Thorp S 18T ZK-MBY at Dargaville 4-6-2016

The final visiting aircraft at Dargaville last Saturday was the unique Thorp S 18T ZK-MBY (c/n 222), which owner Mesa Land had flown back from Parakai after having some maintenance done.

This aircraft was built by Mike Boyle of Auckland and is our only S 18 model (The S is for Lou Sutherland who redesigned the Thorp T 18 with a different wing and other minor changes, working in collaboration with the original designer John Thorp).  And it is also our only tri-gear S 18 hence the T suffix.

 Mesa taxying out in the spectacular late afternoon sun...

 Lift off from Runway 22...

 and off home to Kaikohe before Civil Twilight.

Meanwhile the aero club's aircraft were residing in their hangar. 

A magic day!

King Air VH-WCN

Two views of Beech B300 King Air VH-WCN (c/n FA-46) arriving at Ardmore in the wet.

And taxiing in.

The MRC site covered it earlier at :-

http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2016/05/beech-300lw-king-air-vh-wcn.html

I can add that it started life as N7222U with Beech Aircraft on 24-07-1985, becoming N123AF from 06-11-1989 with Macmillan Bloedel inc at Pine Hill Alabama followed by a move to Roland Pugh Construction Inc at Northport, Alabama from 17-03-2000. It then went to Oklahoma Austin Jet LLC at Shawnee Oklahoma from 31-08-2001 for onward sale to Tecnicard Inc of Miami Florida from 30-11-2001. It disappeared into the books of the Wells Fargo Bank from 23-03-2004 until re-appearing on 18-07-2013 with Columbia Asset Trust Corporation as N888YY - remaining there until being cancelled on 29-04-20114 to become VH-WCN from 16-05-2014 with Avcair Pty Ltd of Hamilton, Queensland.

Gert's Bleriot flies

The Airdrome Aeroplanes Bleriot XI ZK-BXI2 (c/n BLE-003) first flew at Rangiora on Saturday 4th June 2016.

Pic above take at Rangiora back on 17-10-2015.

Click on the link below:-

http://bleriotxi.com/index.php/2016/06/04/first-proper-flight-with-video/

Well done Gert and Evan.

Three Who Came a Long Way to Dargaville 4-6-2016

Later in the afternoon of 4 June three aircraft arrived from the Dannevirke-Pahiatua area.  They were transiting through to Kaitaia with the intention of flying around Cape Reinga the next day, and they would have had great weather for it..

The first of the trio, Bolkow B 208C Junior ZK-CJG (c/n 601) has been owned by owners in Pahiatua since 6/10/15.  It was originally registered in November 1965 to the Middle Districts Aero Club who operated it until 1969 when it was exported to Samoa as 5W-FAG.  It returned to New Zealand and was re-registered as ZK-CJG in December 1975.  It now has Bolkow Junior titles on the engine cowling.

A remarkable fact is that of the ten Bolkow Juniors imported by Aerocraft in the mid 1960s, all are still current.

The second of the trio, Cessna 150G ZK-DAL (c/n 66321) is also from the 1960s, having been first registered here in December 1969.  On arrival in New Zealand it was converted to a 150 HP engine.  It is now owned in Dannevirke.  The history of ZK-DAL can be found at:  http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/zk-dal.html

And the third aircraft of the trio was the Dannevirke Flying Club's Piper PA 28-140 Cherokee ZK-EBL which I didn't photograph.

CASH Aviation Model 3 ZK-LHC at Dargaville 4-6-2016

Yesterday at Dargaville, a group of aircraft flew up from Tauranga (in 1 hour).  Among them was Harry Harris in his CASH Aviation Model 3 ZK-LHC (c/n 003).  I have posted on this nice looking plane previously but to recap:  It is a Lancair fuselage mated to a 30% larger wing (30% larger than the Lancair wing), and powered by a Rotax 912 engine.

Taxying out after lunch.

 Backtracking on Runway 22

And off back to Tauranga.

More from Lunch at Dargaville Yesterday 4-6-2016

A few other aircraft out in the sun yesterday:

Local RANS S6ES ZK-RAG3 (c/n 09121958-ES).  Have a close look at the wording below the rego - I guess they still have their old kitchen!

Tecnam P 2004 Bravo ZK-TNM (c/n 16) was up from Auckland.  You can see from the sticker at the rear of the cabin that it is fitted with a Ballistic Recovery Parachute.

And Gyrate Auckland's MTO Sport autogyro ZK-RCC2 (c/n MO1148) about to depart back to Parakai.

Lunchtime at Dargaville Aero Club Today 4-6-2016

The Dargaville Aero Club puts on an excellent lunch every Saturday and flyers from all over the North come for a great feed and fellowship.  It is usually well attended but especially so when it is wonderful weather after a spell of really grotty stuff.  There were over 50 people for lunch today...

There were 4 gyrocopters on the field - The Dargaville Aero Clubs MTO Sport ZK-RDM, MTO Eagle ZK-KIW from Whangarei, MTO Sport ZK-RCC from Parakai and Magni M22 ZK-MGN, also from Parakai.

And from the fixed wing brigade: Sling ZK-SLG from Kaipara Flats, Jodel D 11 ZK-EDR from Whangarei, Zenair CH 701 ZK-ZAR from Omaha, Foxbat ZK-VAW from near Kaitaia.  In the bacground are Sonex Tri-gear ZK-VDB from Whangarei and Pazmny PL 2 ZK-TLP from Tauranga.

Parked nearer the clubhouse were Tecnam Sierra ZK-RTM from North Shore, CASH Aviation Model 3 ZK-LHC from Tauranga, Vans RV 7A ZK-ECE2 from Tauranga and Horn TH-1 ZK-TLH from Whangarei.

An unusual visitor for lunch was CTC Aviation's Diamond DA 20 ZK-SFI on a cross country from Hamilton.

I will post a few more visitors tomorrow.

Europa Aircraft Europas of New Zealand (3) - Tri Gear Aircraft

The tri-gear model of the Europa came along in the late 1990s and probably will be the predominant model going forwards.  There is a slight decrease in performance with the fixed gear but streamlining helps to minimise this.  The tri-gear Europa is still a fast aircraft.

Tri gear model N13NM (c/n A26) was built by Robert Setzer of Florida and was first registered in the US on 18/3/97.  After a couple of ownership changes it was purchased in the US by Norm Marsh who was a retired New Zealander from Taupo.  He cancelled N13NM from the US register on 9/3/00 bought the aircraft to New Zealand, where it is photo'd above in the Taupo Gliding Club hangar in the early 2000s.  I am not sure if it flew in New Zealand as N13NM.  Sadly, Norm Marsh was killed in a gliding accident in Canada.

N13NM was registered in New Zealand as ZK-NWM on 18/7/02 by Hawkes Bay Sailplanes Ltd of Hastings.  Ownership transferred to Peter Lyons of Hastings on 12/11/07, then to Philip Gray of Hastings on 6/6/10 and most recently to Mark Scapens of Mt Maunganui on 27/1/16.  It is photo'd above at the 2009 Black Sands flyin at Raglan.

ZK-POG (c/n 584) was mostly built on the Isle of Man by Nigel Harrison and was registered as G-WEEM on 22/7/03.  However it did not fly in the UK.  Instead, Nigel Harrison bought the airccraft with him when he emigrated to New Zealand and completed it, registering it as ZK-POG on 16/11/06.  It first flew in 1/1/07 and is photo's above very shortly thereafter at the 2007 SAANZ flyin at Ashburton.

On 23/9/12 ownership transferred to John Martin of Mt Maunganui and he repainted the aircraft as above with script for "Buzzard Airlines" as seen at the 2014 SAANZ flyin at Hastings.

Our latest Europa Tri-Gear was built by Mark and Ken Whittington of Calgary in Canada as an XS Tri-Gear model, and was first registered as C-GMKW on 21/10/98.  Its first flight in Canada was on 16/11/98.  It was then sold to the US as N24070 on 11/10/02, as in the above photo.  On 14/11/11 it was cancelled as exported to New Zealand and it was registered here on 17/1/12 to Patrick Driessen of Auckland.

It is photo'd above at Ardmore by Neville Drake as ZK-VMC (c/n 95).  It is currently in storage which is no doubt quite easy due to the removable wings.

I think we will see a few more Europas in New Zealand in the future, with at least 2 other kits out there still being worked on.

Cessna 172S ZK-FTM at Christchurch.

Near the tie downs at Christchurch International on Wednesday the 1st day of Winter was the Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP ZK-FTM2 (c/n 172S8516).

A year 2000 model that was registered here on 19-11-2004 to Foxtrot Aviation Ltd of Feilding. 

It followed the changes at Feilding - being listed to Air Manawatu on 10-05-2006; Flight Training Manawatu Ltd on 20-09-2013 and currently to Commercial Pilots Academy Ltd from 07-09-2015, and now the New Zealand International Commercial Pilots Academy Ltd.

On the ramp at NZTG

Seen on the ramp at Tauranga yesterday (01-06-2016) by Grayson were these two out of town twins

Above is Skyline Aviation Ltd's Beech B200C Super King Air ZK-PLK (c/n BL-64).

This 1982 model King Air cruised into Bridge Pa from Pago Pago and Auckland back on 28-03-2008.

This is one of four King Airs operated by the Company - the others being ZK-ZZA, ZK-MFT and ZK-SSH.

They also run a Beech 400A ZK-NXT, a PA-31 Navajo ZK-LWN, two AerospatialeAS 350BA's ZK-HFZ and ZK-HYP and the Kawasaki BK117 B-2 ZK-IBK.

Further along was the Piper PA-31-315 Panther ZK-SRC (c/n 31-7712075) as operated by Air Gisborne Ltd.

They also operate the Beech C90A ZK-SKL, two AA5A's ZK-JER and ZK-MER, and the Cessna 172M ZK-DXP.