Ashburton underway.

 The SAA fly-in at Ashburton is under way.

This photo taken late yesterday by Allan Bowman shows about twenty arrivals already.

Stand by for more reports from our team on site.

Safe and happy flying.

Scene at Rangiora today. Twin Couriers.

Two Helio Couriers were captured today at Rangiora by Pat Scotter.

Nearest is the visiting Canadian example C-GZZL (c/n 1263) which is the H-295 model and beyond is the only NZ example ZK-TCE (c/n 2503) which is a H-250.

C-GZZL was previously mentioned HERE  and a link to ZK-TCE can be found within that post.

Agplanes and others at Gore

A visit to Gore airfield on a very blue sky day offered lots of interest including MacKenzie Aviation's Fu24-950M ZK-BOG which is looking very smart for being over 60 years old..

Imported from Australia in August 2016 was the 750hp Thrush S2R-T34 ZK-DUZ operated by Southern Aviation, Te Anau

With Central Ag Air, Oturehua since 2014 is GA200C ZK-RMU

Offering taildragger flight training from the Kingston airfield near Queenstown is Ace Aviation's PA22-160 ZK-TDA

And local Gore based Cessna 172G ZK-COM in smart new colours

Observant readers of this blog will have noted a logo of a Predator drone on the wingtip of Harvey Lockie's Dyn Aero MCR 01 Club ZK-WIK and wondered why it was there.

And there is also a Predator logo on the tail.  I also wondered why the logos were there but on Saturday Harvey let me know the reason:

ZK-WIK has been re-engined with a Rotax 914 and this is the same engine that powers the Predator drone.  This is the reason for the bulges in the carbon fibre cowling (that will be painted when the work is finished).  No doubt that the predator also has a carbon fibre cowling.

Actually the Predator specifications are not that dis-similar to those of larger sport or GA aircraft.  Its empty weight is 1,130 pounds with a wingspan of 55 feet and a length of 27 feet.  However it has some other interesting capabilities!

Helicopters at Te Anau

The annual RAANZ fly in for 2019 is being hosted by the Fiordland Aero Club at Te Anau/Manapouri Airport but due to the bad weather forecast for the weekend the fly in was brought forward by 2 days to February 6 to 8.

A visit today showed some 25 aircraft in attendance so far,  but as none are new to this blog we present below some of the new helicopter activity in the Te Anau area.

Starting off there is Aurum Helicopters R44 sprayer ZK-HAU,  which is normally Cromwell based.  This machine became HAU in August 2016 after a longer life as ZK-HOA.

Also a sprayer is Heliops Southland Bell 206L-1 ZK-HGY which was imported from Canada in November 2016.

Te Anau Helicopter Services had 3 machines active on Waitangi day being R44 ZK-HGZ

And Hughes 369E ZK-HNE which was imported from Ecuador in November 2016

And AS350B-2 ZK-HNU

In for service was Waihopai based R22 ZK-HZB marked "Southern Wings"

And lastly down at the lakeshore Southern Lakes Helicopters R44 ZK-ISL which arrived in NZ back in April 2016.

Question time # 204 resolved.

The aircraft in question (pictured below) is the Douglas DC-3 ZK-BQK (c/n 16567/33315) as seen at the Museum of Transport and Technology and came from the Tony Miller collection.

*******************

Built as a C-47B-35-DK for the US military and allocated the 44-76983 serial number it was transferred to the RNZAF to become NZ3544 with delivery in June of 1945.

It was damaged at Wigram on 14-04-1952 and sold by tender to NZNAC.

They rebuilt it and registered it as ZK-BQK on 10-05-1956 with a conversion to DC-3C in Mid October of 1957.

Named 'Kereke' it is seen below at Hokitika - I suspect in the late 50's with the red band around the engine cowlings.

Below we see her in the hangar at Christchurch. 1962 ?

It was upgraded to 'Skyliner' standard in June of 1963 as 'Skyliner New Plymouth'.

From 07-12-1969 it was chartered to Polynesian Airlines as 5W-FAH and is seen below at Christchurch.

Photo source unknown.

It returned to NZ on 04-04-1973 and last flew on 17-06-1973.

Withdrawn from service by NZNAC it was parked out in rotten row at Christchurch and is seen above and below on 17-02-1979.

It was officially handed over to MoTaT on 23-07-1973.

Photo above was taken at Meola Road Auckland o 12-11-1973.

And below on 29-08-1985.

It is now on display in the Sir Keith Park Memorial Aviation display hall at MoTaT in Meola Road, Auckland.

Heading on South.

Whilst most of this blogs contributors were fluffing about at Omaka with the Mad Bastards Bluebus departed for points south out of NZCH.

First stop was the Canterbury Aero Club where I missed the departing Seneca ZK-DCO which was already containered and sitting on the wharf at Lytteleton awaiting loading for its trip to Sri Lanka to join two of the Clubs old Cherokee's. More on this one later.

I did managed to get this in hangar shot of the Club's 'new' Piper PA-28-161 ZK-MBG (c/n 28-8516026) which is undergoing some maintenance before going on line. 

Also just joining the Club recently was the PA-28-161 ZK-MBE which was out earing its keep during my visit.

At the bussling Oamaru I caught the Cessna 180 ZK-BYJ just landing on its return from its efforts at Omaka.

Also at Oamaru the Guimbal Cabri G2 ZK-IIB (c/n 1043) from Highland Helicopters dropped in for a short time.

And Heliventures NZ Ltd's AS 350 B3 ZK-IER (c/n 3708) was also very active.

Oranges and Lemons - MT 03's at Dargaville

Orange and lemon autogyros at Dargaville last Saturday.

And here with autogyro Chief Instructor for Training CITRusty Russell with his new yellow mount ZK-RBG, ex Parakai.

Rusty departed Dargaville just before us, headed for Whangarei.

Pauanui

Amongst the trainers visiting Pauanui airfield today were a couple of unique aircraft, being the Classic Aviation Adventurer CA18 ZK-CMR up from Tauranga

And from much further afield the Harmon Rocket II ZK-RMD,  which is registered to a Dunedin owner.

Tecnam seen in Queenstown

Last year, while I was in Queenstown, this Tecnam P92 Echo Super ZK-TGT (c/n 705) dropped in for a visit