Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - That's a Wrap for 1982!

I started this series on Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand in July 2025 with Pete James' powered Easy Riser which I think was the first microlight to fly here in late 1977.  Microlights were not required to be registered until late 1981 and there were quite a few that flew back then with varying degrees of success.

However from December 1981 when Murray Hagen's Pterodactyl Ascender ZK-ESS and Ken Asplin's Quicksilver ZK-KJA were registered, the floodgates of microlight aircraft registrations were flung open and the demand for this type of aircraft and microlight flying was huge!

I chose this photo because it was taken shortly after the hugely busy 1982 microlight year.

I reckon there were 134 microlights registered in New Zealand in 1982, which is an amazing number when you think about it. Of those 134, the types were Pterodactyls, Mirages (33 of them registered in 1982!), single seat Quicksilvers, an American Aerolights Eagle (which crashed with the first microlight fatality), Kasperwings, Skycraft Scouts (47 were eventually registered but the importers reckoned they bought in about 80 of them), Delore Skytrikes made in Christchurch and two other types of weight shift trikes - Ultraflight models made in Hamilton and Ultrasports models from England, Rotec Rallys, Goldwings, Vector 610s, Teratorns, Phantoms (only 2 but influential), the locally developed Re Fledge One, the German Firebird M1, DSK Nomads and Mitchell Wings.  That represents an impressive 18 types of microlights and there were a few more of the above types and others that did not get registered.

Next, on to 1983 and beyond!

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Mitchell Wings

The next type of microlight to be registered in New Zealand was the Mitchell Wing.

The Mitchell Wing is the brainchild of Don Mitchell, an aeronautical engineer who worked for Northrop during WW 2 and participated in the design of the Northrop Flying Wings.  In the 1974 a hang gliding enthusiast, Dr Howard Long, approached Don Mitchell to design a foot launched hang glider wing which became the highest performance hang glider of the time.  An engine was added to become the model B 10F (for foot launched) and then Don Michell fitted a tricycle undercarriage with a steerable nosewheel, and the B 10 Mitchell Wing was born.  By 1980 over 500 sets of plans or kits had been sold which gives an idea of the success of the ultralight/microlight.

The structure of the wing was of a thick plywood spar with foam D ribs covered in 1 mm ply and built up wooden ribs.  The wing was covered with Ceconite which made it more like a homebuilt aircraft of the time.  At the ends of the wings were rudders that could also act as air brakes, and in the absence of a tail, roll and pitch were controlled by stabilators which operated differentially like ailerons but could also move up or down together like elevators.  3 axis control was by a control stick.

The length of the B 10 Mitchell wing was only 6 feet (1.83 metres) and the wingspan was 34 feet (10.36 metres).  The wing area was 136 square feet.  Empty weight was 185 pounds (84 kg) and MAUW was 525 pounds (238 Kg).  And with a two stroke 23 HP Zenoah G25GB-1 engine the cruise speed was around 45 mph and the stall speed was around 25 mph.

We have had five B 10 Mitchell wings registered in New Zealand plus one U-2 model (this was also called the Mitchell Super Wing and had a 9 foot long fully enclosed fuselage while retaining the same wing).

ZK-FEJ (c/n MAANZ/109).  Mitchell Wing B 10  Registered 2 Dec 1982 to Bruce J. Lambess & G. N. Johnstone, Whangarei, then 12 Jan 1984 G. N. Johnstone & J. D. McKay, Whangarei, then 26 Aug 1987 B. J. Lambess & G. N. Johnstone, Feilding (later Warkworth).  Cancelled 25 Nov 1998 as withdrawn from use.  (I did see this machine at Feilding when I was a member of the Manawatu chapter of the AACA (as was Bruce Lambess) and it was stored without the covering).

ZK-FFT (c/n MAANZ/204)  Mitchell Wing B 10.  Registered 20 Jun 1983 to R. G. Johnston, Foxton. then 21 Apr 1986 Andrew A. Jasper, Westport.  Cancelled 26 May 1995 as withdrawn from use.

ZK-FKY (c/n MAANZ/330)  Records show that this was a Mitchell Wing B 10 but it doesn't look like one to me.  The answer is found in the accident report: 

"The redesigned aircraft was very different from the original Mitchell Wing B10. It comprised an enclosed, streamlined fuselage with a rear mounted engine and propeller. Tricycle undercarriage was fitted, with a retractable nosewheel. Tail booms on either side of a shoulder mounted stub wing supported the tailplane, elevator and twin fins and rudders. Detachable outer wing panels allowed easy trailerage on the ground. The structure was mostly wood, with plastic foam ribs and stiffeners under plywood skins. A light alloy frame structure supported the engine and wings."  Also of interest in the accident report was that the aircraft was fitted with a ballistic recovery parachute (but it wasn't deployed before the impact.  I did not realise that ballistic parachutes were available this early.

ZK-FKY was registered on 30 Apr 1985 to A. M. Fairburn, Pukekohe.  Engine failed in 1986 and withdrawn from use.  

Then in Jan 1990 the airframe was returned to airworthiness and the aileron droop system was removed in attempt to make elevators more responsive.  Following several abrupt pitches up and down one wing came off and the machine fell into the Waikato river, 4km NE of Port Waikato (owner-pilot killed) 25 Jan 1994.  Cancelled 1 Sep 1994 as destroyed. 

ZK-FVC (c/n P1416 and MAANZ/432)  Mitchell Wing B 10

Constructed in Canada as C-IFOQ 1984 Registered 17 Aug 1987 to Chris J. Easton, Toronto, Ontario. Cancelled from the Canadian register 22 Sep 1989 and exported to New Zealand. 

Registered ZK-FVC 2 Nov 1989 to Chris J. Easton, Maraetai, then 19 Sep 1998 Daniel G. Sutherland, Whakatane.  Cancelled 11 Apr 2006 as registration revoked Cancelled 22 Sep 1989.

ZK-LYN (c/n AACA/324) Mitchell Wing B 10.  Lyn was Geoff Tubby's wife.

Registered 7 Dec 1982 to Geoff A. Tubby, New Plymouth.   Cancelled 2 Oct 1996 as withdrawn from use.

And our only U2 Mitchell Super Wing was also built by Geoff Tubby after his earlier B 10 model:

ZK-LGT (c/n AACA/324/2)  U2 Mitchell Super Wing.  Registered 20 Nov 1987 to Geoff A. Tubby, New Plymouth.  Cancelled 2 Oct 1996 withdrawn from use.

I have tried quite hard to see if I could find a photo of ZK-LGT but to no avail - does anyone out there have a photo of it?.(if so I would love to see it).  So below is a photo of a U2 Mitchell Super Wing from Air Britain so you can see what the type looked like:

Champion 7ECA Citabria ZK-CMP at Taihape

Peter Garlick recently delivered the Champion7ECA Citabria ZK-CMP North to its new owner who has an airstrip just South of Oakura on the Northland East Coast.  And Peter has sent a couple of photos from his transit stop at Taihape:

On finals for the Valley Road airstrip at Taihape.

And parked up beside the hangar.  ZK-CMP has been in long term ownership at Omaka for more than 15 years but it goes way back, much further, to 1966.  You can see its history HERE

Thanks for the photos Peter.

Noted at Hood Aerodrome Masterton on Saturday the 24th

 Damon Edwards has kindly sent in these three photographs as taken at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton on Saturday the 24th.

This American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathalon ZK-DCL2 (c/n 1087-2009) was first registered on 22-05-2009 and went online with the Kapiti Districts Aero Club (Inc) of Paraparaumu. A change of title on 28/03/2011 showed it listed to Robert Ballinger of Paraparaumu. It has since been listed to a private owner.

The Lancair Legacy RG ZK-LCJ is c/n L2K-310 appeared on the Australian aircraft register from 28-04-2008 as VH-LLQ2 with Findelta Pty Ltd of Surrey Hills, Sydney. In early December 2016 it moved to Adventure Plus Paragliding of Oatlands, NSW and was operated by Antony Prehn of Wollongong.

A move to Mount Macedon, Victoria from 24-01-2025 had it listed to Bernard Jones on behalf of Lincoln D Jones of Palmerston North, NZ.

It was ferried from Port Macquarrie to Norfolk Island on 28-02-2025, and on to Auckland and Palmerston North on 01-03-2025.

It joined the New Zealand register as ZK-LCJ on 28-07-2025 listed to LDJ Peak Ltd.

(The ZK-LDJ registration was already allocated the Pitts S-2C Special and LDJ Peak Ltd)

Above we have the Cessna A185F Skywagon ZK-SKD c/n 18502479 of Skysports (NZ) Ltd

See HERE for more info on this airframe.

Pauanui visitors

This morning's visitors to Pauanui airfield included a couple of Cessnas of similar vintage starting with the Cessna 172N Skyhawk II ZK-TRS2 which has been repainted in a smart new paint scheme.  Originally built in 1977 it was imported from the US in 2007 and is owned by Geordie Hill Station, Tarras and based at Wanaka.

Down from North Shore was the 1976 model Cessna A185F ZK-EFB.   Imported new it first flew at Ardmore in August 1976 and has been owned by its current Auckland owner since 2006.

 

Airbus ZK-OJR withdrawn

 The Airbus A320-232 c/n 4884 first flew as F-WWIP on 14-10-2011 and became ZK-OJR for Air New Zealand on 10-11-2011. 

It was the third A320 for dedicated NZ domestic use and the second to wear the All Blacks "Crazy About Rugby" livery. (After ZK-OAB).
It ferried from Toulouse in France through Gander, Denver, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Apia, reaching Auckland on 13-11-2011.
Its first revenue earning flight was Auckland to Wellington on 20-11-2011.

Above in its All Black scheme at Christchurch on 21-03-2012.

At Christchurch on 27-03-2018.

It was withdrawn from airline service on 30th September and has been noted in the above scheme for some time. This photo from Tony dated yesterday 23-10-2026.

Airbus H160B ZK-IVL

An interesting visitor to Pauanui airfield this morning was Advanced Flight's Airbus H160B ZK-IVL. This was registered here in March 2026 after importation from Australia where it was used as the Airbus Helicopters demonstrator.

 

Some more Christchurch movements.

The Antarctic season is well underway.

The Aeronautica Militare Italiana Lockheed C130J MM62191 coded 46-57 with the c/n 382-5531, arrived into Christchurch International via Pago Pago on the 18th.

It headed south on the 23rd but boomeranged at about 53 degrees south (About abeam Campbell Island).

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Also arriving on the 18th was the FAA's Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 605 N90 c/n 5817 for the annual calibration of navigational aids Antarctica.

Built as C-FZLM at Bombardier Aerospace in Canada in September of 2009.

Transferred to Bombardier USA as N605JK from February 2010 and then to N90 for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Mosquito ZK-WEL/TE881 Update from Fly a Spitfire

I have recently been in contact with Fly a Spitfire about their Mosquito which is getting closer to flight at Ardmore. They asked if I could hold off posting any more details as they were about to release a statement on it.  Overnight they released the following on Facebook:

And so here is a photo of ZK-WEL2/TE881 showing its colour scheme and markings taken at Ardmore on 9 October:  

It is interesting that Fly a Spitfire use the wording "The future of the Mosquito will be determined following her first flight in the coming weeks" in their Facebook post - whatever that means.  I guess continue watching this space!

Thanks again for the photo Wayne.

Pauanui Labour Weekend arrivals

Pilots with holiday homes at Pauanui have started to fly in on Friday afternoon and evening and amongst them so far was the Glasair Sportsman 2+2 ZK-EBG 4.   This was originally registered as ZK-SPO back in September 2006 but upon sale to its new Marton owner in July 2026 it was reregistered with his initials as EBG.

Another holiday home arrival was the Bell  429 ZK-HXW 6 which carries Advanced Flight titling.  This was originally imported from the US back in Augsut 2014.

Mosquito ZK-WEL/TE881 Out for Engine Runs at Ardmore

The fifth DH 98 Mosquito to be completed by Avspecs, ZK-WEL2 (c/n TE881), was wheeled outside on 9 October for engine runs and AgairNZ was there to photograph it:

ZK-WEL2 is a FB Mk VI model and it was registered to Avspecs on 29/4/25.  This Mosquito is destined for Fly a Spitfire at Biggin Hill in England and its history is detailed on their website HERE.  I understand that it will be used for warbird experience flights by Fly a Spitfire alongside their fleet of two 2 seat Spitfires and a Mustang.  I had expected Fly a Spitfire to have announced the good news so I will just post these two photos for now.

Both engines were successfully run during the test on 9 October.  It has since undergone more finishing work and will soon be out for more engine runs.

Thanks for the photos Wayne.

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Re Fledge One ZK-FEE

I have already posted on this microlight as a cousin of the Pterodactyl Fledgelings registered in New Zealand, but I will include it here for completeness as it was the next type of microlight to be registered, on 16 Nov 1982.  It was another use of the ubiquitous Fledge wing that the previous type of microlight (the also one off Liechtflugzeugbau GmbH Firebird M1 ZK-FEB) also used:

The Re Fledge One was a Fledge wing that M S Reid of Matamata mated with a tri-gear cage and it was powered with a 250 cc Robin engine.  It was registered ZK-FEE (c/n MAANZ/131) to M S Reid on 16 Nov 1982.  As a result of the above For Sale advertisement it was sold to a new owner at Opotiki in 1986.  But he didn't have much success with the microlight as he inadvertently took off on his first flight on 18 May 1986 near Opotiki, and then followed a series of climbs, stalls and dives until the engine cut out and it crashed nose first into the ground.  It was cancelled on 21 May 1998.     

Christchurch arrivals on the 20th.

 Two Christchurch arrivals on Tuesday from Tony McFarlin.

The ASL Airlines Boeing 737-86N VH-AZ4 c/n 32686 arriving in from Auckland.
A 2007 product first registered as N1781B followed by B-5317, N3268, 2-OTHV, OE-HRB and recently to VH-AZ4 on 14-09-2026.

Also out of the blue came the Dassault Falcon 8X N227KG c/n 511 of Salairus Aviation.

This was initially registered as F-WWZR in April of 2024.

Two from Wellington

 Allister Jenks captured the MBB-BK117 B-2 ZK-HMR5 c/n 7173 at Queens Wharf, Wellington yesterday the 21st. 

This is a 1988 model which was first registered in NZ on 03-08-2015. It joined GCH Aviation in December of 2019.

Over at Wellington International we see the Capital Aviation's Robin R2160 ZK-TZF c/n 360 on final for runway 16 on Sunday the 18th.

First registered in mid 2001 it has had at least fourteen operators to date - with it Joining Capital Aviation in March this year.

Rangiora Tuesday the 21st.

 An unusual visitor to Rangiora today was the Stemme S10-VT motor glider ZK-GDM2 c/n 11-079.
This was first noted with the German motor glider registration of D-KTSA before heading to Mexico to become XB-IEE in about May of 2003. 

It next popped up in the USA as N520EN in May of 2015 with a re-registration to N414WL in August of 2017.
This was cancelled mid-November 2023 for it to become ZK-GDM2 for David Crail of Blenheim on 30-11-2023.

   David has previously operated the Rolladen-Schneider LS4  ZK-GNJ from 1991, the  Stemme S10 ZK-GDC2 from 1998 and the Stemme S10V ZK-GSI from 2015.

Finally, a reasonable photo of the privately owned ICP Savannah S ZK-RKI c/n 18-08-54-0633.

It got a brief mention earlier HERE

An aircraft not seen very oft is the Aeroandina MXP-150 Kimbaya ZK-RTZ c/n AA-02-14-15-056 as listed to a reasonably local private owner.

It has had several brief mentions previously HERE

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Firebird Liechtflugzeugbau Firebird M1

We have only had one Firebird M1 microlight registered in New Zealand.  It was made by Firebird Liechtflugzeugbau GmbH of Seeg/Algau in Southern Germany.  A single seater, it first flew in 1979 and was derived from the Fledgeling hang glider wing that was designed by Klaus Hill.  This wing was used on the Pterodactyl Fledgeling which was later developed into the Ascender.  The Firebird M1 also used a canard out front like the Ascender but it was strut braced (instead of the Ascender's kingpost and flying wires). 

Specifications for the Firebird M1 are:  wingspan 10.00 metres (32 feet 10 inches), wing area 175 square feet.  Empty weight 98 Kg (216 pounds) and the MAUW was 190 Kg (420 pounds).  It was powered by a 3 cylinder 24 HP Konig SC430 engine which was well muffled to conform with West Germany's more stringent noise regulations and the 3 bladed propeller was driven by a 2.1 to 1 reduction belt.  With this engine the maximum cruising speed was 50 mph and the economical cruise speed was 37 mph.  The stall speed was around 24 mph.

ZK-FEB (c/n MAANZ/020).  This photo is believed to be of ZK-FEB in flight.  Note the struts.

ZK-FEB was registered on 25 Nov 1982 to Paul D. Leach trading as Engineers for Industry Ltd, Auckland. First Flight in NZ 15 Dec 1982.  Then 29 May 1984 to A. P. North, Auckland, then 18 Dec 1992 to  Hassan. Khayami, Onehunga, Auckland.  Cancelled 18 Sep 1995 as withdrawn from use.

"New" Diamond DA 42NG Twin Star ZK-CGX/2 at North Shore Today 19-10-2026

Seeing the registration ZK-CGX at North Shore today bought back some old memories!  I cast my mind back to when I saw the first ZK-CGX rolled out of the Hawker Siddeley Aviation hangar at Rongotai in May 1964.  It was the eighth Feildair Beaver and you can see details of it HERE.

The second ZK-CGX could hardly be much different to the first, but I guess that reflects 54 years of modern aircraft development (the Beaver was designed around 1946 and the DA 42 around 2000) - aluminium vs carbon fibre, tailwheel fixed gear vs retractable tri-gear, a big old radial engine vs twin turbo-charged diesels, a cruise speed of 124 knots vs around 175 knots...  But the Beaver could take 6 passengers as well as the pilot while the DA 42 can take 3 passengers.

ZK-CGX2 (c/n 42.N415) was delivered new to Australia as VH-VNX3 in late 2020 before being flown across the Tasman in January 2026, and being registered to North Shore Aero Club on 22/1/26.

Although it is registered to the North Shore Aero Club it is marked as AIPA that stands for Auckland International Pilots Academy which is the commercial arm of the club. 

I hung around until it taxied out...

and took off.

ICP Savannah S ZK-RKT 3

Visiting Pauanui airfield from Tauranga today was the ICP Savannah S ZK-RKT3. Displaying its rocket emblem this was originally ZK-LBQ, first flying at Forest Field as such in November 2023.  A sale to its current Tauranga owner in October 2025 saw it reregistered as RKT in April 2026.

 

PZL 101A Gawron ZK-CRO at Matamata Today 17-10-2026

Bruce Cooke was at Matamata today for the resumption of their BBQ lunches, and there was a good contingent that flew over from Tauranga.  Among the Tauranga visitors was the exotic WSK Warszawa-Okecie PZL 101A Gawron ZK-CRO:

ZK-CRO was registered to the BOP Marine Life Trust of Tauranga on 6 May 2021, having previously been HA-SBN in Hungary from 10 August 1969.

It has been previously covered on the blog, but not with its Gawron nose art.  According to AI, Gawron is the Polish word for a Rook (which is a member of the crow family - hence the registration).

Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Delta Sailplanes Nomads and Honcho

The next type of microlight to be registered in New Zealand was the Delta Sailplanes DS 26B Nomad of which we have had two, and later a DS 27A Honcho was registered.  The Nomad and the Honcho were pretty similar but the Honcho was smaller and they had strut braced wings.  They were manufactured by the Delta Sailplane Corporation of North Hollywood in California who had started out building hang gliders and then developed a series of essentially motor gliders, the first of which was the DS 26A Nomad which had a single wheel undercarriage like a glider and this was developed into the DS 26B Nomad and the DS 27A Honcho which had standard tricycle undercarriages.  The company ceased trading at the end of 1982 which may explain why we only had only three examples registered here.  (Click twice  to enlarge the brochures below to read them easier).

The New Zealand agents for Delta Sailplanes were Ted Jarman and Reg Fleet of Delta Microlights (NZ) Ltd.

The first DS 26B Nomad to be registered was ZK-EXK (c/n MAANZ/100)

Registered 26 Oct 1982 to A. E. Jarman & R. W. Fleet t/a Delta Microlights (NZ) Ltd, Auckland.  Powered by a 18HP single cylinder Mahl engine.  First flight at  Ardmore 12 Jun 1982.  In the above photo Ted Jarman is the pilot.  Cancelled 30 Jun 1999 registration revoked.

ZK-MAQ DS 26B Nomad (c/n MAANZ/164)

Registered 26 Oct 1982 to R. “Bob” A. McQuillan, Auckland.  Powered by a two cylinder 27HP Lloyd engine.  Engine lost power and force landed on the mudflats off Pikes Point 15 Jul 1983, then 24 Jul 1985 T. E. Craven, Auckland.   Cancelled 5 May 1995 withdrawn from use.  The remains were noted stored at Kaipara Flats in February 2021.

ZK-PAW DS 27A Honcho (c/n MAANZ/212)

Registered 18 Nov 1983 to Paul A. Webster, Auckland.  Hit by crosswind gust during take-off, hit ground and overturned at Pikes Point, Onehunga 20 Apr 1986.  Cancelled 7 Sep 1989.

ZK-AVM from the shoe box

 This image was extracted from the lower reaches of my olde picturegraph shoe box.

It is the Amphibian Airways Ltd's Grumman G44A Widgeon ZK-AVM c/n 1466 still with its original inverted air cooled six cylinder Ranger engines.

It is a photo taken in Preservation Inlet during 1951 at the landing spot for visitations to the Puysegur Point light house.

I suspect the image is from a long forgotten book about life in Fiordland.
It is also still currently registered to Warren Denholm of Auckland.
This aircraft has been mentioned several times previously on this site.

See HERE for more about the NZ Grumman boats.