Christchurch today.

 

United Airlines Inc's Boeing 787-8 N28912 c/n 34828 loading for a run to San Francisco.

Much more local was the Aerospatiale AS 350 BA ZK-HJP3 c/n 2322 lifting off its parking spot in the Western Grass compound.

A 1990 model it came to New Zealand from Japan in 2002 and joined its current operator RML 350 Ltd of Christchurch from 16-11-2021.

And still they come. Gulfstream T7-688NJ calls into Christchurch.

Tony McFarlin was on the job today and captured the Bombardier Gulfstream GVI (G650ER) T7-688NJ c/n 6502 as it parked in front of yesterdays Gulfstream N1111G.

Built by Bombardier Aerospace at Savannah, Georgia, as N602GD in early 2022.

It was delivered to Smart Depot Investments Ltd in San Marino on 11-08-2022 and became T7-688NJ.

This is not its first visit to New Zealand.

 

Some helicopters at Ardmore

Noted at Ardmore this morning was the latest addition to the Heli Sika Agriculture / Heli North fleet AS350B3 ZK-HDD5.   This was one of two 350B4 imported from China in late 2024 by leasing specialist Brian Comerford, the other being ZK-HIN5.   

Parked up at International HeliProperties were 2 AS350B2 helicopters being ZK-HKQ5 operated by Country Helicopters, Gisborne.  This was imported from the US in 2019.

 

And Tararua Heliwork's ZK-IEP which was imported from the US in 2015.

Outside United Pacific Aviation's facility was EC130B4 ZK-HXD2 which was one of 2 EC130s imported by the company from Dubai in 2024 for resale.   The other is ZK-HBC7.
 

Another Christchurch executive visitor. N1111G on 30-01-2005

 

Todays arrival was the Bombardier BD-700-2A12 Global 7500 N1111G c/n 70011.
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.

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:

I was surprised when 2 Hercules appeared as there was only NZ7001 showing on FR24.  I assume one of them was NZ7001 but I do not know what the other one was.

And they flew over very low, at under 500 feet.

Farewell to a faithful aerial servant.

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.

In the 'shop' at Taupo 03-08-2008.

 As noted at Raglan 06-11-2014. 

And at Raglan 08-11-2014.

It was on sold from 11-05-2016 to Aerospecs Ltd of Papakura.

Recently at Ardmore.

Boeing 737 VP-BEL drops in to Christchurch

 Yesterday, the 28th, the Boeing 737-74T (BBJ) VP-BEL c/n 29139 dropped into Christchurch International Airport.

This airframe first flew on 11-01-1999 I believe with the Boeing test registration of N1786B before settling on N73721 with North Pacific Aviation, with a change to N21KR in August 2000 before disappearing into the Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee books the following month.

In November 2003 it reappeared as VP-BEL with Magenta Aviation followed by Orient Global in August of 2007.

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).

ZK-JMU is one of the original aircraft in Sir Peter Jackson's WW 1 aircraft collection, having been built in the USA in 1985 and being registered in New Zealand on 26/3/01.  As TVAL has said, the covering of these WW 1 replica/reproduction/original aircraft does not last forever and hence ZK-JMU has been recovered with the opportunity taken to represent another significant aircraft.

Previously ZK-JMU had been painted in the colours of New Zealand ace Clive Collett as B3889:

ZK-JMU at Masterton at the TVAL Armistice Day airshow on 10 November 2012.

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.

While Bryce McGhie flew his Rotax 915iS powered Magni Gyro M 16 Extreme ZK-RGT from Herbertville which is on the East Coast out from Dannevirke.

Unfortunately the weather precluded the Sunday flyout to Athol Sowry's strip at Woodville.

Thanks very much to gyro pilot Phil Bolton for the photos.

Cessna 150 ZK-BWI

 I was scratching around my bookshelf today and stumbled upon my long-forgotten logbook number 1. So, I had a bit of a trip down memory lane noting that the Cessna 150 ZK-BWI featured prominently for the first 45 odd hours.

This airframe, the 508th built, has the c/n of 17507 and is the earliest production Cessna 150 in New Zealand - although it was not the first registered here.

This honour goes to ZK-BPO c/n 17688 which was registered on 17-11-1959 to Rural Aviation Ltd of New Plymouth.

ZK-BWI was initially allocated the US registration of N7707E to Cessna Aircraft of Wichita, Kansas. I suspect that it never flew as such and was test flown with the Cessna test registration of N11B before cancellation on 19-11-1959 on export to Australia. 

Here it became VH-RFR from 13-01-1960 with Rex Aviation Pty Ltd. With only 177 airframe hours it was shipped to NZ in February of 1960 and first flew at Bell Block on 15-03-1960 and became ZK-BWI with Rural Aviation Ltd at New Plymouth on 25-03-1960.

I believe it went down to Harry C Sowerby of Temuka and went online with South Canterbury Aero Club at Timaru before joining the Wellington Aero Club from 23-03-1961, supplementing their three Piper PA-18 Cubs ZK-BTV, ZK-BQN and ZK-BSK and the Cessna 180 ZK-BUS.

ZK-BWI outside the Wellington Aero Club building in 1962

Wellington Aero Club line up November 1962.

Cessna 172 ZK-BWW on left, with Cessna 180 ZK-BUS center & Cessna 150 ZK-BWI on right.

Piper Cubs ZK-BTV and ZK-BQN behind.

I last flew ZK-BWI on 01-11-1963 as it was transferred to the Wanganui Aero Club from 14-11-1963.
Slight damaged occurred on take-off on the Tangiwai strip on 01-10-1966.

Noted on 9-12-1966 at Wanganui.

Wanganui on 12-12-1968.

And again at Wanganui - on 06-03-1969.

Unchanged at Wanganui on 14-07-1971.

A new paint scheme was noted on 29-08-1972 at Wanganui.

In March of 1976 at Wanganui.

It remained at Wanganui but with an ownership of T A Gifford-Moore and W R Dines from 21-02-1980.

As noted on 08-12-1981 at Ardmore with another revised paint scheme and with enlarged last three letters of its registration and minus the 'W" on the fin.

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.

Parked on Fletcher row at Te Kuiti on 24-08-1985.

Then it went to Pete James of Timaru 15-09-1986, with a change to Allan G Barr Timaru 13-11-1986.

On 14-10-1988 at Ardmore.

Just prior to it going to O P Hill Auckland 10-11-1988

Next in line were B W & K A Brownlee of Whangarei 05-04-1990, and L W A Woodgate of Whangaparaoa from10-11-1993.

At Ardmore on 02-12-1993.

Then we see three owners in reasonably quick succession.

A C Albin of St Heliers listed it for just three months from 08-06-1994. then to Jim M Young of Wanaka on 27-09-1994. Noel Stanger & Hutchinson of Dry Acheron Station, Lake Coleridge, listed it from 10-07-1997.

I spotted it on the tie downs at Omarama on 12-04-1998.

It was damaged after take-off on 22-11-1998 on the owners Dry Acheron Station.
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.

Gulfstream N393CW into Christchurch 25-01-2025.

 Cruising into Christchurch earlier today (25-01-2025) was this Gulfstream Aerospace GVII-600 N393CW c/n 73048.

First registered to Gulfstream Aerospace as N948GA around December of 2020. 

I was quickly listed with the Bank of Utah Trustee of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Two known operators are Springfield Air and Sky High.

Photos thanks to Tony McFarlin.

Another Long Lived Tiger Moth - ZK-AVE

Earlier this month I posted about the "grandfathers axe" Tiger Moth ZK-ATN that has been restored by NZ Warbirds.  This aircraft was partly built in the UK by the de Havilland Aircraft Company and was first bought on charge with the RNZAF in November 1940, and had a long and now restored life.  Then I came across another Tiger Moth with a similarly long history with New Zealand connections that goes back to January 1941.

DH Tiger Moth c/n MCO/DH/2284 was built in the UK by Morris Motors at Cowley and was bought on charge with the RAF as T-7842 on 25 January 1941.  It spent its wartime service operated by 21 EFTS at Booker with time out for repairs and storage.  After the war it continued with training RAF pilots with 11 EFTS at Perth in Scotland and then further storage until being sold on 25 March 1951 to Michael J Spence trading as Aerocontacts Ltd of Gatwick, who registered it G-AMTF on 11 June 1952.  

It was cancelled from the UK civil register on 25 October 1952 and exported to New Zealand where it became ZK-AVE for Robertson Air Service Ltd of Hamilton on 29 June 1953, and was converted to a topdresser.  Robertson Air Services had at that time registered Tiger Moths ZK-AVA, AVB, AVC AVD and AVE.  ZK-AVE was leased to Barwell Aero Culture Ltd of Hastings from December 1956 (where it was named Bessie II), but it was repossessed by Robertsons in 1957.  Then on 25 January 1959 it was registered to the Southland and Otago Aerial Topdressing Co Ltd of Dunedin.

On 24 August 1961 ownership changed to J Black of Waipahi South (between Gore and Clinton) then on 9 April 1962 to Gore Aero Engineering followed closely on 11 August 1962 to L A M Thompson of Clinton.  Under his ownership it was cancelled from the register as Withdrawn from Use on 8 October 1963 and it was then stored for a long time.  The above photo must be of ZK-AVE in its post topdressing days in the early 1960s.

The Tiger Moth surfaced again in 1994 when it was registered to the Croydon Aircraft Co Ltd of Mandeville on 12 July 1994, where it had no doubt been restored over the intervening years.  However this iteration of ZK-AVE was very short as it crashed at Queenstown on 19 July 1994 and went back to Mandeville for repairs.  I assume the above photo, from the Croydon Aircraft Co facebook page was taken during its short flying life.  After the Queenstown accident it was repaired and cancelled from the New Zealand Civil Register as Exported, on 5 July 1995.

After 43 years it returned to the UK to be registered with its old registration G-AMTF on 5 July 1995, painted up in its original RAF training scheme as T-7842 that had been applied in New Zealand.  After several English owners and a period in Belgium as OO-TMW it returned to the UK to be registered G-AMTF again with Hamish AD Munro at Headcorn in Kent on 17 November 2006.  It suffered a forced landing near Hollingbourne in Kent on 30 November 2012 but was repaired and it is still current as can be seen in the above photo which was taken on 2 April 2023.

At 83 years old and after a very interesting life, another Tiger Moth survivor!

Piper Cherokee ZK-FSP at Hokitika on the 19th.

 The Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee C ZK-FSP c/n 28-180-2818 was a product of 1965 and originally listed in the USA as N8854J and spent most of it time up in Alaska until purchased by Larry Larivee of Wasilla and shipped to Dunedin for assembly at Momona.

It became ZK-FSP on 07-06-1989 to Larry's company Pollux Aviation Ltd at Makarora West.

 It was sold on to Bruce Eckroyd of Wanaka from 24-01-1990 and then to long time owners FSP Syndicate (Ces and Pam Collings) of Forest Field from 22-05-2001.

On 13-09-2023 title passed to HKFSP Ltd (Hokitika FSP). Hamish has operated several aircraft since the mid 1980's including the Mirage ZK-MOT, the Avid MkIV ZK-JDF and the Zenair STOL CH750 ZK-EAS2.

Couple of helicopters in Auckland

Noted at Ardmore today was the Bell 206L-3 LongRanger ZK-HFI3 which was imported by Heliflite from Japan in late 2022 and has been completely refurbished with a new paint scheme.  It is currently for sale.

And up at North Shore airfield was AS350B3 ZK-HGJ3 which was imported from Australia for Helicopter Rental Services,  Auckland.

 

Beech Hawker 850XP VH-BMW into Christchurch 22-01-2025.

 Tony McFarlin captured the Beech Hawker 850XP VH-BMW3 c/n 258895 arriving at Christchurch International Airport yesterday 22-01-2025.

Listed on the US register to Beech Hawker Corporation as N3195F on 09-10-2007 it was cancelled on 31-03-2008 as exported to Switzerland to become HB-VOY with Gem Aircraft AG and was operated by Comlux Aviation AG. Cancelled on 08-04-2010 it became M-RACE on the Isle of Man until moving to Australia to become VH-BMW3 from 11-01-2012.

It is currently registered to Brellarmo Pty Ltd of Altona, Victoria, and has been operated by Business Aviation Solutions Pty Ltd out of Melbourne since March of 2022.

Air New Zealand's Latest Aircraft

 Air New Zealand has recently added their 30th ATR 72-600 aircraft to their fleet:

ZK-MZG is c/n 1709 and features new Pratt & Whitney 127XT turbo prop engines that are apparently 3% more fuel efficient than the older engines in the rest of the fleet.  Its first revenue flight was from Christchurch to Invercargill on 16/1/25 and it is photo'd above by Tim Gorman of NZ Aviation at Wellington on 17/1/25.  A nice photo Tim.

I understand that another ATR 72-600 is due for delivery to Air NZ in mid 2025.

Cessna 172R ZK-WUM at Wanganui 19-1-2025

A new plane at the Wanganui Aero Day yesterday was the New Zealand International Pilot Academy's  Cessna 172R ZK-WUM:

ZK-WUM is one of a trio of Cessna 172s that are ex Singapore Airlines Flying School and were registered VH-YUB, YUN and YUS.  Three NZICPA staff flew them from Perth to Wanganui over the period 2 September to 8 September 2024, a distance of 6,749 km.  Their route is shown below:

Jordan also reported that Cessna 172 ZK-WUK was at Wanganui but not in a position where he could get a photo.  So I assume the three aircraft have been registered ZK-WUK, WUL and WUM but we won't know until CAA gets their register back on line again.

Thanks for the photo Jordan.

Pioneer 200 ZK-WHC at Wanganui Today 19-1-2025

Jordan Elvy and Simon Hills mosied on up the road the the Wanganui Aero Club's Aero Day today.  The weather was excellent I understand, (which was more than could be said further North), and which made for a very successful day:

A local sport aircraft in new colours was the Alpi Pioneer 200 ZK-WHC which is now in a factory scheme in orange.

Thanks for the photo Jordan

.

Huges 369D ZK-HSG/2

 Noted at Hokitika today, 18-01-2025, was the Hughes 369D ZK-HSG2  c/n 590519D which has been listed with Anderson Helicopters Ltd since 25-09-2024.

This was initially listed in Canada as C-GTZP followed by time in South Korea as HL9304 before coming to New Zealand to become ZK-HMK3 with Mount Hutt Aviation Ltd on 11-05-2023.

It was re-registered as ZK-HSG2 for Anderson Helicopters and fills the gap following the offshore sale of their Bell 206L LongRanger III ZK-IFA in July last year. The earlier allocation of the ZK-HSG registration was worn by Anderson Helicopters Bell 206 Jet Ranger II between December 1989 and August 2019.