AIrbus A319 T7-1177 at Christchurch 30-03-2026

 This Airbus A319-153N (ACJ) T7-1177 c/n 11760 arrived at Christchurch on the 27th after a direct flight from Taichung, Taiwan.

Above we see it taxying out today for departure to Dunedin.

This executive fitted out aircraft first flew as D-AVWM on 11-06-2024 for Airbus out of Hamburg. and became T7-1177 for delivery to Chang Kua-Wei from 19-07-2024.

I hear that it is operated by Starlux.

Enroute to Wanaka (2A). A Nelson stopover for the Albatros flight.

 Some of the American Eagle Display Team, Wanaka bound - stopped over in Nelson yesterday (29th) for fuel and followed by a weather delay.

Above Aero Vodochody L39 Albatros ZK-TCS , number '88', about to join the line up with ZK-VLK, '68'. ZK-WLM, '28', and ZK-EJA, '48'.

En Route to Wanaka (2)

Also heading for Wanaka but thwarted by the weather in the South Island were the four L 39 Albatros's of Fighter Jets NZ who left Tauranga on Sunday but stayed the night in Nelson: 

The photo is from their Facebook page.  Also on their Facebook page this morning is that they are planning to leave Nelson at 12.30pm today - they are flying as a group of four under ALB88 if you look on Flightradar24.

En Route to Wanaka (1)

Prior to Dave Paull catching up at Rangiora with the Legend Aviation fleet flight to Wanaka. they posted a nice photo of 3 de Havilland machines flying South (actually the Tiger Moth ZK-BER is from the Omaka Real Flying Club).

Wanaka bound. On hold at Rangiora 29-03-2026.

 Temporarily weather bound at Rangiora yesterday, 29-03-2026, was the Wanaka bound Legend Aviation /Warbird Aero Ltd's flight from Masterton. 

The line up includes the Legend Aviation De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-ANL is c/n 82512.

A very recent to the Legend Aviation fleet is the De Havilland DH83C Fox Moth ZK-APT, c/n FM48.

Also included in the line up was the De Havilland H82A Tiger Moth ZK-BER c/n DHA.844 of the Omaka Real Flying Club.

And ZK-BFS, c/n 82862, is also one of Legend's De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moths.

North American NA88 Harvard 2A* ZK-OTU c/n 88-13193 of Bevan Dewe's Warbird Aero Ltd.

And don't overlook Bevan's De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk N861WP c/n C1-0748.

All have been previously mentioned on this blog.

Nelson today 29-03-2026. Caravan ZK-EAV.

 The Evander Aviation Ltd's Cessna 208 Caravan 1 ZK-EAV2 c/n 20800659 stopped over in Nelson before carrying on to Takaka and returning to Wellington today.

ZK-EAV2 has been mentioned several times previously see  HERE

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Mirages (3) - ZK-EZA to ZK-FCN Registered Mirages

Well, here we go again!  Continuing with the next 12 Mirages that were registered here, all in 1982.  One thing to note about the Mirage is that it was only ever a single seater (and not developed into two seaters as the Pterodactyls and Quicksilvers were).

As always, if blog readers have any photos of those Mirages that we are missing photos of, please send them in to the editor and we can add them to the history of Ultraflight Mirages in New Zealand.

ZK-EZA

ZK-EZO

ZK-EZR

ZK-EZS

ZK-EZT

ZK-EZU

ZK-EZV

ZK-FCA

ZK-FCC

ZK-FCD

ZK-FCF

ZK-FCN

An unusual visitor in Masterton today

 

 Dassault Falcon 7X, VH-CRW (s/n 292) Owned by Brenzil Pty Ltd, lifting off from Hood  aerodrome bound for Auckand.

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Mirages (2) - ZK-ERZ to ZK-EYY Registered Mirages

Ken Asplin and Trevor Barrett who had flown their Mirages from North Cape to Bluff in February 1982, were the agents for the Mirage trading as Skyflight Waikato and as I mentioned in my previous post there was a big demand for them with 35 Mirages being registered in 1982.  Below is their advertisement for the Mirage singing its benefits:

This photo shows Skyflight Waikato's presence at the February 1982 AACA flyin at Taupo with three Mirages and their support van.  I didn't note their registrations but they were not Ken Asplin's or Trevor Barret's Mirages (which were in different colours).

There were eleven Mirages registered in the ZK-ERZ to ZK-EYY series in 1982 as follows:

ZK-ERZ

ZK-ESQ at Timaru during the North Cape to Bluff flight.

ZK-ESQ above and below showing the chameleon characteristics of microlights.

ZK-EXO

ZK-EXY

ZK-EYI

ZK-EYN being taken to the airstrip for its first flight.

ZK-EYU

ZK-EYV 

ZK-EYW on display at Classic Flyers Tauranga.

ZK-EYX

ZK-EYY at Tauranga, 1997