New Plymouth and Hamilton earlier in the month.

 Tony McFarlin visited New Plymouth back on 11-02-2022.

Sitting out in the rain was the Piper PA-31-310B Navajo Panther conversion ZK-LTD c/n 31-7300918.

As you can tell from the c/n it was a product of 1973, initially as N222CG followed by N237KX.

It arrived in Australia on 06-12-1988 to become VH-JKC on 23-05-1987.

It arrived in Auckland on 25-04-1993 to become ZK-LTD with Ashton Project Services Ltd of Hamilton on 28-04-1993.

In 1995 it underwent a Colemill Panther conversion thanks to Hamilton Aero Maintenance. This involves fitting Lycoming TIO540 engine of 350hp to four bladed 'Q' tip propellers and winglets. The engine cowling has better breathing, plus numerous other unseen mods.

Note the pro ptips and the panther emblem on the wing tips and rear fuselage.

Avia Air Charter Ltd of Hamilton took it over from June of 2007.

The Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II ZK-JDH c/n 34-7970041 arrived into Auckland on 17-03-1994 after nine years on the USA as N2109F followed by time in Australia as VH-IEE2 from July of 1987.

It became ZK-JDH on 05-04-1994 and by late November 2020 was with Tasman Pacific Aviation Group Ltd of Kumea.

Does it still carry the 'Cable Patrol' script under wing ?

This Agusta AW139 began as VH-NZF c/n 31156 from 06-01-2009 HNZ Cougar Helicopters Pty Ltd of Belmont, Western Australia on lease to Helicopters (NZ) Ltd.

It was entered onto the NZ register as ZK-HNO2 on 04-03-2011 with Helicopters (NZ) Ltd of Nelson. It followed the Company name change to Helicopters (NZ) Limited from 07-07-2011 and then HNZ New Zealand Limited from 30-10-2012. This in turn became PHI New Zealand Limited from 29-09-2020.

It carries the name 'Manupaatiki on its nose.

Tony visited Hamilton on 12-02-2022.

ZK-EME c/n 256 began life as a Fletcher FU24-950 with N.Z.A.I Ltd of Hamilton on 27-07-1978 and joined Fieldair Ltd of Palmerston North in October that year. They became Fieldair Holding (Central) Ltd in November 1981 and then just Fieldair Ltd from May 1984.

I believe it was parked up at Palmerston North for a while from about 1991 but returned to service with Peter Butcher of Dargaville in August of 1997 and then under the Agtech Air Services name from about mid 2002.

Super Air at Hamilton listed it from 31-10-2002  and it underwent a major rebuild to become the P&W PT6A-34Ag powered 'Fletcher 2000 Ex' and first flew as such on 20-11-2006.

It was withdrawn from service and cancelled in June 2021 and now rests at Hamilton along with ZK-JLU and ZK-EMW.

An earlier post on ZK-EME can be found here :- https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/search?q=zk-eme

And another cover up job is the Diamond DA 42 Twin Star ZK-WGA c/n 42.199 which is a 2006 model. This came in from Australia to become ZK-WGA on 28-04-2017 with the Waikato Aero Club (Inc) at Hamilton and carries 'Waikatoaviation.co nz' script on the rear fuselage. This is the commercial arm of the Club.

This aircraft actually spent five weeks on survey work in NZ back in March of 2009 under its VH-FGO registration with Fugro Airborne Surveys.

KHI Hughes 369HS ZK-HMW

 Newly refurbished Kawasaki Heavy Industries/Hughes 369HS ZK-HMW4 c/n 6644 was captured at Wanaka on 21-02-2022 by Damon Edwards.

Built in Japan it was listed on 19-12-1977 as JA9184 until heading down to Manila to become RP-C957 in September of 1992. 

With just under 5100 flying hours it came to New Zealand and became ZK-IAC with Wing & Rotor Aviation Ltd of Auckland on 22-01-2002.

It then moved on to Hull Properties Ltd of Auckland from 15-07-2004.

Below is a pic of ZK-IAC on short legs taken at Ardmore on 24-10-2014 by Magnaman.

Title passed to Minaret Station Ltd across the lake from Wanaka from 29-09-2020 with it being re-registered as ZK-HMW4.on 16-12-2020.

Minaret Station is part of the Alpine Helicopters empire and the helicopter carries 'alpine helicopters ltd' titles and sits on long legs.

Delivery of Zenair Zodiac 601 ZK-JLI

 Another delivery flight was carried out by Rusty Russell recently, this time from North to South:

The early model Zenair Zodiac 601 ZK-JLI was photo'd at Stratford by Nick Furmage, on delivery to S Bagnall of Dobson on the West Coast, with the ownership change taking place on 3/2/22.

Thanks for the photo Nick.

Reims Cessna FA337F ZK-SVY

Resident at Pauanui over the past week has been the former LandPro Reims Cessna FA337F ZK-SVY.  This was acquired by Ross Price of Dunedin in mid 2021,  and was originally imported from Australia in 2017.

Ross also owns the very early model Cessna 337 ZK-DFT,  and currently there is only 1 other 337 model on the register,  T337G ZK-FZA which has been stored at Ardmore for many years.

 

Hamilton leading on to Raglan 19-2-2022

As I was at Hamilton airport last Saturday, I went around to the old Pacific Aerospace area to see what was there:

Nothing was outside but an aircraft poked its nose out from the hangar.  Aha I thought, another E 350 Expedition, but alas my aircraft identifying capabilities had let me down.  It fact it was the Cessna 206 ZK-DEE2.  

However, that got me thinking of things E 350 and I looked back on the blog as I knew I had posted some photos of the two examples that Pacific Aerospace had built at Hamilton:  ZK-EXP2 (see HERE) and ZK-EPP (see HERE).  After looking at those posts I realised that no one had posted a photo of ZK-EXP2 fully painted so I went looking:

And I "found" a couple of photos on the old Pacific Aerospace website.

ZK-EXP2 at Raglan on a lovely day, showing the whole width of the airfield.

Then later on, because we were staying at Ngahinapouri, we went for a meal at Raglan where I took this photo of the now fenced off narrower airstrip with orange cones across the runway and a protest encampment.  How things have changed.

Mustang 15 at Christchurch.

 The sound of a Merlin engine over the Christchurch City has been drawing peoples eye to the sky for the last two days as the North American P51D Mustang ZK-TAF has carried out several passes and is expected to do so for the next three or four days.

Nice.

Air Tractor AT-502B ZK-MAE at Hamilton 19-2-2022

I travelled across to Hamilton airport last Saturday from Ngahinapouri where we were staying.  It was a short drive.  There wasn't much action but I did manage to photo Super Air's Air Tractor AT-502B ZK-MAE which was configured as a sprayer:

This Air Tractor was manufactured as N3258P with Air Tractor of Olney, Texas and became VH-FZQ with Field Air (Holdings) Ltd of Ballarat in Victoria on 4/8/17.  It flew across the Tasman from Ballarat to Hamilton via Lord Howe Island on 26 and 27/3/18 and became ZK-MAE on 15/5/18.

Super Air's first Air Tractor was ZK-MAA which was ex MacKenzie Aviation in the South Island (hence the registration I assume).  But I have no idea why ZK-MAE was registered as such, and now why all the Super Air Air Tractors are registered ZK-SX..  Does anyone know?

Cessna 180 ZK-BFT, ZK-CZW, ZK-BFT, ZK-FDP, ZK-BFT.

 The eighteenth Cessna 180 to hit our register was allocated the US registration of N3163C and the Cessna test registration of N11B before becoming ZK-BFT, with the constructor number of 30961, to the NZ Cessna agents Rural Aviation Ltd at New Plymouth on 05-07-1954. 
With the hopper fitted its first flight in NZ was on 01-09-1954 and it went out on agricultural duties. 

The first three photos are by Neville Drake and were taken at Paraparaumu on 08-09-1954, a week after its first flight.

The photo below was taken at Taieri on 30-10-1954 - also by Neville Drake.

Note the under wing attachment points now fitted for supply dropping.

Is it just my imagination or is the hopper outlet box deeper than in the above pics ?

It was damaged by a runaway loader at Te Kupi sometime in 1955 I believe.

Ownership passed to Southern Scenic Air Services Ltd at Queenstown Ltd on 02-09-1957.

We have an undated photo below of it with Southern Scenic from Dennis Kelly.

It was damaged in an incident in Harrison Cove, Milford Sound on 13-02-1963 during the search for the missing De Havilland DH90 ZK-AFB. Its registration was cancelled soon after. 

The damaged aircraft ended up with Rex Aviation Ltd at Momona who rebuild it and had it flying again on 09-07-1969 and re-registered as ZK-CZW with the amended c/n of 30961R.
The following day it was listed to Aviation Contracts Ltd of Invercargill and then to Skeggs Fisheries Ltd of Dunedin on 04-09-1969.

It is seen above at Invercargill on 26-07-1969.

Unfortunately it had a short life because on 22-12-1969 it was damaged on Ruggedy Beach, Stewart Island when it was struck by a wave

It registration was cancelled on 23-01-1970.

The remains went into storage and were noted in the hands of J M and B N Coulter of Auckland in November 1982.

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Now we need to look at the Cessna 182 ZK-BRI.

This airframe was c/n 33690 and was listed to the Cessna Aircraft Company as N5690B and was imported via Rural Aviation Ltd and registered here on 27-09-1956 with its CofA being issued on 01-11-1956.It was registered to Tauranga Air Service Ltd from 28-03-1957 and joined Bay of Plenty Airways Ltd on 10-03-1959.
 Photo above at Tauranga by Des White.

And below in Bay Of Plenty Airways colour scheme from Don Noble.

Following BoP Airways collapse it went to James Aviation (Rotorua) Ltd at Rotorua from 26-10-1962 and then transferred to the Rotorua Aero Club on 30-08-1965 but was quickly sold on to the Tawanui Estate Ltd of Cambridge in November 1965 and transferred to Brian Oliver of Cambridge from 10-11-1971.

From 22 March 1977 it went on the 'for sale' line with Dennis Thompson International Ltd at Ardmore.Above ZK-BRI at Paraparaumu in June of 1977.

 Evidently it was sold to David Culham (Culham Engineering) of Whangarei.  

Alas before registration transfer the aircraft was badly damaged during a hand start on a strip at Waipaipai, north east of Whangarei on 12-02-1979.  

The aircraft was then sold 'as is' to L W Sutherland of Pukekohe, later of Levin. 
Its registration being cancelled on 12-02-1991 as pending rebuild.

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Now back to ZK-CZW.  

As mentioned above - Bruce Coulter of Auckland was listed with the remains in November 1982.

If I recall correctly Bruce was a founding shareholder in Gulf Aeronautics and that after the completion of the Hawker Sea Fury ZK-SFR certification they took on the rebuild of ZK-BFT/ZK-CZW as started by Bruce Coulter.

This was rebuilt from the Manufacturers Plate up using parts of the original ZK-CZW/ZK-BFT and also major parts from the damaged Cessna 182 ZK-BRI 

About this time Jim Pavitt took ownership of Gulf Aeronautics with Bruce going to Airwork and the Cessna 180 rebuild was dusted off and the wings rebuilt using a lot of new material from a huge stack of Cessna 180, 185 and 188 stock acquired from Motor Holdings (I think). 
Many of the part numbers being the same across all three models.

Also having a significant input on the rebuild was Wal Denholm and James Ross with Bruce Cooke working on painting preparation and final assembly.  .  

The rebuild was returned to the register on 10-06-1991 - listed with Academy Aviation Ltd (Another of Jim Pavitt's Companies) of Auckland as ZK-CZW. 
A float kit was also installed during the rebuild.

About this time the CAA were tidying up their paperwork on the rebuilt aircraft c/n plates with the  "R" prefix or suffix indicating rebuilds - many of which had been given a new registration after their rebuild.  Many of these aircraft were reverted back to the original allocated registration.

Because it was rebuilt around the original manufacturers plate of ZK-BFT this rebuild was re registered as such on 13-11-1991 with Academy Aviation.

Below a rather poor copy of ZK-BFT taken by Bruce Cooke outside the Gulf Aeronautics hangar at Ardmore.
 Date unknown, but early 1990's.

In August of 2000 ownership passed to Meringa Farms Ltd out of Taumarunui whom re registered it as ZK-FDP2 (the initials of its new owner) the same day.

Noted at Taupo 13-04-2002 wearing "Precious" on it fin.

It was damaged on a farm strip near Taumarunui on 24-01-2016 and its registration was cancelled on 28-04-2016.

Following repairs at New Plymouth (or was it at Norfolk Road ?) it was again re registered back to its original ZK-BFT with a change of paint scheme dated 14-06-2016 back to its 1954 colours with small registration letters across its fin and rudder.
It also has the small 'Capt Frank' on the pilots door. (presumably for Frank Pullen of Meringa Farms)

It is seen below at Norfolk Road on in February 2017

Above as seen at Rangiora on 19-12-2021.

Forest Field Airfield for sale.

Forest Field Airfield is for sale.

Click in the link below for more details and photos.

 https://www.bayleys.co.nz/5517531

Te Kowhai Today 20-2-2022

 A quick stop at Te Kowhai this morning saw a couple of sport aircraft out:

It is always nice to see a Jodel.  D 11 ZK-DFM has recently been bought by Corey Belfield of Morrinsville.

And the early model Savannah ZK-WTR of James Matthews took off and headed North for home (at Whangarei?)