Question time # 75

What is the purpose of this object.

And as usual : the aircraft type that it is mounted on, and its NZ civil registration would be of considerable interest.

Hughes 369D ZK-HOQ from the electronic shoe box

Further to the previous post, here she is in March 2008 at Oceania. I'm pretty sure its been back during 2009 and had a paint strip and may well still be lurking in the sheds of Ardmore somewhere.

Hughes 369D ZK-HOQ from the shoe box

Hughes 369D ZK-HOQ , c/n 70-0709D , came onto the register on 04-11-1980 with the agents Dalhoff & King Aviation Ltd of Ardmore. It went briefly to Alpine Helicopters at Queenstown before heading to Taihape with Rangitikei Air Services on 09-06-1981.
On 23-10-1981 it was cancelled and went off to become DQ-FDR with Helicopter Services (Fiji) Ltd of Suva.
It returned to NZ and to its ZK-HOQ marks on 02-11-1982 with Wanganui Aero Work Ltd.
The two pics below show it at Stratford on 20-11-1984.

An owner ship change on 01-12-1987 saw it listed to Stichting Marine Services of Auckland for use by Greenpeace Marine Division.

Now the shot out of the shoe box is this one below showing ZK-HOQ at Lake Vanda Station in the Wright Valley, Antarctica whilst it was based aboard the M V Gondwana. I am guessing during the 1989/1990 voyage.

Below, two later shots of it at Christchurch on 31-01-1991

The old CAA hangar in the rear background & old customs building in right background.

Oceania Helicopters became the proud owners from 20-03-2008 and the last I heard [June 08] about this helicopter was that it was serving aboard the M V Esperanza out of Cairns; Still on Greenpeace duties.

Between the Showers...............

Cessna Titan ZK-NDY arrived at Ardmore from Christchurch on what appeared to be a charter flight. Its brief time flying for Coast Air is still displayed.

Alpi ZK-CJO was just outside a hanger at the northeast end of Ardmore and is registered to folk from Pauanui Beach.

Spring Clean

A brief visit to Ardmore today bore witness to Hawker Pacific having what appeared to be a spring clean with a number of aircraft sitting outside and other activities alluding to a bit of a tidy up in progress.

Notably, the two recently delivered Diamond Twin Star's for Massey Aviation, ZK-MTR and ZK-MTS, sat outside albeit minus engine cowls and tightly parked making photos difficult. Also from the Massey fleet were DA40's ZK-MTA and ZK-MTE.

Coming on to the NZ register last month was Cessna TU206C ZK-JAO, registered to Mountain High Helicopters of Auckland and coming from Japan where it was JA3453 and noted by me in those markings a few months ago nestled in the Hawker Pacific hanger.

Wheeled outside the hanger was Kawasaki Hughes 500 ZK-IAC minus rotor blades and just inside the hanger doors was an unidentified Hughes 500 variant with a white cargo pod. Also in the hanger was Cessna R172K ZK-TXP (not noted by me previously) and 5 Eurocopter 130's. Snugly perched in the back of the hanger was Aero Commander 690 ZK-PVB of Aerial Mappings undergoing what is believed to be a major navcom upgrade pending a working trip to Nepal.

From the shoe box. S55 N5096V

Sikorsky 55 N5096V as seen at Wellington Airport.
Obviously prior to 13-03-1963, which was the date that it was damaged at Hurleyville.
I assume that John Reid would have been the driver.

I think the photo came from the Wellington Airport staff news letter about this period.

Any more info out there for us young ones ?

Choppers at Ardmore

Wanaka's Aspiring Helicopters have had this particular airframe, c/n 4734, for a few months already this year and it was initially registered ZK-HQI in June 2009. It was subsequently changed to ZK-HAH/3 and is seen here carrying out a maintenance flight from Eurocopter. The registration appeared to be temporarily applied.

North Shore Helicopters Eurocopter EC130 ZK-IFC once graced our skies as ZK-IMR/1 until the operator took delivery of a newer EC130 and it had what must be a personalised registration applied. This helicopter also featured in a blog entry during June this year.

ZK-HUR first hops 11-10-2009

A big day for Rotorway Exec ZK-HUR3 on 11-10-2009 when it did a few short hop/skips to test the cooling system.
This Rotorway was imported into NZ in early 2007 by Bruce Burdekin.
Originally built from a kit and certified as a Neisingh Exec to Orville Neisingh of Vacacille, California with the N42830 rego on 24-02-1992.
In November of 1996 it went to Tom Taylor who partially dismantled it with the intention of converting it to turbine power. This was not completed.
Bruce purchased it but when it arrived in NZ, it was found to be not quite what he hoped. Considerable part replacement and time has been expended to get this project to its present stage.

Question time # 70 revisited

Ted Smith Aerostar VH-USU , c/n 60-0390-138 , is pictured above at Christchurch on 06-05-2001. Its paintwork rather faded and last Australian operator, Whyalla Airlines, markings faintly visible.
The two shot below taken at Wigram on 07-07-01.

Shortly after this it was parked in the rear of the hangar, was partially dismantled and all paint was removed; and that is how it remained until it disappeared.

It was registered as ZK-TSA to Executive Air Ltd (Clive Ridge) on 01-10-2004.

It is now located at Omaka and is expected to be airworthy in about one years time.

R44's

ZK-HXR & ITZ at Skysales, Christchurch 15.10.09