Helicopters in the Rangitikei

A visit to the Rangitikei Helicopters' main base near Rewa today found 3 of their fleet on hand comprising Bell 206B ZK-IDG which was imported from the US in 2012 and acquired by the company in 2015.

One of two MD500Ns owned is ZK-ITX which was imported from the US in 2005.

And Robinson R44 ZK-HLY3 which was imported new as ZK-IHB in 2007, becoming HLY in 2013.

 

Cessna 172E ZK-FNT at Waipukurau on 23-1-2022

 Ron Day was at Waipukurau last Sunday and photo'd the Cessna 172E ZK-FNT:

This 172 hasn't changed much at all over the years since it was first registered in April 1987, but it was registered to new owners on the Mahia Peninsula on 5/1/22.

Taupo

Another visit to Taupo Airport today offered up a couple of visitors from Dannevirke being R66 ZK-HCE3 belonging to Outback Helicopters.   This was imported from Australia in 2012 and has been with the company since 2017.

And AS350B-2 ZK-IQG of Heliworx Aotearoa Ltd.   This is still in its former Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters' colours being only acquired by Heliworx this month.     The company has recently expanded its fleet to 3 AS350B-2,  one of others being ZK-HBQ5.

 

A Belated Look at Stratford from Saturday - 22-1-2022

The Stratford Aero Club Sport Flyers held a well timed flyin at Stratford last Saturday 22 January.  The weather was great and a lot of sport aircraft arrived from a wide area.  Here are a selection of aircraft that caught my attention:

Pioneer 300 Ltd of Papakura's  Alpi  Pioneer 300 ZK-DMK2 (c/n 332) reflects the owners initials.  This aircraft was built by Sefton Crandall from a kitset, and as ZK-SCN was based just down the road at Hawera.

Another aircraft reflecting the owners initials is the Zenith Zodiac CH 601 HD ZK-SRP, which now has script on the deep chord wingtips.

Aeroprakt A 22LS Foxbat ZK-LFD was recently purchased by Malcolm Forsyth of Whangaparaoa and has acquired a chequer board black and white rudder.

 

Another Foxbat, attending its first flyin,  was Peter Jackson's new ZK-LAX from Tuakau.  Peter previously had Foxbat ZK-LFD.

And across from Hawkes Bay was the lovely little Staaken Flitzer Z 21 ZK-FTZ.

Flashback to post WW 1 Germany with the Flitzer and the Stratford Sport Flyers Fokker D VII replica ZK-MKE outside the Aero Club clubrooms.

Thanks for the photos HMR.

Hughes 369HS ZK-HGS

ZK-HGS3 is a Hughes 369HS with the construction number of 32-0375HS.

The first two numbers of this c/n tells us that it was manufactured in the third month of year two which translates to March of 1972. the 0375 tells that it is airframe number 375 from the production line, with HS being the Hughes model S.

A quick run down of its known history runs like this :-

N9111F 

                    A J Firchau, Portland Oregon. 1972.
                    W E Campbell,Coos Bay, Oregon. 1975.
                    Roberts Aircraft Inc, Colorado Springs, Colorado. 06-11-1978.

N600RA    

                    Roberts Aircraft Inc, Colorado Springs, Colorado. 05-1979.
                    D R Rogers, Boulder, Colorado. 07-1982.

N902SD

                    D R Rogers, Boulder, Colorado. 08-1982.
                    T S Helicopter Corporation, Sutherlin, Oregon. 09-1984.
                    Western Springs Inc, Rosenberg, Oregon. 06-1986.
                    S W Jordan, Bedford, Texas. 10-1986.
                    US registration cancelled 27-07-1987.

ZS-HSN

                    Executive Helicopters, Lanseria, South Africa. 24-11-1987.
                    Bell Air Charter Pty Ltd, Empangeni.  1988
                    South African registration cancelled 18-6-1999.

ZK-HGS3        

                    Rotor Flite NZ Ltd, Auckland. 21-06-1999.
                    Rick Lucas Helicopters Ltd, Palmerston North. 14-11-2000.
                    Heli Sika Ltd, Taupo. 12-12-2000.
                    Salt Air Ltd, Paihia. 28-01-2001.
                    South-West Helicopters Ltd, Te Anau. 13-12-2001.
                    Heavy Jet Ltd, Auckland 20-05-2002.
                    Tararua Helicopters Ltd, Pahiatua. 02-04-2003. 
                    Wairarapa Helicopters Ltd, Masterton. 13-02-2004.
                    Heavy Jet Ltd, Auckland 01-09-2005.
                    Heli-Ag Helicopters Ltd, Nep Plymouth. 10-04-2007.
                    Farm Spray Helicopter Services Ltd, Feilding. 29-06-2007.
                    Wanganui Aero Work (2004) Ltd, Wanganui 06-09-2007.
                               Partial engine fail 18-11-2008.Safe landing near Taumaranui.
                    The Reliance Group Ltd, Auckland 06-07-2010.
                    Central Helicopters Ltd, Opotiki. 20-04-2011.
                    Heavy Jet Ltd, Howick. 07-10-2012.
                    Central Helicopters Ltd, Opotiki. 01-12-2013.
                    Central Helicopters (2014) Ltd, Opotiki. 17-03-2014.
                    Campbell Copters Ltd, Kerikeri.  09-2014.
                    Opotiki Helicopters NZ Ltd, Opotiki. 16-12-2015.
                    Rotor Work Ltd, Te Kuiti. 30-07-2018.

ZK-HGS at Queenstown 09-12-2002 from Dave Paull 

ZK-HGS at Ardmore 17-08-2010 from MRC Aviation.

ZK-HGS at Tauranga from Richard Currie in June of 2021.

ZK-HGS at Kerikeri 07-10-2014 by Jean210.

Some more images can be viewed with a GOOGLE search for ZK-HGS.

Pauanui

The last few days have seen an interesting collection of aircraft visit Pauanui airfield including down from Ardmore the former Glenorchy Air GA8 ZK-ZEA which was sold to Miplane Ltd of Auckland in September 2021.   It was originally imported in 2019 from Australia for Glenorchy Air, who curremtly have another GA8 for sale via Dennis Thompson International, ZK-JRR2.

Making a brief visit up from Whanganui was the Stoddard-Hamilton SH2 Glasair  TD ZK-JDL which has been with its same owner since being registered back in 1990.

Across from Matamata with the Just Highlander ZK-JUS, was Sonex ZK-VWS which was registered to a Putaruru owner in 2019 after importation from Australia.

And lifting off to return to its Taupo base was the 1961 model Cessna 185 ZK-CAN.   It has been with its current owner since 2006 and was recently refurbished in a smart new scheme.

 

A couple of rotary types

Noted at Taupo this week was Bell 206B ZK-HFS5 which was imported from Japan early 2020. It is registered to Cambridge based Eltec Forestry NZ Ltd who also operate AS350B2 ZK-ILP.

And at Tauranga the Magni M24 Orion ZK-JKM showing its owner Nutech's web address.  This was originally imported as ZK-MWR in 2010 becoming JKM in May 2021.

 

Cessna 180A ZK-CDY

Cessna 180A ZK-CDY is another aircraft that is carrying the Whitiki Ngati Porou script with a photo montage of C Company of the Maori Battalion on the tail, to assist with Covid vaccination programme on the East Coast.  We have already posted about C 208 ZK-EAV and Cessna P206E ZK-FJH with similar markings.  ZK-CDY is photo'd below at Tauranga by Mark Pattenden on 5/1/22:

Blue Bus has posted a very thorough history of this aircraft on the blog and the link is HERE

Thanks for the photo Mark - does anyone have photos of others of the 6 similarly marked aircraft?

Mechanics Bay

 A visit to a busy Mechanics Bay "Helicopter Me" heliport today revealed their latest fleet addition being Bell 427 ZK-HHI4 which was acquired in December 2021.    Originally imported from Australia in 2019 it was operated by Adventure Helicopters in Tauranga as ZK-IIG until its recent sale to EagleFlight Technics, the Helicopter Me owner.

GA at Whenuapai

 Today, I was able to visit the home of the Aviation Sports Club at RNZAF Base Auckland for the first time in over a year.

The Power Section aircraft were lined up in their hangar as follows, left to right:

Cessna 172M Skyhawk II ZK-DXQ. After an earlier life with the Bay of Islands Aero Club this has called Whenuapai home since 2005

PA38 Tomahawk ZK-MBZ arrived in NZ in 2008. Initially based at Whangarei, has been on-line here since 2010.

Socata TB 10 Tobago ZK-JIE came in from Australia in 2003 and after three years at Paraparaumu moved north in 2006.

PA38 Tomahawk ZK-TWR operated for some years in USA and Canada before arriving in Whangarei in 1999. Also moved down to Whenuapai in 2010.

PA38 Tomahawk ZK-LAD came to NZ as ZK-EZG in 1983. Spent some time at Whenuapai 1984-2010. Registration changed to ZK-LAD while it was with the Auckland Aero Club in 2012. Was briefly with the RNZAF Base Ohakea Aviation Sports Club in 2014 before arriving back at Whenuapai later that same year. Not currently on-line with the club, but owned by their maintenance provider.

Cessna 152 II ZK-BUD/2. Started life as ZK-EOY in 1979. Operated as such by both the Ardmore-based Airline Flying Club and North Shore Aero Club, who re-registered it as ZK-NSG/2 in 1998. Moved through a couple of private owners and became ZK-BUD/2 in 2009  when it went on-line at Whenuapai. Leased to the Airline Flying Club again from 2018 but now back at Whenuapai.

Cessna 172N Skyhawk ZK-JCI, which flew for some yeas in the USA and Australia before arriving in NZ in November 1992. Leased to the Greymouth Aero Club in the late 1990s and eventually revoked by CAA in October 2013. Sold by tender in 2014 and by 2019 had been rebuilt by Avspecs at Ardmore. This is the latest addition to the club's fleet, arriving last month.