Airscapade DC 3 ZK-JGB Getting Ready to Fly from Wanaka

Airscapade Affairs Ltd's DC 3C (S1C3G in case you are interested) ZK-JGB2 recently received some tender loving care at Wanaka from a team from JEM Aviation, in preparation for a return to the air I presume.  Here are a couple of photos posted by JEM Aviation on their Facebook page back on 23 and 26 April:

An Update on Lancair IV ZK-CTL/2

I recently had a chance to catch up with Chris Toms at Kaipara Flats airfield.  Chris of course was the builder and owner of our only Lancair IV ZK-CTL2 which was the fastest homebuilt aircraft in New Zealand at the time with a 300 knot maximum speed! (Chris told me he used to flight plan for 235 knots).  This is what I wrote about it back in January 2014:

ZK-CTL (c/n LIV192) was a Lancair IV built by Chris Toms of Auckland, and was first registered on 30/1/95.  It was powered by a Lycoming TIO-540 engine of 350 HP.  It had an early fright when it force landed on the beach at Ruakaka with engine problems, but the landing was successful.  The above photo was taken at Tauranga in 1997.  It was cancelled on 18/8/00 and sold to an owner in the USA as N831F.  It was delivered by air across the Pacific in September 2000, and is still current in the US.

Chris told me that when he sold his Lancair IV to the US as N83JF (for its new owner John Forker)  it was required to have a higher visibility colour scheme so he repainted it as in the above photo which taken at North Shore before its delivery flight. 

Boeing 787 ZK-NZK parked up at Christchurch

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ZK-NZK2 c/n 43217 has been parked up indefinitely at Christchurch International Airport. Some of the cabin windows are already covered as are the mainwheels.

It had been stored at Auckland International from 02-03-2024 until 25-04-2024 when it was ferried down to Christchurch.

De Havilland DH100 FB.5 NZ5767 at Classic Flyers.

 De Havilland DH 100 Vampire FB5 NZ5767 was a pre loved example obtained from the Royal Air Force in 1956.

Originally delivered to the RAF with the serial WA374 on 11-05-1951 for the No 102 Flying Refresher School and later serving with 118 and 14 Squadron. 

It was struck off charge on 26-03-1956 and shipped to New Zealand aboard the Cumberland to become NZ5767 from 21-05-1956 and stored at Ohakea until January 1958. It then served with various RNZAF units until being withdrawn and placed back in storage, this time at RNZAF Station Woodbourne from March 1960. 

Photo above shows NZ5767 at Tauranga - probably during a Red Owl Exercise. Date and photographer unknow.

Photograph below comes from the RNZAF Museum and shows NZ5767 on the move at Ohakea with under wing tanks.

Reactivated in October 1960, it joined 75 Squadron at Ohakea and transferred to 14 Squadron, also at Ohakea, in May 1970. 

It was relegated to Instructional Air Frame status on 21 August 1970 as INST202 at No 4 TTS Woodbourne and did not fly again.

When retired from that role it was sent to the Air Force Museum and in time (2005), the fuselage pod was loaned to Classic Flyers and is seen below on display. 

It is seen parked beside the DH112 MkIV Venom which flew in NZ as ZK-VNM2.

Recently the Air Force Museum realised they needed the space occupied by the wings and tail section of Vampire NZ5767 and formally gifted the entire aircraft to Classic Flyers. 

All the stored parts arrived at Tauranga very soon after. Photos below.

As Classic Flyers already had a complete Vampire FB5, NZ5751, on a long-term loan basis, thought was being given to NZ5767 becoming Classic Flyers plinth mounted Gate Guardian - in place of the Swordfish replica, which had previously been built by volunteers at MoTaT, Auckland to form part of their Fleet Air Arm Display.

It was decided that because NZ5751 already had an authentic RNZAF livery, it was not essential this be repeated on NZ5767. So NZ5767 was painted bronze.

Photo from Mark Pattenden taken on 20-01-2024 showing the re-assembled airframe receiving its bronze scheme.

Below a photo from Peter Layne taken on 25-02-2024 showing painting complete.

As a very interesting aside - Jim Barclay flew Vampires with 75 Squadron - including NZ5767. 

For his great story see HERE

A special thanks must go to Peter Layne for his input on this blog post.

I know that I will be severely chastised for including this aircraft in this civil aircraft blog.

However it is certainly no longer a military aircraft.

DHC-1 Chipmunk Mk 22 ZK-CHP/3 at Kaipara Flats Today 4-5-2024

Vaughn Davis bought his lovely newly restored Chipmunk ZK-CHP3 up to Kaipara Flats airfield today:

You can remind yourself of its history HERE

Cessna 180J ZK-DXW and an Omaka visitation by CMM (3).

Cessna 180J Skywagon ZK-DXW is c/n 18052685 and came to New Zealand factory new to be listed with the agents Dalhoff & King Aviation Ltd at Ardmore from 14-06-1976. 

Photo below taken at Ardmore in early November of 1976.

It was then transferred to their Dunedin, Momona branch from 16-11-1976 and ultimately was listed to A S Drinkrow of Makaetai from September 1977 - the ownership partially overlapping his use of the Cessna 180C ZK-BVV.

As seen on 04-09-1979 at Ardmore.

Phillip Evers-Swindell of Pahiatua then picked it up from December 1981.Two views of it at New Plymouth on 05-08-1985 with a cargo pannier fitted.Richmond Harding of Wanganui then took it over from 19-08-1988. 

Then we see Tony Mackle of Richmond listed from 17-07-1991. Tony also had the 180 ZK-BJB (and retains it to this day). Tony then picked up the Cessna 180B ZK-BMW and ZK-DXW went to Giotto Holdings (P Higgins and W Denholm) at Rotorua from 11-06-1994.Above. Spotted at Wanaka on 16-02-1996 with the upward hinging door.

And then on 17-03-2000 at Rotorua in a new paint scheme.

White Island Airways also of Rotorua were next to operate it from 17-02-2002.18-08-2003 Christchurch

Its next move was to Gisborne for Farmers Air 2002 Ltd from 05-11-2004. They had a name change to Aerospread Ltd from 24-08-2011 followed by an address change to Napier from 17-02-2012.

Current owner Viking Partnership of Russell came aboard from 30-08-2023.Above ZK-DXW as seen on the 27th of April as part of the Cessna 180/185 flyin at Manuka Point which is at the junction of the Mathias and the Rakaia Rivers. A Matt Hayes photo.

Below ZK-DXW was captured at Omaka by CMM the following day.

It returned to the far North on the 29th.

An Omaka visitation by CMM (2)

The Gippsland GA-8-TC 320 Airvan ZK-YUG3 c/n GA-8TC 320-09-146 was listed to Capital Aviation Ltd of Wellington on 29-09-2022.

Initially briefly registered as VH-BQY3 on 29-06-2009 to MAF International before moving to Mount Hagan, PNG, to become P2-MFL2 with the Mission Aviation Fellowship on 01-10-2009.

Next move was back down to Australia to become VH-PGU3 with VHBHR Pty Ltd of Fitzroy, Victoria from 31-08-2021.

It was ferried across the Ditch from Archerfield to NZ via Lord Howe Island on 05-11-2021.

It now totes a cargo pod.

The early history of the Jodel D.11 ZK-RNR c/n AACA/305/1 can be seen Here

Peter Gene sold it to Zach Dillon of Renwick in September of 2018, who in turn passed it on to Ed Hazlett of Blenheim from 09-0-2020 and it has now been listed with Kevin Hodson of Blenheim since 28-09-2020.

Not at Omaka but just 1.3km to the East at the Wairau Hospital was the Kawasaki BK117-B2 ZK-HGW3 c/n 1050 of GCH Aviation Ltd.

It has been previously mentioned numerous times Here.

All pics from CMM.

More from the Feilding Open Day on 27-4-2024

There was a very good turn out of aircraft at the Feilding Open Day including these mostly locals:

Mike Crene's Bantam B22 ZK-FSD (c/n 0078) has not been posted on the blog previously.

Dave Stuart's Johnston Acrolight 1C ZK-EMP2 now has the registration on the fuselage.

Trevor Day's Light Miniature LM 1 ZK-FWB was out in the sun looking nice.

And the Teenie Too ZK-MSW now has the outer wings attached and looks ready to go although it is not yet registered.

 

Thanks for the photos Jordan and Dave.

An Omaka visitation by CMM (1)

 Our traveling reporter CMM called into Omaka back on the 29th of April and offers the following photos.

De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-BQB is c/n DHNZ147. As the c/n indicates it was built in Wellington by De Havilland NZ for the RNZAF and was taken on charge on 27-10-1943 as NZ1467. Withdrawn from use and stored at Woodbourne in 1948 and then declared surplus on 09-08-1955. It was sold on 09-08-1955 to the Wanganui Aero Club and registered as ZK-BQB on 28-03-1956 with a CofA being issued on 05-04-1956. On 15-08-1960 title was moved to John R Smith of Mapua with it going on line with the Nelson Aero Club until being dismantled and stored at Mapua from 1966. Its registration was finally cancelled on 13-02-1991. With the passing of John Smith, the Tiger Moth was delivered to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre on 13-05-2020 and has been re-assembled for static display.

The Anderson EA-1 Kingfisher ZK-DJH c/n AACA/165/1 was first registered to Mac Bettjeman of TE Kuiti on 15-06-1979.

More details can be found on previous blog post of ZK-DJH on this link.

https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/search?q=zk-djh

Current owner is Jacob Hynd of Waikawa, Picton since May of 2021.

Isaac Fury Mk II ZK-DMN c/n AACA/179/1 first flew back on 26-03-1975.

Updating details since The Tail Dragger Cassic Ltd (Petr Fahey) re-acquired it in April 2015 - was donated by R Field to the New Zealand Warbirds Association Ltd at Ardmore from 01-11-2016.

It was moved on to John Saunders of Blenheim from 28-04-2022.

Much more detail on ZK-DMN can be found on several previous blog posts HERE

Islander (ZK-KTR) on the move.

The Britten-Norman BN-2A-6 c/n 759 was built by Intreprinderea de Reparatii Material Aeronautic (IRMA) of Bucharest, Romania as G-BCZD and finished at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. This included conversion to -21 standard with the 300hp Lycoming IO-540-K1B5 engines and with an air ambulance internal fit out for demonstrator duties with Britten-Norman (Bembridge) Ltd from 18-03-1975.

The photo below shoes it in its 'raw' state at Gatwick in 1975 following delivery from Romania.

It was on display at the Farnborough Air Show on 10-09-1976.

Photo from Trevor Warne.

I have a note to say that it was sold to Nigeria on 14-04-1980 only to pop up on the US register as N11216 from 17-10-1980 with Jack Wall Aircraft Sales Inc of Memphis, Tennessee.

It was cancelled on 22-04-1981 as exported to Japan where it became JA5268 for Nagasaki Airlines.

Above JA5268 taken in the late 1980's

In January 1990 it was sold and became P2-MFZ2 from the 11th listed with Missionary Aviation Fellowship at Mount Hagen, PNG, and then re-registered as P2-VAB around 1996, as below in the late 1990's in its Vanair titles.

It was ferried from Norfolk Island to Auckland on 09-08-2005 - and then on to North Shore Airfield to the Great Barrier Airlines facility..

It was noted there (below) on 05-10-2005 by VJ in this near all metal scheme, still with its Vanair fin title and red/white & blue nose cone.

Above - by 09-03-2008 it was in this all white scheme, minus engines and main door.

It also had the 'KTR' markings on its fuselage.

And noted again on 26-01-2009 by Westland831.

Jean210 captured this view on 01-06-2011. It appears to have its wing covered in black plastic and graffiti on its rear fuselage. Also a 'spare' Great Barrier side door is fitted.

In September of 2021 it was noted at Classic Flyers at Tauranga. Photo via the 3rd Level NZ Blog. 

By 30-12-2023 (above) it was coming back together thanks to the Classic Flyers engineering team in a pseudo-RAF colour scheme.

It is in fact bound for the Adventure Game Park at Gibbston Valley.

As seen below at Classic Flyers at Tauranga on the 28th of April - by Planewriting.

The wings (minus the engines) and the tailplane are on the truck tray with the fuselage on the trailer beyond.

In the left foreground is the wing of the Vampire NZ5751.

I believe the ZK-KTR registration was never officially listed to this airframe.