Chipmunk ZK-TAZ at Ardmore on Sunday.

 The De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 ZK-TAZ c/n C1-0840 was noted by Errol Cavit arriving at Ardmore on Sunday the 12th..Still in its UK military marks of WP974 it was first registered in New Zealand on 04-09-1997.

Learjet 60 VH-AVL into Christchurch on Sunday.

 Tony McFarlin was on the job again on Sunday the 12th and captured the arrival of the Avcair Pty Learjet 60 VH-AVL4 c/n 60-286 from Brisbane.

It later departed for Adelaide and Perth.

I believe this has previously operated as N262DB, G-LGAR, N875CA and N755CA.

Kawasaki BK117B-2 ZK-HJK 2

Noted this morning outside the GCH Aviation base at Christchurch Airport was the Helicopters Otago BK117B-2 ZK-HJK2 which has now been repainted black to match the majority of their other BK117s.  It was originally imported from Japan back in 1998.

 

The Late Sir Tim Wallis's Spitfires

While putting together a tribute post to Sir Tim Wallis I discovered that we had not covered his Spitfires on the blog, so with assistance from several people here are the histories of  his Mk XVI and Mk XIV:

Vickers Supermarine 361 Spitfire MkXVI (c/n CBAF 10895) serial TB863 coded FU-P

It was taken on charge as TB863 with the Royal Air Force on 27-02-1945, to 433 Squadron 04-1945.  Saw 6 weeks of wartime service with the RAF flying 12 missions.

Engine fail on take-off 17-07-1951 Undercarriage retracted for forced landing to prevent overturn.  Struck off charge from the RAF.

It then went to MGM Pinewood Film Studio as a film prop for the film "Reach for the Sky"..

It was registered G-CDAN to J Parks and W Francis at Booker on 30-11-1982.

First engine run 06-07-1988 at Duxford.  First Flight after restoration 14-09-1988.

It then went to Patina Ltd, Jersey, Channel Islands on 23-09-1988.

Cancelled from the UK register on 16-01-1989.

Shipped to NZ 13-10-1988.

Registered ZK-XVI to the Alpine Deer Group Ltd of Wanaka on 17-01-1989.  It was painted in the exact livery it wore with 453 Squadron RAF on its first sortie across the English Channel in May 1945 as TB863 with the codes FU-P.

First flight in NZ at Wanaka 25-01-1989 

Damaged 29-01-1989 landed short at Waipukarau in an emergency landing.

Rebuilt and flown again on 07-04-1990.

Swung off the runway at Woodbourne, undercarriage collapsed 18-11-1992.

Test flown again on 01-1994.

Cancelled from the NZ Register on 26-05-2006. as Sold Abroad.

It became VH-XVI2 for the Temora Aviation Museum, Temora NSW on 17-07-2006.

First flight in Australia on 07-09-2006.

Now owned by the Commonwealth of Australia represented by the Royal Australian Air Force 100 Squadron, RAAF Base Point Cook, Victoria, still in the same scheme as TB863 FU-P.

Tim Wallis taxies his Spitfire Mk XVI ZK-XVI on arrival at an airshow celebrating 25 years of the Walsh Flying School at Matamata in 1991, and below parked up.

ZK-XIV2 Supermarine 379 Spitfire FR MkXIV (c/n 65-648269) serial NH799

Built At Aldermanston and taken on charge as NH799 with the Royal Air Force/ 03/1945.

9MU Cosford 16-03-1945. To 215 MU. To India with the RAF 02-07-1945.  To Air Command South East Asia 09-08-1945 with 132 Squadron.

To 9 Squadron Royal Indian Air Force 05-1946.  Written off after engine cylinder blew during ground run at Bhopul 27-02-1947.  To Indian Air Force 12-1947, saw combat with the IAF against Pakistan in 1948.

Recovered from India by Doug Arnold and shipped to UK in 1981.

To The Fighter Collection (Stephen Grey), Duxford.  Stored from 1981 to 1985, then under restoration from 1986 to 1993.

Registered G-BUZU to Patina Ltd, Duxford 01-7-1993.

To Historic Flying Ltd, Audley End for completion of restoration.  Test flown 21-01-1994.

Shipped to NZ 14-02-1994. UK registration cancelled 04-03-1994.

Registered ZK-XIV2 to Alpine Deer Group Ltd, Wanaka on 28-03-1994 as NH799 coded AP-V.

Crashed on take off Wanaka 02-01-1996.

Remains to Aeromotive Ltd, Brian Hare and Paul Page.  Rebuild commenced by Avspecs at Rotorua.

To Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd, Hamilton 17-06-1996.

To Aviation Trading Co Ltd, Cambridge 01-06-1999.

To Avspecs Ltd, Auckland 03-07-2007.

To Provenance Fighters Inc. 2007.

To Murray Miers The Chariots of Fire Collection, Omaka 2009

First flight after 02-01-1996 crash on 02-04-2015 at Ardmore as NH799  coded T in Air Command South East Asia colours.

Attended Classic Fighters airshow at Omaka 04-2015.  Arrived in dramatic fashion at dusk.

Delivered to Omaka 08-06-2015. Registered to The Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection Ltd, Blenheim 16-06-2015.  You can see a photo of the restored ZK-XIV2 serial NH799 coded T HERE

Two images of Tim Wallis's Spitfire Mk XIV ZK-XIV2 taken at Wanaka over Easter 1994.  The pilot would have been Mark Hanna.

Sadly this was the Spitfire that Sir Tim Wallis crashed on take off at Wanaka on 2/1/96, being very badly injured.  It was suspected that he was caught out by the RR Griffon engine turning in the opposite direction to that of his Mk XVI Spitfire's RR Merlin engine which required the opposite rudder input on take off

Remembrance Day Flyover at Warkworth 11-11-2023

Yesterday was Remembrance Day which also celebrates the anniversary of Armistice Day from WW 1 (the 11th day of the 11th month).  There was a parade down the main street of Warkworth and three Tiger Moths provided a flypast (followed by a Skywork Helicopters Squirrel):

The Tigers were ZK-CCQ in the middle, flown by Jim Schmidt, ZK-ASM on the left of the photo, flown by Bruce Lynch, and Martin Farrand on the right in ZK-ATM2.  And they each carried a lucky passenger (not me).

And here are the three of them on the ground at Kaipara Flats.

However later on I did score a flight in ZK-ATM2 with Martin Farrand, here looking down on the airfield on our overhead rejoin.  Thanks very much Martin.

 

The Biggin Hill Trust's P 51D Mustang Has Flown! 11-11-2023

The Biggin Hill Trust's magnificently restored P 51D Mustang NZ2423 (ZK-BHT2) made its first flight in more than 66 years today, flown by Squadron Leader Sean Perrett from RNZAF Base Ohakea.  This of course is the ex John Smith Mustang, and it was very appropriate that the first flight should be on Remembrance Day.

The photos are screenshots from The Biggin Hill Trust's Facebook page - thanks very much to Brendon Deere for taking us all along with you on this journey.

West Coast Helicopters

Travelling up the West Coast there was plenty of helicopter activity this week starting with the Fox Franz Heliservices base at Haast where the resident Hughes 369D ZK-HVT2 was busy with flights into the mountains.   This was acquired from Papua New Guinea in 2000.

At a base on HWY6 south of Fox Glacier was another Fox Franz Heliservices Hughes 369D,  this time ZK-HDZ2 which was also acquired from Papua New Guinea, but back in 1990.

Just north of Franz Josef the Glacier Country Helicopters fleet of 2 AS350B  (ZK-HFH5 and ZK-IDX) were very busy on tourist flights together with their MD520N ZK-IXX.     This was acquired from the USA in 2017.

The company acquired EC120B ZK-HCA4 last month but this has still to be delivered.

And further north of Franz Josef at the Fox Franz Heliservices hangar facilty was their latest AS350B2 ZK-IEA2 acquired in October.    This was imported from the USA in early 2022.

 

Cirrus SR 22 Demonstrator N65GH at Tauranga Today 10-11-2023

A couple of days ago I heard this powerful sounding aircraft flying South past Warkworth and a quick look-see on Flightradar24 showed it to be the Cirrus SR 22T N65GH flying from Kerikeri.  It turns out that it is a demonstrator on a New Zealand tour, and today it was demonstrated at Tauranga.

Mark Pattenden was there to take this nice photo of it.  Thanks Mark.

Tiger in the North

Following on from Richard Currie photographing the Tiger Moth ZK-CCH at Wanaka, I was at Kaipara Flats yesterday when Martin Farrand relocated the ATM Syndicate's Tiger Moth ZK-ATM2 back from Whitianga:

That makes three Tigers on the airfield.

 

More from Wanaka November 9

A return trip to Wanaka Airport this afternoon was rewarded with a couple of v interesting aircraft starting with the DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-CCH which was acquired by a Cromwell owner in September 2023 but is hangared at Wanaka.   Originally built for the RNZAF as NZ1430 it became ZK-BLN in August 1955 and was cancelled as withdrawn from use in July 1960.  It was later rebuilt and registered as CCH in October 1962, carrying the name "Song of the South" on its cowl.

Completed at Wanaka in 2021 is the R&R Bearhawk ZK-BGB2