Bantam ready to migrate.

Micro Aviation Bantam B22 ZK-FPQ (c/n 0067) was first listed to Micro Aviation Ltd on 06-11-1987. Owners include M E Sarginson and B W Hamilton of Winton from 20-03-1989; M W Griggs of Reefton 28-06-1990; P J Jones at Hokitika 05-02-1994, Warren Bezzant of Twizel 22-05-1997; Sam Orchard of Seddon 01-11-1998; David Soal of Ashburton 21-03-04-2002 and to the late Hugh Keeble at Waikari 06-08-2008.

This Rotax 503 powered Bantam is now for sale.

Crusader ZK-DDX at work

Lord Nelson was on the scene today at the Raine Strip above Stoke and captured the FU24-550GT Crusader ZK-DDX (c/n 160) working this fine Autumn morning (16-05-2012) spreading urea.
Top pic DDX is approaching the high spot at the end of the strip and about to turn around to position for the loader.

 Above,  another load being placed aboard.

 Above. Start of another take off roll.

ZK-DDX at rest. Note the wheel marks along the strip.

Progress with ZK-JRF

Here we have a progress report on the Aero L-29 Delfin ZK-JRF (c/n 892851) currently being assembled at Heli Maintenance at Christchurch. Top pic, with engine installed, taken on 08-05-2012 and the lower pic from Bargeldo1 was taken today with rear fuselage attached.

At this rate it may well beat the Bluntie ZK-VPR into the air.

Some earlier links to JRF at :-

http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/vau-moves-on-and-jrf-moves-back-in.html

http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2011/06/aero-l-29-zk-jrf.html

http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2008/11/aero-l29-zk-jrf-really-does-exist.html

Sportsman ZK-FGL

Long time South Island resident Volmer VJ-22 Sportsman ZK-FGL has recently returned to the skies over Timaru following many years in storage.

Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH

Vincent Aviation's Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH has been employed in the role of air ambulance since the company took over the Life Flight Trust operation at Wellington in April this year.

The aircraft has recently had decals added to indicate its new "temporary" life as an air ambulance with industry sources indicating recently arrived Jetstream 32 VH-OTR is destined to fill this job on a permanent basis.

Phillip J photo

Withdrawn ZK-RVE

Vans RV-3 ZK-RVE (c/n AACA/633) was built by Brian Pool and registered to him on 29-10-1986.
It retired in April of this year and is now located at Classic Flyers at Tauranga, as photographed here by Paul Kilsby on 05-05-2012

A few more from Hastings.

Three more shots from Nick F taken at Hastings today. Above is the Hawkes Bay Gliding Club's Champion 7ECA Citabria ZK-CPD (c/n 7ECA-329) awaits its next mission.

Above. This is where a lot of the learning is done. (I spy Jerry and Jan).

The elusive Cessna U206G Stationair ZK-KAI (c/n U206G-03711) of Air Chathams. On the mainland - In all my trips out to the Chathams I have never managed a decent photo of it yet.
Further back is the Air Napier Piper PA-34-200T Seneca 11 ZK-MSL (c/n 34-7770224).

Hastings today 13-05-2012

Here we have five shots taken today at Hastings by Nick F.
Above is the Schleicher ASH25M ZK-GRJ2 (c/n 25167) with motor running, of the Peter Lyons and Brian Kelly Partnership.  That is the back end of the Hughes 369 ZK-IFS looking directly down the camera lens.  Below the wings are taking the weight as GRJ is about to lift off.

 Hughes 369E ZK-IFS (c/n 0181E) of Helicopters Hawkes Bay 2006 Ltd at rest on its trolley.
 This one served in Denmark, Greenland, Sweden and Norway before coming to NZ in 2007.

 "The Cat and the Mustang".

Cessna 510 Mustang ZK-MUS2 (c/n 510-0300) at rest whilst the cat looks like it is about to play.

The locally based Gardan GY-20 Minicab ZK-RJK (c/n AACA/187) was first registered to R J King on 08-06-1978. It was originallly destined to be allocated ZK-EFL but the builders initials won the day. It went to Jan White on 06-03-1995.

Fokker Triplane Replicas of New Zealand (4) - A Static Example

Ray Deerness has advised that there was another ex-American Fokker Triplane replica imported into New Zealand with the others in 2002, being ex-N1917X. However it has never appeared on the New Zealand register.

I think that this aircraft has become the centrepiece of the Red Baron display at the Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka, as photo'd above.  This aircraft was serial number 425/17 which was the last of the four Triplanes that Manfred Von Richthofen flew.

Manfred Von Ricthofen died on 21 April 1918 at Mourlancourt Ridge near the River Somme in Northern France, when he was shot by a single .303 bullet during a low level dogfight.  It is still not totally certain if the bullet was fired from the Sopwith Camel of Canadian Captain Arthur "Roy" Brown, or from ground fire from Australian troops on the ground.  He made a controlled crash landing but he died in his aircraft.  The aircraft was apparently not badly damaged in the crash landing, but it was quickly stripped by souvenir hunters.

Peter Jackson has created the above diorama showing Australian troops stripping the downed aircraft.  You can just see behind the wing, a soldier cutting away the fabric cross from the fuselage.  And amazingly there is a framed German cross on red fabric hanging on the wall behind that is the original cross from the Red Baron's aircraft.

Question time # 149

 Mit cracked it - except for the mailing address for the chocolate fish.

It is indeed the Cub Crafters CC11-160 Carbon Cub ZK-BPC2 (c/n CC11-00194) of Peter and Bruce Clulow of Wanaka.

There is the best part of two pages devoted to them in the April issue of NZ Aviation News Magazine.