I remember when - French Invasion.

A group of French and one single Swiss registered aircraft toured NZ in December of 1979
Here is a selection of pics of them at Oamaru on 04-12-1979.
Above is Piper PA24 Comanche F-BKBM c/n 1539.

Above is the Gardan GY-80-160 F-OCHO c/n 179.(We used to refer to these as the Sud soap machines - from Sud Aviation)

Piper PA32-260 Cherokee Six F-OCQS c/n 375

F-OCQY is an Avions Pierre Robin DR400-180. C/n was 902.

Above is the Piper PA28-236 Dakota F-OCXY c/n 7911125.
Below is the Piper PA32-300 Cherokee Six F-OCXZ c/n 7940087.

Also included in this collection of visitors was the Robin DR400-180 F-ODAN c/n 1043. This is more familiar to us as ZK-TZB2 which arrived back in NZ on 18-11-2003 and  is currently listed with D & C Fletcher of Wellsford.

See  http://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2011/03/robins-zk-tza-and-f-odan.html   for a period photo of F-ODAN.

Also; do not overlook the Swiss registered Jodel DR1051 Sicile HB-EBX c/n 350 that toured with this group. It had flown into Auckland on 29-01-1979 and remained to became ZK-JOD. It is currently with John Byers of Christchurch.

Run 61

The following blurb is from this mornings Christchurch Press.

"Part three of the investigation of faults under the Canterbury Plains is under way, with a modified helicopter measuring magnetic fields in the crust around Christchurch.

GNS Science showed off the helicopter and its "stinger" probe containing magnetic-sensing equipment in Rangiora yesterday morning.

Aeromagnetic surveys show geophysicists the location of hidden faults and folds. As different rocks have different magnetic properties, an aerial survey provides a picture of the geology of the underlying rock structures that will help scientists understand more about the September 4 and February 22 earthquakes.

The helicopter will fly north-south survey lines - about 400 metres apart - from Kirwee in the west to Lyttelton in the east, and from Lincoln in the south to Rangiora in the north. Cross- lines will also be flown with a four-kilometre spacing.

GNS Science senior research scientist Bryan Davy said the survey began yesterday. It was expected to take about a week."

THE PRESS.

Below are two long lens shots of ZK-HDN passing over Christchurch Airport during run number 61 this afternoon (19-05-2011). 

McDonnell Douglas 500N ZK-HDN3 c/n LN080 has been with Central South Island Helicopters Ltd since 19-01-2007.

Piper PA-30 ZK-NTV

5 May 2011 5:35 PM
Anonymous OW said...
Have you got any more pics of ZK-NTV?

At Ardmore 18May2011

Gone Already

Curtiss Wright P40C Tomahawk Mk11b ZK-TWK c/n 14777 which entered our register on 12-04-2001 was cancelled as exported on 16-05-2011.
Photo from the Andy Heap collection. Taken at Omaka on 22-04-2011.

Mooney M20C Mk21 ZK-CPP

 

Mooney M20C Mk21 ZK-CPP , c/n M20C-3266, was registered to the Wellington Aero Club on 25-01-1966 and I beleive it arrived in Auckland on 11-02-1966. Ownership moved over to Tom Coleridge on 27-01-1969 with the aircraft remaining mostly on line with the Club. (Tom - if I remember correctly was the Club president). The above photo was taken at Wellington on 12-06-1969, and the view below was taken about the same time.

Ownership was transferred to Jim M L Dillon of Blenheim on 20-07-1977 and it is seen below outside the old Canterbury Aero Club buildings on 06-04-1988. (Jim currently drives the Aerospool Dynamic ZK-ZOW)

On 21-09-1998 it moved to Rangiora for John McVicar and is seen below in the Pat Scotter hangar on 05-02-2007.

And climbing out from Rangiora on 29-03-2009.

On April 3rd its ownership was changed to Granville C Jones of Gisborne. It replaces Beechcraft V35 Bonanza ZK-DDG c/n D8220 which he has operated since March of 2002 and is now resident at Timaru. Between 1974 and 1984 Granville operated the Mooney M20C ZK-CPF c/n M20C-3240.

The lower two pics were taken at Gisborne on 13-04-2011 and provided by Granville

Mitsubishi On The Move

Search and Rescue Services of Taupo have operated or had in their ownership Mitsubishi MU2B-30 ZK-KOH since its arrival from Australia in 2005.  The aircraft has been plagued with mechanical problems, primarily engine faults, in recent years with it grounded for an extended period at Hokitika during a medical flight and most recently in July 2010 when it had engine problems at Nelson whilst inbound for an interior refurbishment. It has remained at Nelson until today and was observed being loaded onto a flat bed truck for transportation, reportedly bound for Ardmore.


Via Peter Campbell



In happier condition, July 2007 at Ardmore, Mike Condon photo



Evans Volksplanes of New Zealand - VP 1's (3)

The (so far) last batch of VP 1's in New Zealand, in date order, starts with John Shakes' ZK-VPI.

ZK-VPI (c/n AACA 277) was built by John at Carterton and was first registered on 18/8/80. It is shown early on in its life here at Hood Aerodrome being flown by John. John flew it a lot but went on to other aircraft, and it was withdrawn and cancelled on 4/11/99.

However as previously mentioned, old VP 1's have a habit of returning from cancellation and thus so did ZK-VPI when it was re-registered on 19/1/05 as a Class 1 microlight to Vernon and Ann Eade of Cheviot. It is shown here, still flying, at the 2009 Sport Aircraft Fly-In at Ashburton and it hasn't changed much apart from a bulge in the cowling.

The next VP 1 to come along was ZK-RWR (c/n AACA/252) which was built by Regan Reid at Tauranga and was first registered on 15/8/91. It is shown here at the 1992 AACA fly-in at Tauranga. It was sold to G N Hughes of Tauranga on 12/2/97 and then to the Graham Gilliver,Daly syndicate on Waiheke Island on 10/11/98. They gave it a weight reduction programme and also carried out other mods but it was cancelled on 11/9/00.

And a recent surprise was the registration of our ninth VP 1 as ZK-SYR (c/nAACA/55/122/1) which was registered to Bob Syron of Auckland on 13/1/11. ZK-SYR was built up from the bones of ZK-DGC by Steve Moor at Kaikohe, as mentioned in the first post of this series. Bob had started building a VP 1 himself and also recently purchased VP 1 ZK-DHI ( and then cancelled it), so maybe there is another VP 1 in the offing. Bob has written an article about his various aircraft in the Autumn 2011 edition of Sport Flying magazine.

ZK-SYR features a raised tutledeck and a Corby Starlet canopy. Bob and Steve reckon it is the prettiest looking of New Zealand's Volksplanes and maybe they are right. It is photo'd here at Kaikohe early in 2011. Thanks to Steven Moor for the photos.

Question time # 128 resolved

QW cracks the Question Time again.
It is indeed a RAF 2000 GTX SE.
Not the registration submitted - but I didn't ask for that anyway.
ZK-RCW , c/n H2-97-8-285 was imported by Rob Sanders and listed to Peter Wootton of Reikorangi on 27-08-1997. After three additional owners it was recently purchased by Peter Collins of Rangiora and is seen above at "The Landing Spot" receiving some TLC on 11-05-2011.

Another Blunty!

NZ's second civilian BAC167 Strikemaster was placed on the register 11 May as ZK-VPR with B D Hall of Christchurch.  The aircraft is a MK87 version and ex Royal Saudi Air Force which has been flying in the UK for a number of years as G-VPER. 

Has it reached NZ soil yet?

http://www.abpic.co.uk/search.php?q=G-VPER&u=reg

Question time # 128

Just a manufacturers name and model would do fine.