Northern Microlight Club Flyin at Silverdale

Around 18 sport aircraft took advantage of a lovely day to attend the Northern Microlight Club's flyin at Paul Hopper's airstrip at Silvedale, which is just North of Dairy Flat. I thought the flyin would be a local event, but there were aircraft there from as far away as Kerikeri, Waihi and Hawera.

Of the aircraft that may be new to readers of the NZCivair blog, I will post the following four. The first is Foxcon Aviation Terrier 200 ZK-SOD which is owned by A K Matthews from Warkworth, and with a nice multi-hued paint job. This was first registered on 6/12/04 and was for sale for $65,000. Maybe the new owner will change the registration!

This Aerospool Dynamic WT 9 ZK-EWW was visiting from Kerikeri. It is owned by K J Slattery and was first registered on 26/8/04. It has also been retofitted with winglets (the same as ZK-DYN of an earlier post).

The Waihi Aviation Group's Aero Design's Pulsar XP ZK-KFC also flew in with 2 POB and 1 DOG (who loves flying). This is the oldest of this group having been first registered on 17/4/97.

And lastly was this local Alpi Aviation Pioneer 200 ZK-DJC which is owned by D J Clack of North Shore. In spite of it having been first registered on 3/5/06, this is the first time I have seen this aircraft.

ZK-XLC Pic

A follow on from the earlier blog on this Reims/Cessna F406 Caravan 11 ZK-XLC, c/n F406-0012.

Ian Kershaw kindly sent the above pic showing XLC at Calgary in June of 2008; believed to be working for the Alberta Government on mapping of the water table.

More Masterton Pics.

These six shots arrived from the same source as the previous Balloon Pics. Taken at Masterton on 21-03-2009.
Above is "A1325" which turns out to be none other than ZK-BFR registered here on 25-03-2009 to The Vintage Aviator Ltd. It is ex G-BVGR using A1325 as its c/n. Said to be of around 1917 vintage and passed from the RFC to the Norwegians, eventually being donated to the Mosquito Museum in the UK. Ultimately turning up on the UK register in December 1993. It was acquired by the 1914-18 Aviation Heritage Trust and was shipped out to NZ. It was spied at Omaka without fabric in March 2005.

Now these other two machines are outside my scope of interest. Any suggestions with registrations (of the completed 6341 anyway !) ?

6341 was active along with the Pfalz and Helipro Squirrel ZK-HYN doing a photo shoot.

There is a swag of detail on http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/ and peek into Projects.

Others at Ardmore

Oceania have registered this AS350B Squirrel ZK-HKQ/3, on 18Mar09, and it was noted outside their facility at Ardmore for the first time today still sporting its Japanese lineage.

Zlin Z50LS ZK-ZSO was undertaking a number of maintenance flights and the owner mentioned some re-rigging had been done.

This had me wondering!

Bashing (ever so gently) the Ardmore circuit today is this little beauty, a Hatz CB2 ZK-PEC. First registered in Nov 2004 to a PE Carpenter of Kerikeri, it has moved to be with ME Vodane with an Ardmore PO Box number from February this year. I've not come across this little machine before and thankfully they were using the radio so I could get a registration as little else gives it identity away!

A load of hot air.

A dawn patrol at Masterton on 21-03-2009 found the Balloon competitions underway.
Above being a general view over the Lake.
As far as I understand; the mission for the morning was to wet your feet followed by dropping a marker into a target area. I must admit that I was surprised at the manoeuvreability of these great beasts in the fickle breezes of the early morn.
ZK-FAC2 is a Lindstrand LBL 90A with c/n 434 listed with John Clifton of Nelson since 01-04-2005. Its previous UK id of G-ULLS is faintly visible.

ZK-FAI is the Boland 38-8 c/n 147 with Craig Scott of Masterton since 06-06-2008.

ZK-FAN being a Cameron N-77 with c/n 3363 registered to Peter Mills of Queenstown since 02-02-1999. This is ex G-ITAL.

ZK-FAX belonging to Balloon Expeditions of Auckland since 25-01-2000 is a Kavanagh E-180 , c/n being KB222.

Nearest is the Kavanagh C-77 ZK-FBA3 c/n KB310 of Howard Watson of Wellington; with the Cameron O-65 ZK-KKH c/n 938 behind. This one has had a career in the UK as G-BKUD followed by a stint in Australia as VH-BKH. Now with Mark Wilton of Carterton.

ZK-FBQ is Kavanagh E-120 c/n KB125 of the Murray's. This was first registered here on 07-04-1994 having been originally registered as a Cameron A-210 since 15-11-1989 to J & D Hall.
It was originally listed in the US as N2979A in 1984. Correct me if I am wrong; but from this I assume the type change comes about with a "bag" change to a different type and that the registration belongs to the "basket".

ZK-LAR c/n 3601 is a Cameron C-80 Concept registered to Scott Cursons of Manukau. Initially regd on 27-06-1995 to Richard Grant of Christchurch.

Thunder & Colt Ax7-77 carries the initials of its owner; Murray J Carlaw to make it ZK-MJC with a c/n 1531. Ex UK and G-BSBN it was listed in NZ on 22-08-07.

Kavanagh D-105 ZK-PUF c/n D105-359 belongs to Denis Hall of Wellington. Has done since 26-03-2007.

Kubicek BB60 ZK-UPP with the c/n 451 for the Kiwi Balloon Co of Hamilton since 31-10-2006.

ZK-WON is a Cameron C-90 with c/n 10492. Has been with the Balloon Promoters since imported 18-12-2003.

ZK-WRU is the Cameron V-90 c/n 3038 of Mike Oakley of Hororata. Was originally G-MANI in the UK from 08-03-1993. First listed in NZ on 29-09-2003 with Peter Dunn.

& Last, A to Z speaking, was the Cameron A-210 ZK-XXF c/n 4300 from the Early Morning Balloons from Waipukarau. Been with them since 26-01-2000 following a period as G-BXXF from 02-04-1998 with Gone With The Wind Ltd of Bristol UK.
There was this unidentified (Coka Cola) balloon, which would not spin around to expose its registration. Any body ID it please ?

Chipmunk ZK-CPY

Added to our register on 11-03-2009 for Andy Miller was this De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T10.
ZK-CPY2 is listed with the c/n of DHB-256. This is in fact its fuselage number. Its factory c/n is C1-0389. As such it was delivered to the RAF on 06-06-1951 with the serial of WG304 and is known to have served with the Cambridge University Air Squadron followed a stint with the number 5 Air Experience Flight, also at Cambridge. It was sold off on 07-07-1975 and became N48098 with Win J Donnelly of Denver, Colorado. For reasons unknown (to me) it was cancelled from the US register for a period and was restored in July 1985 with the c/n listed as DHB-256.

Clad in a somewhat different colour scheme, basically red, white and blue. The upper surface of the wings are in a red and white sun burst pattern (for lack of a better description) from about the spar back with blue leading edge, whilst underneath the wings are all blue with four stars on the right wing and two under the left wing (one on the inner & one on the outer section - Presumably the gap being for the removed full VH-NMX markings).

It carrys three patches as depicted above.

Grassroots Gyroplanes from Ardmore

A trip to Ardmore this afternoon produced a neat unexpected result when I met Ken Olsen who has a whole lot of gyroplanes in his hangar. I have never seen this hangar open before, and it doesn't look much like a hangar as it only has a door big enough for gyroplanes. Ken was really interesting to talk to about old aeroplanes and people we both knew, he was a pilot for Fieldair flying Beavers for many years until he retired.

His airworthy gyrocopter is the original rotorcraft registered - the Bee gyrocopter originally from Australia, ZK-RAA. Ken said it was originally ZK-HAS but was changed to ZK-RAA when the CAA decided on a special registration block for rotorcraft. I seem to recall seeing this aircraft at Rongotai in the 1960's when it looked similar to a Bensen gyrocopter.

There was also a veritable miscellany of different motors in Ken's gyroplanes ZK-RAA has the original McCullough engine, and has only flown 18 hours.

Outside was Ken's latest 2 seat gyrocopter - he calls it a Rotordyne and this one has a turbocharged Mazda 13B rotary engine of 220 HP, which really goes. Ken has been doing taxy trials in the early mornings at Ardmore in this machine.

Inside was the second prototype of his Rotordyne, photographed here with Ken. This one has an Israeli Savkil rotary engine, and will be used for further testing. I can't find out anything about the Savkil engine.

And yet another gyroplane in the hangar was this early prototype with a Godden racing motorcycle engine.

Yet another engine on Ken's test bed outside was a half Mazda rotary engine that he ran up for me. It sounded great. This engine will also be turbocharged and is expected to produce 115 HP.

Altogether a great day!

Avro Cadet Gone

Avro 631 Cadet ZK-AVR, registered back on 30Oct98 and based at Dairy Flat/North Shore for a number of years, was de-registered 16Mar09 as exported. It appears the aircraft has been at an airforce museum in Ireland for a couple of years now since it was flown with the Irish Air Corp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Cadet

Outside Stan Smith's hanger at Dairy Flat on 2 Sep 1998 (before it was registered). Mike Condon photo

OFF TOPIC. Sculptured Garden. Score Zero.

Yes. Not NZ Civil in the true sense. But !
Found this on Highway 14 the other day.
I seem to recall a similar item on display at Masterton and also Auckland a while back.