A couple from Ardmore

Imported mid year by United Pacific Aero was the Kawasaki BK117C-1 ZK-HXM4 which was previously operated by the Japanese Police as JA6816.

And now featuring a partial repaint with red striping added is the Napier based PA46-500TP ZK-ROW3.

 

Airbus AS 350 B3 ZK-HTL

A lucky catch at Christchurch on Monday the 11th was the Airbus AS 350 B3 ZK-HTL5 c/n 8572 as listed with Claridges Helicopters Ltd of Christchurch - having recently been re-registered from ZK-ILO2.

A couple of helicopters at Ardmore

Noted at Ardmore this morning was John Key's EC130B4 ZK-IJK4.   This was the former Inflite ZK-HBZ4 reregistered in early 2025 to the personalised "IJK",  and replacing his former Guimbal Cabri G2 ZK-IJK3 which was exported to the USA.

And test flying at Salus Aviation was the latest Grassroots Trust Palmerston North based rescue helicopter ZK-IIX replacing ZK-IPT.   Since importation from Papua New Guinea in 2018 IIX has been operated as a rescue helicopter in Hamilton, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and more recently Gisborne.

 

Pilatus PC-6 Porter ZK-SEX

Our latest Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter ZK-SEX2 (c/n 1005) was registered to Inflight Ltd on 02-07-2025. 

ZK-SEX was initially registered in Switzerland to Pilatus on 21-08-2015 as HB-FBP2 and first flew at Stans on 28-08-2015. It then became B-10FU on 04-05-2016 with Asian Express General Aviation Wuxi Co Ltd. (see note below). This Chinese registration was cancelled for its move to Australia where it became VH-82B from 02-04-2025 with Gerard Lappin of Morwell, Victoria. As such it ferried into Darwin from Balikpapan Airport on 10-06-2025. The following day it moved on to Coolangatta, and then a direct 12 hour 23 minute flight to Auckland on the 12th.
Following formalities, it then flew from North Shore to Motueka and on to Pukaki (Twizel) on 25-06-2025.

Note - Pilatus Aircraft created a joint venture, as Pilatus Aircraft Industry (China) Co, with Beijing Tian Xing Yu Science Co in Chongqing, China to produce PC-6 Porter components and sub assemblies including fuselage sections and wings. These were shipped back to Pilatus in Stans, Switzerland for assemble with the finished product being registered on the Swiss aircraft register to Pilatus. Many of them were then returned to China.

The first Chinese fuselage (c/n 991) was completed on 11-12-2014 and following full assembly at Stans became HB-FBC2 on 09-05-2014 and was returned to China to become B-0401 from 24-10-2014.

Above is a photo of ZK-SEX as VH-82B passing through Ho Chi Min City on 08-06-2025.

A Quickie Update - Quickie 1s of New Zealand

Back in May 2012 on the blog I covered Quickie 1s of New Zealand as part of my seemingly never ending series on our homebuilt and sport aircraft.  The link to that post is HERE and I posted about five of them.  I had thought that would be it for our Quickie 1 population but in the best traditions of "you don't know what you don't know" I have recently become aware of another one and there are even photos of it!

ZK-LIN (c/n AACA/637) was built by Barry W V Charlton of Waitati near Dunedin and it was first registered to him on 30/11/94.  Dave Paull photo'd it above and below in an open hangar at Taieri on 7/12/98.  It was cancelled as withdrawn on 23/08/99.  By the c/n it may have been built with another Dunedin Quickie 1, ZK-MAC, that had the c/n of AACA/636.

Barry Charlton went on to own the Kolb Twinstar ZK-FVK and then the RAF 2000 gyrocopter ZK-RCS which is still currently with him.

I should point out a couple of corrections that commenters made on my original blog post.  The Quickie 1s fuselage was not formed in 2 halves like the Q2, but was formed from straight foam blocks shaped as required and fibreglassed on the inside with bulkheads and also on the outside to form the finished fuselage shape.  And the builder of the first Quickie 1 to fly here was apparently Nicolas Silyn-Roberts (not Neil).

But Wait! - there is more!

Fast forward well into the 21st Century when another Quickie 1 appeared in Chris Hoskins hangar at Tauranga, and it eventually was registered ZK-CBW2 (c/n 463) on 17/02/20 to H Miller of Tauranga:

Mark Pattenden took this photo in October 2022.  As I understand ZK-CBW2 has a much more powerful engine so it should go like a rocket! but I do not think it has flown yet.  If anyone has any more info on this Quickie we would love to hear it.

At the end of my previous post on Quickie 1s of New Zealand I boldly stated that 5 Quickie 1s was probably our lot, but now I will not make a similarly bold claim!

Redwood Library display.

 The St Bedes College in Christchurch currently has a small art display from year 11 students in the Redwood Library.

This work of art and blurb caught my eye in passing.

Robinson R22 ZK-IVV at Rangiora.

 A recent addition to High Country Fencing Ltd of Darfield is this Robinson R22 Beta II ZK-IVV c/n 4042.

A February of 2006 listing as N468SH to the Robinson Helicopter Company at Torrance, California for delivery to Silver State Helicopters at Tulsa, Arizona from April of 2006.

It had a bit of a whoopsie at Shiatock, Oklahoma in September 2008.

Its US registration was cancelled on 04-12-2008 after it came to NZ to be sorted out by Doug McFarlane to become ZK-IVV from 11-12-2008.

Reid Heslop Helicopters Ltd of Wakefield started paying the bills from December 2010 until a change to Reid Helicopters Nelson Ltd took place from September 2011.

Then Chris Deroles of Winton took it over in August 2013 until its recent move to Geoff Rogers at Darfield.

Power Line Survey with JetRanger ZK-HOC

  Another good catch at Rangiora on 07-08-2025 was the Beck Helicopters Ltd Bell 206B JetRanger                                                                      ZK-HOC3 c/n 1227.

It carries a camera and LiDAR sensing equipment below and electronics wizardry in the rear. 

Because this is a reasonably low level flying activity it wears 'POWER LINE SURVEY' script on the lower fuselage.

It has been used in this role for some years now.

Below a note from the Beck Helicopter Facebook page.

We have received many inquiries regarding our ongoing activities.

Currently, we are conducting low-level power line survey for power companies.

This operation is executed under the guidance of a contracted team located in the helicopter, ensuring the accurate collection of data.

The helicopter is equipped with both a camera and a LiDAR system.

The camera is programmed with GPS coordinates to target specific points, primarily concentrating on cross heads and hardware.

Meanwhile, the LiDAR, which is mounted on the belly of the helicopter, employs light detection and ranging technology to utilise lasers for distance measurement and the creation of 3D maps.

Aerospool WT9 600NG Dynamic ZK-ALL/2

 A pleasant surprise yesterday at Rangiora was the fixed gear Aerospool WT9 600NG Dynamic         ZK-ALL2 c/n DY-860D which was registered to Aero Leasing Ltd of Prebbleton back on 04-11-2024.

Here we see John McCallister carrying out some checks.

As you can see - it is powered with a Rotax 916 which has proved to be a very useful glider tow plane.

MD Helicopters 369FF ZK-HPX 5

Noted at Ardmore today was the newly registered MD Helicopters 369FF ZK-HPX5.   This is a recent production model being built in 2023 as N340TM and exported to NZ in mid 2025 to become HPX with Advanced Flight Ltd, Auckland.

 

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Early Unregistered Microlights - Murray Hagen

I have posted previously about the microlight aircraft situation in New Zealand between the years 1978 and 1981, after which the Microlight Aircraft Association of New Zealand (MAANZ) was formed and microlights had to be registered (well in theory).  I asked for any information on these early years of microlighting here but I was not inundated with information....

To recap what I posted previously - "We can infer that there must have been some microlights (flying in New Zealand) because the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport introduced a rule that if a flying machine was less than 150 Kg empty a would-be microlight pilot needed only to apply for a Students Pilot License (a paper form only with no practical testing) and then go flying with no rules about instruction and also not even having to register his flying machine!"

Many of the pilots of those days have passed on (some sadly in microlight crashes) so our opportunity to gather stories from those early days is diminishing.  But all hope is not lost!  There are stories still out there and I have managed to track a few of them down which I will post on the blog.

The first of these involves long time microlight pilot Murray Hagen, now of Te Anau but who has farmed in Southland over many years.  I have spoken to Murray many times and he is a mine of information about the early microlighting days with lots of interesting stories.  Like most of the original microlight flyers Murray came from a hang gliding background and he told me he started hang gliding in 1972.  He visited America in 1978 looking at ultralight aircraft over there and got enthused.  He was interested in the weight shift Fledgeling ultralight which was developed from the Manta Fledge hang glider by Jack McCornack and which was later developed into the Pterodactyl Ascender of which we have had many in New Zealand

Murray imported his Pterodactyl Fledgeling kit in 1979 and it arrived fitted with a 38 HP Cuyuna engine (the original in the US had a 16 HP Xenoah engine), and with a How to Fly handbook!  When he first tried to fly it in September 1979 he struggled with the yaw and roll which were poor, and the aircraft was tail heavy with the heavier engine and he ended up bending several axles.  Later he added a factory canard which turned the aircraft into an Ascender model which only needed a small amount of weight shift as the canard controlled the pitch.  Eventually Murray found that if he put his feet down he could fly the Fledgeling reasonably confidently but he still had a problem with the carburettor.  This was solved by a mechanic in Invercargill and then he gradually built up experience. 

Murray flying his Pterodactyl Fledgeling in 1979.

 Soon after this, in January 1980, the organiser of an airshow to be held at Te Anau saw Murray flying his Pterodactyl and convinced him to fly in the airshow.  To publicise the event Murray flew his aircraft down the main street of Te Anau on the Friday at a few hundred feet, waving to the crowds that came out to watch and causing a traffic jam.  Then disaster!  The engine stopped!  Murray had to make a very quick decision and he stall turned to the left where there was a small park which he managed to dead-stick into and before the crowds arrived he hid in some bushes!  Later he emerged and found that in his enthusiastic waving he had knocked the master switch off!  So with the engine going again he took off from the park, only just making it over some tall trees, and took part in the airshow the next day.

Murray with his then unregistered Fledgeling in 1979.

Thanks very much for the stories and photos Murray.

JMB Aircraft VL-3TE-916 LSA ZK-JMB /3

 The latest JMB Aircraft VL-3 was noted marked up at Rangiora as ZK-JMB3.on 14-07-2025.

It is designated as a JMB Aircraft VL-3TE-916 LSA (Light Sport Aircraft) with the c/n of VL-3-613.

It is the new Rotax 916iS powered demonstrator for the NZ agents, JMB NZ Ltd of Amberley.

It is seen here having its electrics checked before its initial engine run at Rangiora.

This is the third allocation of the ZK-JMB registration.

ZK-JMB1 was a 1978 Cessna 172N which came to NZ via Canada and the USA. It was withdrawn in February 2022 and I believe went to the Manawatu Polytech.

ZK-JMB2 was the demonstrator VL-3E-1 UL (Ultra Light) model which has been re-registered as ZK-VLE. 

King Air VH-DXE upgraded at Napier to ZK-RFB.

 The Beechcraft 200D VH-DXE2 c/n BL-154 is currently being upgraded at Napier for its pending NZ air ambulance role.

This Hawker Beechcraft B200C Super King Air first graced the US civil register as N6354F with the manufactures at Wichita in Kansas in early November of 2009.

It then ferried out to Australia to become VH-ZKA2 from 30-04-2010 with VAA Pty Ltd at Mascot to be operated by Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd of Brisbane. A change of registration to VH-VAD took effect from 20-04-2011 to the same owner and operator, followed by another re-registration - this time to VH-DXE2 from 03-01-2025 for Air Partners Pty Ltd of Cudal, NSW and brief operations by Regional Express - and then listed with Dovetail Electric Aviation Holdings from 03-04-2025.

It ferried from Toowoomba to Coolangatta and into Napier on 21-06-2025 and was listed with Skyline Aviation Ltd at Napier on 23-06-2025, remaining on the Australian register.

It became ZK-RFB on 09-07-2025 with Skyline Aviation Ltd of Napier.

Vans RV 4 ZK-RVH at Hastings on 3-8-2025

The Hawkes Bay and East Coast Aero Club held a Dawn Raid at Hastings yesterday and Jordan Elvy and Simon Hills made the effort to be there.  Jordan reported that not many aircraft attended (I know the Wairarapa was clouded in so no planes could come from there).  However one sport aircraft of interest was pushed out to the flight line:

Vans RV 4 ZK-RVH has been repainted in a new colour scheme.  It has been owned by the GMH Syndicate of Napier since 13-5-22.

Thanks for the photo Jordan.

Hamilton Airport West Side

The Western side of Hamilton Airport seemed a bit down at heel when I visited there on Friday 1 August.  There were 737s from Airwork Flight Operations Ltd (in receivership) and some aircraft from Farmers Air Ltd (in liquidation) and an Air Tractor 601 without a propeller.

Boeing 737-400 ZK-PAQ of Airwork Flight Operations Ltd looking a bit sad.

While 737-400 ZK-FXM2 was parked out on the long abandoned CTC Aviation area.  It was cancelled from the register in November 2024 as withdrawn.

750XL ZK-UTE/4 at Hamilton Yesterday 1-8-2025

A trip down to Hamilton yesterday to visit No 2 grandson and fiance.  They live conveniently close to Hamilton Airport so I popped down for a quick visit in the afternoon.  Not much was going on but a 750XL parked out proved to be newly registered:

PAC 750XL ZK-UTE4 (c/n 118), ex Kiwi Air, was re-registered from ZK-XLK in June 2025 and is registered to Andy Stevenson Aviation Ltd of Gisborne and I understand will be used as the company "ute".