Microlight Aircraft of New Zealand - Mirages (4) - ZK-FDA to ZK-FHN Registered Mirages

Well, after Warbirds Over Wanaka,it is time to get back to our Mirages and their histories:

ZK-FDA

ZK-FDD

ZK-FDF

ZK-FDH

ZK-FDJ

ZK-FDR

ZK-FDS

ZK-FEQ

ZK-FFD

ZK-FHN

You can see from the above that we are missing photos of quite a lot of the Mirages.  I guess it is a long shot but can any of our blog readers supply photos of any of the missing ones?  If you can, email them to me at keith.morrisKMM@gmail.com and I will happily add them.

Question time resolved. The GAMA GOAT.

 We are looking at an M561 Gama Goat 6x6 as designed by Chance-Vought Aircraft.

This particular example is on display in the Geraldine Military Museum.

This is well worth a visit.

Chauncey Vought died back in 1930 but his name lives on with the Chance-Vought F4U Corsair.

SEE HERE for more on Chancey Vought's life.

For a more in depth look at the Gama Goat see  Here

Also more info on Google.

Comment:

Mark de Garnham22 April 2026 at 23:22

M 561 Gama Goat 6x6 Cargo Vehicle, Used in the US Army in Vietnam. Served in Germany after the Vietnam war. Is in the Geraldine Military Museum. Very nice place to visit.

Spot on Mark.

Warbirds Over Wanaka Catchup - 5

 One of the delights of air shows is catching a view of formation flying by elderly aeroplanes.

In this case, we have a gaggle of de Havillands (is that the correct group noun?)
Five Tigers, a Fox Moth and a Chipmunk.

The indvidual aircraft are:

 

A couple of Rangiora locals out to play.

An absolutely fabulous day at Rangiora.
These two interesting locals came out to play.

Mike Scotter's impressive Cessna U206F Stationair ZK-DXC c/n U20602986 has been on these amphibious floats since late 2019.

Below on lift off on a local flight.

The slightly different Avid Flyer Mark IV ZK-JDF c/n 1459D was out getting some dust blown off.

If you look carefully you will see the nose wheel.

Warbirds Over Wanaka Catchup - 4

 I have to admit to a real fascination with Luigi Pellarini's aircraft designs. They are so obviously the product of a really original thinking mind.
Thus I was delighted to watch the display given by the PL-12 Airtruk ZK-DMZ at the Show.

This aircraft flew with three different operators before being grounded after an accident in 1997.
After years on display at the Asburtin Aviation Museum Don Hart got it airworthy again, with its post-restoration flight taking place in December last year.

Like the bumble bee, it shouldn't fly, but it dooes and is wonderful to watch.

A Wellington Arrival!

 

Tim Gorman captured the "arrival" of Air New Zealand's Bombadier Dash 8 ZK-NEP at Wellington last Thursday, on 16/4/26.  There was quite a strong cross wind!  I happened to also be flying into Wellington on Thursday on an Airbus A 320 and we had to abort our first attempt at landing and go around (which was flown quite tightly with great views over the city and Southern coastline).

Update on the ex Sir Tim Wallis Hurricane

I was recently reading the December 2025 edition of the magazine Aeroplane when my attention was drawn to a WW2  aircraft with New Zealand connections.  This was the ex Tim Wallis Hurricane 1 that was registered ZK-TPK and painted as P3351 at Wanaka from 3/8/99 to 25/2/13.

I had not realised the historical significance of this aircraft which is that as P3351 it is the only surviving example of a Hurricane that saw service in the Battle of France as well as the Battle of Britain.  It was later shipped to Russia under Lend Lease on the SS Ocean Voice that was part of an Arctic Convoy and that was attacked and badly damaged before making it to Murmansk.  The Hurricane served with the Soviet Air Force before being shot down, probably in the winter of 1943.  

Tim Wallis acquired the wreckage of P3351 in 1992 from an English owner and formed Hawker Restorations in the UK with Tony Ditherage to restore the aircraft.  This was the first of many Hurricanes that Hawker Restorations have restored to flying condition (10 to date, which forms the majority of the Hurricanes flying in the world today).  Tim (later Sir Tim) Wallis funded the raw materials, tools, jigs and plans acquisition for a trio of Hurricanes (the other two went to Paul Allen of the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum in the US and Stephen Grey of the Fighter Collection in the UK) and his example was the first.  It was shipped to New Zealand in 1995 where Air New Zealand completed it in their Christchurch workshops.  It flew again at Christchurch airport on 12 January 2000.

Two photos of ZK-TPK which was painted as P3351 in its early war 73 Squadron RAF colours.  Underneath it was painted black on Port and white on Starboard which was for recognition during the Battle of France.  The photo below is at Warbirds Over Wanaka in 2006 but I have no record of where or when the above photo was taken,

After being inactive at Wanaka for some time t was sold to Jan Frizo Roozen of Monaco in 2013 and was registered F-AZXR.  Hawker Restorations bought it back in 2022.

 

And here is the latest iteration of the Hurricane painted Battle of Britain colours as P3143 of 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF.  This is because it is now owned and operated by Letecke Muzeum Tocna (Ivo Lukacovic) in the Czech Republic.  It is registered in Belgium as OO-MKT.  This fits well with the Czech history of P3351 but I think it was more authentic when Sir Tim Wallis owned it.  Of course any owner can paint their aircraft however they want to (perhaps they have to get approval from the powers that be to use a particular historic aircraft's colours) but it rather reminds me again of grandfathers axe.

Now that the Hurricane is in the Czech Republic it is planned to display it alongside another New Zealand restored WW2 aircraft in the form of "our" Avro Anson Mk 1 ex ZK-RRA  which is owned by the RAF Station Czechoslavakia and is registered OO-ANS.  A strong New Zealand connection in the world of warbird restorations!

Warbirds Over Wanaka Catchup - 3

 Of all the helicopter displays over the weekend, probably the most impresive was that given by the Sikorsky EH-60A  ZK-HKU of Kahu Helicopters.

Despite its impressive size, the pilot threw the thing around the sky in a most dynamic fashion.

Robinson R 44 Raven II ZK-HTY/3

To brighten up your day across what is a pretty grey day across the whole of the country, here is a photo of High Country Helicopters Ltd's R 44 Raven II ZK-HTY3:

ZK-HTY3 (c/n 11523) was first registered in New Zealand on 17/1/07 and has had nine owners since then.  It has been owned by High Country Helicopters since 15/4/16 and it has recently been repainted in pink.

Jordanian Air Force UH-1H Iroquois "808"

This Bell UH-1H-BF c/n 9903 recently arrived in Rangiora for the New Zealand Helicopter Heritage Museum thanks to Alan Beck of Beck Helicopters of Eltham.

One of three I believe Alan obtained from the Jordanian Air Force.

Ordered in the US fiscal year 1967, allocated the serial number of 67-17705 and taken up by the US Army in August 1968.
It has a well proven war record having served in the "American War" in Vietnam and later in Germany.
It was one of several obtained by Royal Jordanian Air Force and was allocated the serial number "808"

The serial number and national flag look like they were applied in a hurry !

It is a very welcome addition to the NZ Helicopter Heritage Museum.