I’ve had the engine reconditioned & the fuse refurbished. Now looking smart & still flying like a Champ !
ReplyDeleteRussell Giles was my brother-in-law & flew with him from about 10 years of age. I’ve had the engine reconditioned & all the plane refurbished. Still flies like a Champ!
ReplyDeleteDavid, I'd like to get permission to use one or more of the Champion images in a friend's Blog - Fear of Landing. I emailed you about a week ago, but haven't heard back. Can you please either reply here, or double check your messages? Maybe I'm in SPAM.
ReplyDeleteThanks, David
Dave P1 to Dave P
ReplyDeleteI have just found your comment in my junk mail bin.
Feel free to use as you wish. Spin it as you desire.
Cheers
Dave P1
Hello
ReplyDeleteI’m Russell Giles’s daughter
Your paragraph regarding the year 2004 is incorrect
Dad never had any accident or stripped plane back for any reason
The plane ZK-BVF also was never in a shed in Kairanga for such things, always at home on Soldiers rd, Rongotea
The shed photo also is not dads
Thankyou
Hello
ReplyDeleteThe paragraph regarding our plane ZK-BVF stripped in 2004 is definately not correct
ZK-BVF was never in a accident until we sold it 2019 where the new owner damaged ZK-BVF.
I can’t imagine the plane still having the blue colour on it tho if MDAC had a few incidents before Russell Giles purchased it in 1974.
ZK-BVF was housed at Soldiers Rd, Rongotea
Hi my dad Russell Giles from Soldiers Rd Rongotea
ReplyDeleteI was only about 6 years old when we got the plane a lot of happy memories in the plane
ZK-BVF still had middle district aero club written under windows and it was never in a accident or stripped back like your photo of 2004 apparently in Kairanga ( not ZK-BVF)
We sold his plane to my uncle after dad passed away in 2019
Jeffrey Thompson has since had a accident in ZK-BVF we heard that he landed it half on runway and half on grass which put the plane out of control. The plane was out of action for a while
Apparently fixed now
Still same colours red and white
Teresa Forrest ne: Giles
Ps I tried to put on your latest blog but it wouldn’t take it
Can you do?
(Done. DP.)
Evening Teresa.
ReplyDeleteSince I did this blog post on ZK-BVF on 09-06-2024 I have learned that the other side of the fin of what I assumed, because of the rudder marked as such in the cockpit (with some doubt at the time), was the remains of BVF - is actually marked BSX. So that damaged airframe is ZK-BSX.
Which raises the question to me - why was the rudder of BVF in the cockpit of BSX in 2004 ?
That’s is weird yes
Delete