Not far down from Mt Cook airport along SH 80 and SH 8 is Twizel where Gareth Arscott came across another Inflite Pilatus Turbo Porter - ZK-MCT:
This is the Turbo Porter that has recently undergone a major overhaul by Inflite at North Shore (see: https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2024/08/pilatus-turbo-porter-zk-mct-ready-to.html ).Thursday, 6 February 2025
Gareth's Southern Odyssey (2)
Cessna 172 update - ZK-EOX and ZK-CTY
It was registered to Dalhoff & King Aviation Ltd at Ardmore on 04-02-1980 and official joined Associated Aviation (Motueka) Ltd of Motueka on 14-08-1980.
This changed to Associated Aviation (Wellington) Ltd from 04-12-1996 and then to the Ardmore Flying School Ltd at Ardmore on 17-04-1997.


Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Beech 95 -B55 Baron VH-XCV
Tuesday, 4 February 2025
Gareth's Southern Odyssey (1)
I met Gareth Arscott and his wife at Kaipara Flats airfield last year, when they popped in to see some flying that was going on. Gareth is a very keen aircraft photographer who mainly posts on Flicker, and I introduced him to the NZ Civair blog. From Auckland Gareth and his wife flew to Queenstown and then proceeded to visit many aerodromes in the South:
Hercules farewell over Christchurch 04-02-2025
Sunday, 2 February 2025
A Few More from GMC Taupiri on 1-2-2025
Here are a few more aircraft that were among the 28 or so at Martin Henton's GMC airstrip at Taupiri yesterday:
Saturdays exec arrival at Christchurch International
Tecnam P92-JS UL ZK-WWT
Saturday, 1 February 2025
Carbon Cub ZK-RMT at GMC Taupiri Today 1-2-2025
The Northern Aviators Club was hosted at Martin Henton's airstrip at Taupiri by the Gordonton Microlight Club today. A record setting 28 or so aircraft attended for the lovely feast put on by the GMC. And it was stinking hot for the third year in a row. Most of the sport aircraft have been featured on the blog before, (and my camera battery was running low) so I didn't take many photos.
However one new aircraft was flown in - Russell Thorne flew his newly minted Cub Crafters CCK-1865 Carbon Cub ZK-RMT down from Drury with 15 hours on the clock. Russell test flew his new Cub on 23/11/24 and as you can see it is equipped for glider towing.Friday, 31 January 2025
Christchurch today.
And still they come. Gulfstream T7-688NJ calls into Christchurch.
Some helicopters at Ardmore
Thursday, 30 January 2025
Another Christchurch executive visitor. N1111G on 30-01-2005
Built by Bombardier Aerospace and registered to them as C-FXAY on 06-03-2018 it was delivered to N L Holdings GmbH on 29-03-2019 to become OE-FIL to be operated by Laudermotion Executive.
It took up its US marks of N1111G in February of 2020 for Diato Giken Inc from the 26th and moved into the Wilmington Trust Co Trustee the next day to be operated by Phoenix Jet.
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Wednesday, 29 January 2025
C-130H Hercules Farewell Flight Over the North Today 29-1-2025
After nearly 60 years of service the RNZAF is retiring its C-130H Hercules fleet, and today they flew a farewell flight over the North, heading up the East Coast as far North as Kaitaia and returning down the West Coast. Warkworth was on their route so I waited outside at 1.38 pm:
Cessna 172P Skyhawk ZK-TFS/2
The Cessna 172P with the c/n of 17274751 first appeared on the US register as N1587C with a change to N53445 around early 1981. It had at least five owners before being cancelled in 21-07-1992 as export to New Zealand.
Black Robin Airline Ltd (Nico Matsis & Janine Erb) of Wellington registered it as ZK-XYZ on 19-10-1995 for onward lease to Flightline Aeronautical College of Ardmore from 20-12-1995. A couple of months later, from 15-02-1996 it was with the Ardmore Flying School, and then back to Flightline Aeronautical College from 14-06-1996. It was back with Black Robin Airlines Ltd of Wellington from 22-10-1997 briefly before being listed with Bigglesworth Flying School Ltd at Ardmore from 28-11-1997.
It was ferried out of Kaitaia to Norfolk Island on 10-10-1999 and then on to Fiji the following day.
Its NZ registration was cancelled on 05-11-1999 for it to become DQ-XYZ for Air Fiji Flying Training School at Nausori from 12-11-1999. It was cancelled in February 2003 and shipped back to NZ where it was painted briefly as ZK-JOA with Dennis Thompson International Ltd only to become ZK-TFS2 on 19-02-2003 - still initially with DTI.
This was a personalised registration with the TFS being for Tony Fullerton-Smith of Foxley Station, Ongarua from 06-03-2003.
It was on sold from 11-05-2016 to Aerospecs Ltd of Papakura.
Boeing 737 VP-BEL drops in to Christchurch
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
New Colours for TVAL's Replica Sopwith Camel ZK-JMU
Ray Deerness was at Masterton on Saturday afternoon 25 January when The Vintage Aviator's Gerald Thornhill and Carl Swanson built Sopwith Camel replica ZK-JMU was rolled out in new colours:
The Camel is now painted in the colours of Second Lieutenant Hardit Singh Malik of 28 Squadron RFC with the serial number B3887, as the original was in October 1917. Hardit Singh Malik was the first Indian national to be commissioned as an officer in the RFC and had a colourful career including being forced down with 2 bullet wounds in his leg in an encounter with German Albatros's in October 1917, fortunately for him, on the allied side of the lines. He returned to fly with 28 Squadron in January 1918. (thanks to Brett M for this information).Monday, 27 January 2025
Rotorcraft at Dannevirke on 25-1-2025
The New Zealand Rotorcraft Association held their annual AGM and flyin at Dannevirke over the weekend. Around a dozen gyrocopters attended and here are a couple that I think might have been attending their first Dannevirke flyin:
Glenn McIntosh flew down in his Autogyro MTOSport ZK-RBE2 from Tolaga Bay.Sunday, 26 January 2025
Cessna 150 ZK-BWI
Slight damaged occurred on take-off on the Tangiwai strip on 01-10-1966.
It remained at Wanganui but with an ownership of T A Gifford-Moore and W R Dines from 21-02-1980.
Next move was to J Reed, S Monteith & S Cronin of Manurewa on 02-11-1982.
Then W R Denize of Coromandel picked it up from 21-06-1984.
Then it went to Pete James of Timaru 15-09-1986, with a change to Allan G Barr Timaru 13-11-1986.
Next in line were B W & K A Brownlee of Whangarei 05-04-1990, and L W A Woodgate of Whangaparaoa from10-11-1993.
Following repairs it was moved on to Inner Bistro Partnership c/- H S McKay of Masterton from 01-04-1999 and to the current owner Ian M Sinclair of Temuka was listed from17-06-2017.