Monday 2 April 2012

Ohakea civilian aircraft # 1 from Aaron M

This De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth NZ-662 intrigues me. Is it on strength with the RNZAF (Historic Flight) ?  It appears to have no current NZ civil connections.
NZ662 was c/n 83492, being ex RAF. After RNZAF service it became ZK-AIE with the New Plymouth Aero Club followed by a session of top dressing with Aircraft Services (NZ) Ltd.
It went into private ownership in 56, was converted back to a two seater and exported to Fiji in 1965. It was grounded there in 1970 and stored. It was returned to NZ in 1973 for G Kingsbury until acquired by the RNZAF Museum Trust Board in 1985. It was restored at Wigram as NZ662 and first flew there on 08-01-1987.
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver ZK-AZB (c/n 156) arrived in NZ in December 1951and was assembled at the old Mangere airfield, first flying on 21-12-1951 for delivery on the 23rd to Fieldair Ltd at Gisborne. It moved over to East Coast Air Services of Hastings (in who's markings it now appears) in July of 1961. It returned to Fieldair in 1970 and eventually went to Australia as VH-WOZ in March of 1998. Hallett Griffin re-acquired it and it was containered back to NZ in February 2010 and was re-registered as ZK-AZB with Griffin Ag-Air on 13-09-2010 and returned to its 1950's scheme. Check the earlier blog at http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2010/10/beaver-zk-azb-ready-to-go.html
Another De Havilland. Tiger Moth ZK-BMY (c/n DHNZ101) was initially NZ1421 with the RNZAF; became a civilian in late 1955 and then into private hands. It was damaged sometime about 1963 and was cancelled only to be resurrected by Stuart Tantrum on 29-06-2007. Ownership passed to Des Strong of Palmerston North on 28-04-2009.
Three upmarket gyros on site were the AutoGyro Europe MT03 Eagle ZK-MTO (c/n NZ004) off D & P Hall; The Celier Xenon ZK-XEN (c/n NZX03) of David Church; and the AutoGyro Europe Calidus Fern ZK-MZM (c/n NZC003) from Gyrate NZ Ltd.
Doug Brooker's MXR Technologies MX2 ZK-MXT2 (c/n 007) showed its colours.

2 comments:

  1. NZ662 is operated by RNZAF Historic Flight...so still in military service, thus no civil registration as not on NZ Civil Aircraft Register!

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  2. ZK AIE was owned and flown by my father in waimana as from 1956 to 1965 then sold to a Kristoferson in Fiji. I visited it fully restored as NZ 662 in Ohakea 8 years ago and it looks great!

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