An Omaka visitation by CMM (1)

 Our traveling reporter CMM called into Omaka back on the 29th of April and offers the following photos.

De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-BQB is c/n DHNZ147. As the c/n indicates it was built in Wellington by De Havilland NZ for the RNZAF and was taken on charge on 27-10-1943 as NZ1467. Withdrawn from use and stored at Woodbourne in 1948 and then declared surplus on 09-08-1955. It was sold on 09-08-1955 to the Wanganui Aero Club and registered as ZK-BQB on 28-03-1956 with a CofA being issued on 05-04-1956. On 15-08-1960 title was moved to John R Smith of Mapua with it going on line with the Nelson Aero Club until being dismantled and stored at Mapua from 1966. Its registration was finally cancelled on 13-02-1991. With the passing of John Smith, the Tiger Moth was delivered to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre on 13-05-2020 and has been re-assembled for static display.

The Anderson EA-1 Kingfisher ZK-DJH c/n AACA/165/1 was first registered to Mac Bettjeman of TE Kuiti on 15-06-1979.

More details can be found on previous blog post of ZK-DJH on this link.

https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/search?q=zk-djh

Current owner is Jacob Hynd of Waikawa, Picton since May of 2021.

Isaac Fury Mk II ZK-DMN c/n AACA/179/1 first flew back on 26-03-1975.

Updating details since The Tail Dragger Cassic Ltd (Petr Fahey) re-acquired it in April 2015 - was donated by R Field to the New Zealand Warbirds Association Ltd at Ardmore from 01-11-2016.

It was moved on to John Saunders of Blenheim from 28-04-2022.

Much more detail on ZK-DMN can be found on several previous blog posts HERE

Anderson Kingfisher ZK-DJH

The Anderson EA-1 Kingfisher ZK-DJH c/n AACA/165 has had several previous mentions on this Blog.

See here      https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/search?q=zk-djh

Ownership passed from David Baker of Greymouth to Jacob Hynd of Blenheim on 15/05/2021.

It was seen below after refueling at Motueka yesterday by Aaron Murphy.

Queens Birthday at Greymouth

Another fabulous winters day on 'The Coast' - the best time to visit.

A Queen's Birthday stop to Greymouth Airport found the following.

The Greymouth Aero Club (Inc)'s Cessna 172M ZK-FMP (c/n 17265909) chugs off into the 'Barber' wind.

This airframe has been mentioned several time previously, See Here.

Nick and Sabrina took their Piper PA-28-140 ZK-DGI (c/n 28-7225402) for an outing.

The very tidy looking, privately owned, Anderson EA-1 Kingfisher ZK-DJH is c/n AACA/165/1. 

It carries the name 'Puddles' behind the cockpit.

It has been mentioned previously Here.

The Cessna A150 Aerobat ZK-DXE (c/n A1500635) has been with Markland Engineering and Contracting Ltd since early 2008.

See an earlier plug Here.

A long time resident is the local rescue helicopter Aerospatiale AS 3350 BA ZK-HGH (c/n1443) which has been with Garden City Helicopters Ltd since being imported in 1989.

More on ZK-HGH HERE.

West Coast Gleanings

Nice to see general aviation alive and well!

Anderson EA-1 Kingfisher ZK-DJH has been restored to flight under the care of a Greymouth owner and it was at Hokitika on the morning of 10 January.  For more on this lovely little amphib check out
http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/anderson-ea-1-kingfisher-amphibians-of.html

A long way from its Tauranga home was Pipstrel Sinus ZK-GIM, tied down at Hokitika early on the morning of 11 January. 

Taranaki based Precision Helicopters have Robinson R44 ZK-ITZ based at Hokitika. 

Titan Tornado II ZK-KAA was parked outside its Hokitika hangar on the evening of 08 January. 

Jodel D.18 ZK-OWL has been with Pete Locke of Hokitika since March last year.  It seen here returning from a local jaunt on 10 January. 

Rans S6S Coyote II ZK-VSI is operated by the Hokitika Aero Club.  

Homebuilt Gliders of New Zealand - the Todhunter Blue Wren

The Todhunter Blue Wren is a very light homebuilt powered glider that was designed and built in Noosa, Australia by Reg Todhunter.  It was registered in Australia as VH-KYH and has the c/n of GFA/HB/106.  It is a 36 feet span powered glider that was built of fibreglass and foam with a aluminium tube for the aft fuselage.  It was originally powered by a JPX horizontally opposed twin motor of 23 HP with a recoil starter.

Sadly, Reg Todhunter died before he could further develop other gliders that he had in the pipeline, and the Blue Wren was bought by Neville Swan of Waitakere in Auckland who registered it as a Class 1 microlight on 20/5/96.  It is very light with a MAUW of only 290 Kg.  Neville installed a 3 cylinder Konig radial motor of 23 HP, which had an electric starter.  The above photo was taken at the Hobsonville Air Base.

ZK-JGQ flew successfully as in the above photo, also taken at Hobsonville Air Base.  Neville Swan sold the Blue Wren to RB Goodchild of Taupo on 28/6/00.  I did once see it being taxied under its own power with a wing walker at Taupo in the early 2000's but I think it was inactive for much of its life in Taupo.  It was acquired by GD Ellery of Taupo on 20/10/11 and was for sale on Trade Me.  More recently it has been sold to Dave Baker of Greymouth (who has also restored the Anderson Kingfisher ZK-DJH to flying condition), so we might see the Blue Wren flying again.

Thanks very much to Neville Swan for the above photos.

Anderson EA-1 Kingfisher Amphibians of New Zealand

Although slightly out of order in the list of 2 seater homebuilts of New Zealand, I include the Anderson Kingfisher here because it is quite similar to the Volmer Sportsman.

The Anderson EA-1 Kingfisher was designed by American airline captain Earl Anderson in the 1960's and the prototype first flew on 24/4/69.  It differs from the Volmer in that it has a tractor motor (usually a 100 HP O-200), and the wings can be scratch-built or come from a Piper Cub.  Length is 7.2 metres (23 feet 6 inches) and wingspan is 11.13 metres (36 feet 6 inches).  Empty weight is 468 Kg (1,032 pounds) and MAUW is 680 Kg (1,500 pounds).

Our only Kingfisher is ZK-DJH (c/n AACA/165) which was built by Mac Bettjeman of Te Kuiti, and was first registered on 15/6/79.  It used the wings off Piper Cub ZK-BKU (which was dmaged in a storm at Te Kaio Bay on 8/1/79, but was rebuilt and is still current - shades of Grand-Father's axe!).

The above photo was taken at the 1982 AACA flyin at Taupo.  It was sold to VJ McKay of Riverton on 26/8/85.  It was damaged when it landed on Lake Te Anau with the wheels down on 13/1/96, and it was cancelled on 18/9/97.

It was advertised for sale in August 2004, and ownership transferred to DR Baker of Greymouth, who rebuilt it and re-registered it on 26/4/10.  The above photo shows it being test flown at Greymouth on 14/10/10 by Evan Belworthy.  Thanks to Penny Belworthy for the photo.