Monday 31 August 2015

Fridays Rangiora Trio.

A quick walk around at Rangiora on Friday whilst on my way north for the weekend found these three aircraft.
ZK-CUH is c/n 28-24512 was listed to Airwork (NZ Ltd at Christchurch on 27-05-1968 and first flew there on 25-06-1968. 
Since then it has had a multitude of owners/operators (twenty +). 
On 01-07-2015 it gained a new owner in Abdul Qazi of Auckland. 
 Cessna U206F Stationair II ZK-DKB (c/n U20602170) is not a total stranger to Rangiora. 
It has been with Quinton Meyer of Clyde since early 1986 and is normally hangared at Alexandra.
It was imported in late 1973 for Executive Air Travel (NZ) Ltd of Auckland. Other owners include J and T Burns Ltd of Rotorua from April 1974; Geyserland Airways (1974) Ltd of Rotorua from February 1975; Wright Machinery of Penrose  from mid 1976 and then to the Hore family at Parawa (Nokomai Station). Brian flicked it back to Motor Holding (Aviation) Ltd  on 23-02-1982 and took away the new model U206G ZK-ETN. 
Motor Holdings retained DKB until selling it to Quinton from 17-01-1986.
Another classic import is this Piper PA-22-150 Caribbean, tail wheel conversion, that became ZK-ZTH on 21-08-2015 for Tony Hay of Christchurch.
It was first registered in Australia as VH-GMH back on 25-11-1959.
It wears "Piper Super Pacer" on its engine cowl.

Sunday 30 August 2015

Spitfire pending.

Spitfire Square - Memorial Avenue - Christchurch - Mount for Spitfire TE288 awaits.

Sunny Sunday

Last Sunday (23 August) the opportunity presented itself for a short visit to Ardmore in the late afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of aircraft out and about making the most of the slightly longer days.

Piper PA18-150 ZK-BKD

Boeing Stearman ZK-PJS

Diamond DA20C Katana ZK-CSB

Cessna 172S ZK-CTV

Grumman AA5 ZK-EFT

Piper PA23-250 Aztec ZK-EVP

Grob G109 ZK-GNW

Vans RV12 ZK-JRV

Tecnam P2008 ZK-ZZD

Saturday 29 August 2015

Ardmore this day.

Today we get three more pics from Magnaman taken at Ardmore.
Above is the Boeing A75N1 Stearman ZK-PJS (c/n 75-4245) "Yellow 18" from the Stearman 18 Partnership.
It still wears its small US registration of N245TF under its tail-plane.
Here s a closer view of the nose art. "Witchita Gal". A play on Witch and Wichita, Kansas, where PJS was manufactured. Pic by Keith Morris.
 Sonex ZK-JQP2 (c/n 0689) is listed to JQP Ltd.
"Yellow 74" is Nanchang CJ-6 ZK-CVI2 (c/n 3632001) of Trevor Rollinson.

Friday 28 August 2015

Forgotten Airman.

Pilot Officer Eric Bayly Withell.  
KIA 18-02-1943.
Memorial at Ealing.

Ashburton and Timaru on 27-08-2015

Continuing my sunny sojourn.
Ela Aviacion ELA 07S ZK-CEJ2 (c/n 09061140274) was registered to Richard Fitzpatrick on 21-05-2015 and is ex G-CEJH.
 Geoff White of Aviation and Industrial Distributors Ltd imported this Aerospatiale TB9 Tampico from Australia back in January of 1983. 
It arrived at Auckland on the 15th and became ZK-TGW (c/n 176) on the 19th. 
It was purchased by Alistair Chaffey of Rakaia mid December of 2011. It is currently being titivated at Ashburton.
 Currently listed to Paul Stewart of Christchurch and hangared at Ashburton is the Cirrus Design SR22 "GTS" ZK-VMA (c/n 1618). Ex Australian it first joined the NZ register as ZK-YUG2 on 10-12-2007 with Capital Aviation Ltd at Wellington. It moved south in June of 2013.
 Down at Timaru the 1966 classic Cessna 172G ZK-COL (c/n 54468) was tucked away in its hangar. It has been with R G Sinclair of Air Looms Ltd of Geraldine since July 1997.
 Over in the AVTEK hangar was the NZAI Fletchet FU24-954 ZK-EMY (c/n 279) of Jim Somerville's Cheviot Ag Air Ltd undergoing some serious work.
The Rans S-7 Courier ZK-KEL (c/n 0106426) sits minus is Jabiru 3300 engine.
This was registered to Hamish and Richard Kellahan of Geraldine on 09-09-2011.
Check the earlier posting on this one at :-

Thursday 27 August 2015

Rangitata Island 27-08-2015

Being such a lovely day today I decided to drop into Rangitata Island on spec.
(NZRI on 119.5 and call Russell Brodie on 0272760914 to get the OK to drop in)
 The nice old De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-BRL (c/n DHNZ123) was basking in the sunshine.
Real grass roots flying with Greg Burt blasting away in his Rans S-17 Stinger ZK-EEE2 (c/n 0405051) which is the only one of its type on our register.
 Below we see the East Canterbury Aviation Ltd's Rans S-6ES Coyote II ZK-JHZ (c/n 07961009) just back from an instructional flight.
 The Company's other Rans S-6ES Coyote II is ZK-RHZ (c/n 08031519) is seen below just back from a solo flight.
East Canterbury Aviation Ltd also runs the Rans S-6ES Coyote II tail dragger ZK-JOA2 is c/n 01051632.

 James Leslie from Twizel had his S-6ES Coyote II ZK-KOT (c/n 06081887) down for a touch of maintenance.
 Graham Johnson from over Leeston way dropped in with his Bush Caddy R-80 ZK-LIL (c/n CA 001-117).
And then the Campbell Farms of Fairlie Alpi Aviation Pioneer 200 ZK-LPB (c/n NZ20013) called in. It has just  recently been purchased from Graham Smith of Timaru.

Russel says :-
DON'T FORGET THE SPRING FLY-IN ON 20th SEPTEMBER 2015.
Don't forget - no landing fees at Rangitata Island.
Get a cuppa tea or coffee.
 Visit the loo.
 Browse the small shop.

Wednesday 26 August 2015

ZK-HBS today.

Poppy Tuck was in at Heli Maintenance at Christchurch today with her Glacier Country Helicopters Kawasaki-Hughes 369HS ZK-HBS3 (c/n 6622).
It has been covered before a couple of times.
 Just enter HBS in the search box towards the top left of screen.

"On Ice"

Parked up at the Antarctic Apron at Christchurch International is the Airbus A319 ACJ VH-VHD (c/n 1999) "Snowbird". 
Registered to C.I.T Leasing Corporation of New York it is operated by Skytraders Pty Ltd of Tullamarine, Melbourne, Victoria.
It arrived from Melbourne on the 18th.
After arriving in Christchurch on the 21st was the US Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III 10-0217 (c/n P-217) sits awaiting.
Being loaded today was the Lockheed C-130H NZ7001 (c/n 382-4052).
All absolutely nothing to do with NZ Civil aircraft.

Sunday 23 August 2015

Rangiora - busy as !

Rangiora - Sunday the 23rd of August 2015.
 Jodel D.18 ZK-EDR2 (c/n 301.4) is just back from a sortie with Rex Woods and px.
 Ex RNZAF NZ Aerospace CT/4B Airtrainer NZ1938 (c/n 086) is now ZK-JMF with Richard Lane of Christchurch.
 Paul Godfrey was out and about in his Denney Kitfox III ZK-KNZ (c/n 798 AACA/2013). 
After being parked up for ten years Paul restored it to flying condition in 2012.
 One I haven't seen out all that often is John Ainsworth's Rand KR-2 ZK-KRZ (c/n 001). 
Seen here in this long shot taxiing out.
 Then we have a couple of strays. 
Two Diamond DA40's down from Massey University School of Aviation at Palmerston North. 
Above is ZK-MTI (c/n 40.1013) and below is ZK-MTJ (c/n 40.1020).

 Above we see Mike Sheffield taxiing back in his Pober Pixie Pathfinder ZK-PXI (c/n MFS1).
This did its first hop on 17-06-2009.
 In the same hangar as the Pixie lives the Facet Sapphire ZK-SAP (c/n MAANZ/486) coming back together for Graeme Main. 
Graeme originally had this airframe air freighted over from Australia and registered it as ZK-MAI on 31-03-1993. It was re-registered as ZK-SAP on 07-07-1993 so that the MAI letters could be used on - the Piper PA-28-151 ZK-EBW - which went on through another four registration changes - but that's another story.
He sold it up north in early 2002 and purchased it back again back in May.
A thing of rare beauty - is the Zenith CH701 STOL ZK-TIA (c/n 7-4514) of Chris Anderson - winner of the "Mad Bastards" bush pilots competitions at Omaka earlier in the year. Oops make that "Healthy Bastards" competition.
Interesting engine mods and great paint work.

A sunny Sabbath sojourn.

Half time score - Cubs three and Beech's two.
 The Canterbury Aero Club had their Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub  ZK-BNL (c/n 18-5152) on site today for the Club competitions. 

Basking outside its hangar was the Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub ZK-BNX (c/n 5453) of the BNX Syndicate.
 Actully up doing it was the Piper PA-18-95 Super Cub ZK-CXC (c/n 18-6202). 
This one began life as ZK-BTT in early 1958 - had an accident in January of 1963 and came back after rebuild as ZK-CXC in July of 1968.

Then two Beech's.
 The Beech V35B ZK-EDJ (c/n D.9224) is the Keith Neylon Bonanza up from Invercargill. 
This one has been in Country since 1974.
An ex Rangiora local - now a resident at Fernside Fields a few clicks west of Rangiora - is the Beech 35-C33A Debonair ZK-MEC (c/n CE-167) of Morrow Engineering Co Ltd. This came to NZ in late 1986.