Spitfire Mk26 Replica ZK-EFY

The Supermarine Aircraft Spitfire Mk26 Replica ZK-EFY2 c/n PFA324-14102 of Gary Cotterrell was captured airborne over inland Canterbury on Friday the 9th.

ZK-EFY has been mentioned several times previously HERE

Photos supplied by Anon.

Dawn Aerospace to Go Supersonic

Dawn Aerospace has been given permission by CAA to fly their Aurora Mk II rocket powered sub orbital aircraft at supersonic speeds in New Zealand airspace up to a height of 80.000 feet as in this from their website:

Christchurch, New Zealand – 12th July, 2024 – Dawn Aerospace, proudly announces that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has awarded it a certificate to fly the Mk-II Aurora at unlimited speeds, including supersonic, up to 80,000 feet altitude. This certification permits operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) without the need for restricted airspace.

The Mk-II Aurora is a rocket-powered aircraft, designed to be the first vehicle ever to fly to 100 km altitude, the edge of space, twice in a single day. It is rapidly reusable and low cost, making it well suited for a variety of applications in microgravity, high speed flight research, earth observation, as well as other defence and civil uses.

The Dawn Aurora Mk II has been conducting test flights from Glentanner Airstrip beside Lake Pukaki since April 2023 with their latest flight on 24 July reaching Mach 0.92 and 50,000 feet.  Apparently it is designed to fly faster than a SR 71 and climb faster than an F 15!

Here is a video of a recent flight:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0sJZbVcdRw&t=20s

That's mighty impressive!

Beaver ZK-CKC

Fieldair's ninth Beaver came via the US Army, to whom it was delivered as 54-1714 in February 1956 as a model L 20A.  It was demobilised from the Army and on 20/8/62 it became N74086 with State Airlines of Charlotte, North Carolina.  They operated it for a couple of years and on 27/7/64 its US registration was cancelled and it was exported to New Zealand.

ZK-CKC (c/n 860) was registered to Fieldair Ltd at Gisborne on 29/10/64 and was delivered to them on 31/10/64.  It wore the standard Fieldair blue and white colours as in the above photo which was taken in October 1964.

And here is a colour photo of it at Masterton in 1965.  

On 2/12/68 it was badly damaged in an accident at Tiraumea, East of Eketahuna, after it suffered engine failure, and it was cancelled from the register on 17/12/68.

Indian President visits New Zealand.

 The Indian President Droupadi Murmu arrived in New Zealand for a three day visit.

She flew direct from Delhi to Nadi, Fiji on the 4th in a direct 14 hour flight in the Indian Government Boeing 777-337 (ER) K7067 c/n 36321. She was then flown to Auckland on the 7th.

Today the President was flown from Auckland to Wellington in the Indian Air Force Boeing 737-7HI (BBJ) K5014 c/n 36108.

This had previously flown on the 7th down from Nadi to Auckland.

Spitfire ZK-WDQ Heading Offshore

 A Facebook post from Ultimate Warbird Flights in the UK stated: We are excited to announce that two seat Spitfire MH367 will be joining the Ultimate Warbird Flights fleet in 2025!

They also included this photo of ZK-WDQ/ MH367 being dis-assembled at Ardmore, although it is still registered to Warbird Adventure Flights Ltd of Drury.

Beavers and Beavers #7 ZK-CGX - Update

If the Beaver ZK-CGW was one of our shortest lived then its twin ZK-CGX has gone on to a long life and is still current as a Turbo Beaver in America.  ZK-CGX has been posted before by Dave Paull and you can see this post: HERE  I have updated it with more photos and some more information.

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver  (c/n 1548) was delivered to Wellington on 2/6/64 and first flew and was delivered on 17/9/64 to Fieldair at Gisborne as ZK-CGX becoming their eighth Beaver  It is photo'd above outside the Hawker Siddeley hangar at Rongotai on a maintenance visit.

It was painted in the standard Fieldair blue and white colours.

Later it went through the gamut of the various yellow Fieldair schemes as seen here at Wairoa.

Then it had a swag of owners starting with Rangitikei Air Services Ltd of Taihape on 23/1/76. It was named "Kaimanawa" and carried "Pat Lonergan" and "Jaws" script.  Then it went to Dalhoff & King Aviation Ltd, Ardmore on 15/1/79.

Then it went to Aspiring Air Ltd of Wanaka on 10/4/79.  Here it is at Ardmore still with a hopper, in November 1983.

Then to A M McMillan, Wanaka 18/2/82. but still with Aspiring Air titles as in this Dave Paull photo at Wanaka on 8/1/83 in passenger configuration.  Next it went to Vanair Ltd of Napier on 27/7/83.

Then it went to Owen Harnish of Ardmore in October 1983, then to Pakuranga Motors Ltd of Pakuranga in Auckland on 19/3/84 who traded as Aquatic & Vintage Airways, then to Aquatic & Vintage Airways Ltd of Whitford on 07/6/95 and finally back to Owen C E Harnish, of Auckland on 1/2/99.  Owen Harnish was also invloved with Salt Air Ltd of Paihia and here is ZK-CGX with Salt Air titles and Eager Beaver tail artwork..

And here it is again at Ardmore in June 1988.  

Then finally it was registered to Frank R & M K Wright, Mt Maunganui on 26/11/99. and Its NZ registration was cancelled on 07-04-2000 as sold abroad.

It re-appeared as C-FPSM in Canada in 2000, on floats for Viking Air of British Columbia.

It returned to Viking Air who converted it to a PT 6 powered Turbo Beaver in 2006 and it first flew as such on 14/7/06 (photo from Jetphotos).  Viking Air is the type certificate holder for the DHC 2 Beaver and is the exclusive supplier of parts for the Beaver. 

On 22/3/19 it was cancelled from the Canadian register and appeared on the US register on 4/4/19 as N3247B for Seher Asset Management LLC of Grig Harbour in Washington State and on 9/11/21 ownership transferred to Slowflight LLC of Wilmington, Delaware with whom it is still current.

Cabri ZK-IJK/3 at Kaipara Flats Yesterday 6-8-2024

This very tidy Guimbal Cabri G2 popped in and hovered briefly at NZKF yesterday afternoon:

ZK-IJK3 (c/n 1334) was registered to Thirty Eight JK Aviation Ltd of Auckland on 24/8/23.  Note the referendum NZ flag on the tail (click twice to enlarge)

Thanks for the photo Neil (as I had left my camera at home).

Beaver ZK-CGW

Fieldair's seventh and eighth Beavers were twins, being consecutive airframes off the production line at Downsview, Ontario and receiving consecutive registrations ZK-CGW and ZK-CGX.  And they were to be flown by twins Colin and Clive Thorne at Masterton.

ZK-CGW (c/n 1547) was imported by Hawker Siddeley Ltd at Wellington and first flew in New Zealand on 21/8/64.  It was delivered to Fieldair Ltd with ownership changing to Fieldair on 2/11/64.  The above photo would have been taken at Wellington in late 1964 when it was brand new.

And here it is at Masterton in 1965.  On 8/2/66 it crashed on takeoff at Mauriceville in the Wairarapa  when its tailwheel collapsed, seriously injuring pilot Colin Thorne.  It was cancelled on 9/3/66 which makes it one of our shortest lived Beavers.

Seven different Cessna types.

 Seven different Cessna types lined up at Te Kuiti yesterday.

Left to right we have a Cessna 172, 150, 180, 170, 182, 185 and a 195.

Thanks to George for the photo.

And more from Oshkosh

 By request from viewers I offer another batch of Lord Nelson's photos from Oshkosh.The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service operate this Quest Kodiak 100 Amphibian N708 out of Boise, Idaho.

N77TC is an Aviat Aircraft A-1C-200 Husky and carries a Hartzell Propeller promotion. It is listed with the Aviat Aircraft Inc of Afton, Wyoming.

Someone I know has a liking for Cessna 190/195's

Here are two more.

Above is the Canadian registered Cessna 190 CF-ISR3 which is listed to Brenda and Chesley Eggen of Langley British Columbia.

Below we have the Cessna 195 N195JP of David Jacobs from St Georges, Delaware.

The Cessna 190 is normally powered with a 240hp Continental W670.

The Cessna 195 normally has the 300hp Jacobs R755 engine.