Yak 52 ZK-RUS/2 at Kaipara Flats

Yesterday at Kaipara Flats airfield it was a bit too windy for the microlights but not for Brett Hempell's "new" Yak 52 ZK-RUS2 which flew up from North Shore to do a modern version of a compass swing on the grass.

This Yak was originally built in 1989 in Romania with the Russian registration RA-02956, moved onto the UK briefly in March 2005 as G-CBPX before settling in South Africa in October 2005 as ZU-RUS.  It was imported into NZ in early 2024.

After a coffee Brett and Christoph climbed aboard for the start procedure.

The Yak is called "Russian Thunder".

Then it was back to North Shore.  A very colourful aircraft!

What Goes Up Must Come Down

A couple of days ago I posted about the Airscapade DC 3 ZK-JGB flying past Warkworth up to Kerikeri.

Well today it flew back down South past Warkworth again.  This time I heard it coming and it was again quite low, so I had time to get my camera and take a photo of it.  very nice to have a DC 3 fly over.

Look out for it at points further South.

Tecnam P2002 Sierra RG ZK-TZS in New Colours.

Tecnam Sierra RG ZK-TZS is the ex John Crone machine that was sold to Gilson Silviero of Queenstown on 18/2/24.  He has given it a major birthday with a refurbished cockpit and the latest factory Tecnam P2002 colour scheme (although it is not a Mk II):

Gilson Silviero posted this photo of ZK-TZS on Facebook and it looks very smart.

And a reminder of how it used to look, parked under the late lamented Raglan trees on a lunch stop in February 2020.

Silverer Shadow ZK-STK

Noted at Taieri on Tuesday the 12th was the Zenair CH701 STOL ZK-STK2 c/n 7-9507 which has been listed with Thomas Hoefner of Green Island., Dunedin since importation from Germany in 2012.

It has a small cargo pod beneath and is also fitted with a ballistic parachute.

An earlier post on this aircraft can be seen here HERE.

A Look Back at Beaver ZK-BMF

Back in July I posted the history of Beaver ZK-BMF as part of my series on topdressing Beavers in New Zealand.  In that post I posted a black and white photo of ZK-BMF as a Hawker Siddeley demonstration aircraft which I said was painted with a blue fuselage stripe with a dark blue lower fuselage.  This was corrected in a comment where Anonymous advised that the lower fuselage was painted maroon.

To confirm this, Murray Kirkus has sent in a colour photo of ZK-BMF taken at Rongotai in October or November 1959.  Thanks very much for the photo Murray.

I have gone back to my original post and corrected it and inserted this photo.

DC 3 ZK-JGB Heading North

I just saw the Airscapade DC 3 ZK-JGB flying quite low North over Warkworth.  I wonder what that is about?

Armistice Day Remembrance 2024

Armistice Day  marked the end of World War 1 back on 11th of November 1918.  Given the rich New Zealand history in WW 1 including the recent rise of the WW 1 original and replica aircraft here, it is appropriate to mark the 106th anniversary:

One of the Allied types that was in service at the end of WW 1 was the Sopwith Snipe.  This accurate replica of an early model of Snipe was built by The Vintage Aviator for Kermit Weeks and was registered as ZK-SBT back on 8/8/11.  It is powered by an original Bentley rotary engine.  It is now in Kermit Weeks collection in Florida as N6313S.

Pietenpol Air Camper ZK-BZY

I was talking to Paul Waterhouse yesterday and telling him about the blog.  Try searching for ZK-BZY I told him so he did and came back with "it's not there!"  Dang!  So I asked Paul for a nice pic of it and here it is:

Paul made a really nice job of his Pietenpol ZK-BZY2 (c/n PCW001) which he registered on 13/12/21.  Unfortunately Paul suffered a whoopsie on landing and overturned on John Hansen's strip near Te Awamutu on 26/3/22 but he is rebuilding the aircraft with learnings from the whoopsie, and he told me it is nearly ready to fly again.

Paul's Pietenpol should really be the first ZK-BZY I reckon but there is an interesting story about the first issue of ZK-BZY.  That was an Enzeduce 1 which was a man powered aircraft that was designed by B Little and F Lindsey of Auckland and the registration ZK-BZY was allotted on 20/3/61.  But building was never commenced and it was cancelled on 3/10/69 as Construction Abandoned.

Thanks very much for the photo Paul.  Welcome aboard.

Two new Tecnams at Oamaru.

A quick drop into the New Zealand Airline Academy at Oamaru Airport found their two latest Tecnam P2008 JC's in Action.

Above is ZK-NYF which is c/n 1330.

Below is ZK-NYG with c/n 1331.This brings the Academy's fleet up to18 aircraft.

Acro Sport ZK-YKS at Ashburton.

 Hartz Super (EAA) Acro Sport N19ED     Update

 The EAA Acro Sport N19ED c/n 18 was built by Edwin H Hartz of Green Valley, Arizona and registered as a Hartz Super Acro Sport on 17-07-1978 and gained its Airworthiness certificate on 27-05-1980.

Ed was very active in aerobatic competitions in the early years with the aircraft.

He moved to New Zealand, and I believe had a farm in the Te Anau area, where he built a hangar and airstrip for this aircraft. A change of address to Te Anau was listed on 15-07-2017.

 I don't believe he flew it all that much in NZ.

N19ED above in its hangar at Te Anau about mid 2021.

Ed's other and perhaps more active hobby was as an amateur (ham) radio operator, gaining his ticket in 1961 - I think as K8VIR. 
He continued this hobby mainly as ZL41R up until his passing in March of 2021. He was also an avid fly fisherman.
The aircraft was reported as sold on 30-09-2022 and was cancelled from the US register on 02-12-2022 and is now in the hands of Kevin Langford at Ashburton for its NZ certification for a 'Private Owner'.

The photo below was taken at Ashburton by roving reported CMM on 22-07-2023.

It was registered as ZK-YKS on 20-10-2023.

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Below.

I caught up ZK-YKS at Ashburton on Sunday the 3rd whilst it was having a compass swing.

Now proudly displaying its NZ 'YKS' markings and still carrying its old US markings of N19ED on its rudder minus the national letter 'N'.

It also has the US flag on the rear fuselage and 'Snoopy' on both sides of the upper rudder.

NICE.