Wellington International - Moa Point End

The Moa Point end of Wellington Airport also offers great photo opportunities as aircraft approach from over Cook Strait in a Northerly.  A sunny late afternoon gives the best light as in these photos of a mixture of Air New Zealand craft in old and new colours.

 Q 300 ZK-NEH

 A 320 ZK-OXA

 ATR 72-212A ZK-MCX2

 ATR 72-212A ZK-MCO2

 And two of the new ATR 72-600 fleet:  ZK-MVD

 and ZK-MVE

Finally, an A 320 in the old colours ZK-OJO (maybe the last one?), looking quite plain compared to the new black and white scheme.

ATR F-OIPI comes to Nelson.

ATR 42-500 F-OIPI (c/n 647) arrived at Nelson yesterday.

Above photograph from Lord Nelson.

Lower pic from Peter Campbell.

The reason for its arrival is covered nicely by MRC at :-

http://www.mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/air-nz-regional-maintenance-and-atr42-f.html

The reason for its visit.
Well have a look at :-

HBBP Champs 2016 - Fletcher Flyoff

There was a nice intra-type battle within the HBBP Championships at Omaka, with three Fletchers of different horsepower competing.  Would the lightest or more powerful win?

300 HP Fletcher FU-24 ZK-BYC (c/n 78) is operated by Killarney Farm and flown by Peter Blake from Wairoa.  His best distance was made up of a shortest take off 42.5 m plus a shortest landing 54.1 m for a total of 96.6 metres.

400 HP Fletcher FU24-950M ZK-BII (c/n 36) operated by Skyfarmer Ltd and flown by Duncan Hart gets airborne in the STOL Competition.  Duncan's best distance was made up of a shortest take off 75.0 m plus a shortest landing 91.0 m for a total of 166.0 metres.

550 HP Walter turbine powered Fletcher FU24-954 ZK-EML (c/n 264) operated by Ravensdown Aerowork Ltd and based at Omaka was flown by Andrew Wheelan.  Andrew's best distance was made up of a shortest take off 47.9 m plus a shortest landing 81.0 m (with thrust reversal) for a total of 128.9 metres.

So the winner was the 300 HP Fletcher ZK-BYC, an oldie but a goodie!.

Ardmore 6-3-16 plenty of variety

Both of Strikemaster Ltd's BAC-167 Strikemaster Mk88's flew today with ZK-NTY msn 302 seen on take off above and ZK-STR msn 310 below seen taxing for departure.

Boeing-Stearman A75N1  ZK-PJS msn 75-4245 ''Witchita Girl'' owned by the Stearman 18 Partnership of RD 1 Papakura seen taxing

Cessna 152 ZK-MDF msn 15284127 operated by Contract Air Ltd of Stoke Nelson was a welcome visitor

Cessna 172S ZK-JRA msn 172S9767 of Ardmore based Auckland Aero Club (Inc) seen taxing

Ardmore based Cessna R172K ZK-CXP msn R1722923 of Executive Flight Services Ltd Papakura

Smart looking Ardmore based Cessna 177B Cardinal ZK-ALI msn 17701876 of Grand International Concerts Ltd, Newmarket, Auckland seen returning from a flight

Auckland Aero Club (Inc) Cessna 182T ZK-JRY msn 18281923 seen on landing

Smart looking Te Awamutu based Cessna 180A ZK-CDY msn 32968 operated by Kiwi Avi8tor Ltd seen parked in the sun and preparing to depart

Ardmore based Cessna 510 Mustang ZK-YDZ msn 510-0070 operated by Brookby Quarries Ltd of Beachland seen taxing for departure to Palmerston North

Ardmore based Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk ZK-CAG msn 28492 of Warbird Adventure Rides Ltd Drury is a regular sight in the Ardmore circuit

Ardmore based Maule M-5-210C ZK-SLS msn 6188C owned by D.P Banks of Botany Auckland seen returning from a flight

North American Harvard 3 ZK-WAR / NZ1092 msn 88-16506 registered to Strikemaster Ltd of Remuera Auckland waiting to taxi

PAC 750XL ZK-XLE msn 151 of Kiwi Air Ltd, Gisborne has been operating out of Ardmore since late last month and is seen on departure

Piper PA-23-250 Aztec ZK-PIW msn 27-7305089 of Sunair Aviation Ltd of Mount Maunganui seen taxing for departure this afternoon on one of the operators services from Ardmore

Robinson R44II ZK-IHX msn 11367 of Ardmore based Heliflite Ltd

Ardmore based Tecnam P92 Eaglet U/L ZK-WTF msn 1127 of Opiweb Ltd Panmure,Auckland taxing

Smart looking Ardmore based Tecnam P2008 ZK-ZZD msn 056 registered to The Renwick & Gallagher Syndicate of RD 1 Papakura seen returning to it's hanger

Ardmore 2-3-16 to 5-3-16

Eurocopter EC-145 ZK-ILJ msn 9110 was outside the Airbus facility on the 2nd. Operated by North Shore Helicopters Ltd

Also at Airbus on the 2nd was Eurocopter EC 130 T2 ZK-IZK msn 8133 of the Faram Aviation Group Ltd of RD 5 Hastings

Bell 206L-3 Longranger ZK-ILR msn 51229 of Oceania Helicopters Ltd Pukekohe getting airborne on the 2nd

Gardan GY-20 Minicab ZK-RJK msn AACA/187 owned by Janet Chisum of RD 5 Hastings seen taxing after arriving on the 3rd

ZK-DPP msn K305 this countries only Percival Proctor I owned by E.W Clapshaw of Pakuranga also taken on the 3rd it has been noted flying from Ardmore on and since this date.

Agusta A109S ZK-HBH msn 22013 of Heletranz Ltd Albany seen taxing on the 4th

The remains of Cessna 310P ZK-DTM msn 310P0199 on the 5th. This aircraft has been reduced to spares for use on Cessna 310Q ZK-DEM msn 310Q0765 (in background in top photo) operated by Photo Survey Ltd of Albany but based at Ardmore. I was advised that the aircraft fuselage / wings etc have been sold for use as a childrens play house at a private address (lucky kids)

Europa Aviation Inc Europa Tri Gear ZK-POG msn 584 of J.C Martin of Mount Maunganui was parked up on the grass outside Warbirds HQ on the 5th

Enjoying the late afternoon sun on the 5th was North American Harvard 2* ZK-JJA / NZ1053 msn 88-13910 operated by the Harvard 53 Syndicate of Orakei, Auckland

Tecnam P92-JS-UL ZK-TJS msn 024 of the Kaitaia Aero Club seen on the 5th

International Piper Comanche Society.

A note from Baz at Taupo.

Piper Comanche Aircraft owners to hold international convention in

Queenstown, New Zealand

The International Comanche Society (ICS) www.comancheflyer.com 
is a not for profit aircraft type club representing owners and pilots of Piper

Comanche airplanes.

During 22-26 March 2016 over one hundred International Comanche

Society members from around the world will gather in Queenstown for

the society’s annual convention. www.comancheflyer.com

ICS conventions are normally staged in the USA and this year is a first for

New Zealand and only the third time the event has been held in the

southern hemisphere. Fully 90% of the people attending the

Queenstown convention will be from overseas, including Australia, USA

and Europe.

Five (5) Australian members are flying their personal Comanche

airplanes across the Tasman Sea to join the six (6) New Zealand based

Comanche’s for an Australasian Tribe lineup

on Queenstown airport.

www.comancheflyer.com.au

For more information, please contact:

Barry Payne

of Taupo

barry@bazflyer.com

HBBP Champs 2016 - Aircraft with Attitude

As you might expect with pilots straining to aviate or deposit back on terra firma as quickly as possible, some extreme attitudes can be attained.  Here are a few from Omaka, captured by Planefil:

Zenair CH 701 STOL ZK-TIA flown by Chris Anderson of nearby Ward worked hard to register his best distance of 13.4 metres in the Precision Landing Competition.

Maule M-6-235 ZK-MTP flown by Willie Sage was runner-up in the Light Touring Category with best scores of 38.5 metres for the take-off and 50.4 metres for the landing (88.9 metres overall).

Cessna 180C ZK-BXV flown by Colin Nimmo from Kaikoura attempting his landing in the trying crosswind conditions that prevailed during most of the day.

Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee ZK-CIQ was flown by Peter Anderson from Blenheim who was unable to register a landing distance so scored a ‘no score’ in the STOL Competition.  The distance past the line for the STOL competition is measured to where the mainwheels touch down and one technique to achieve minimum distance is to fly along with the tailwheel touching the ground - obviously this didn't work on this occasion.

Cessna 185A ZK-CBS, operated by Darlington Drilling and Piling Ltd of Paraparaumu and flown by Nigel Griffith arriving back on the airfield after a topdressing demonstration.  This demonstrates another short landing technique which is to land on the mainwheels only and stop with the tailwheel in the air.  This has been pretty successful in the Alaskan Bush Flying Champs that are held at Valdez.  However you can't nose over too far!