Couple more of 05-5147 (currently a visitor at Ohakea).

While trawling through some photos it dawned on me that I had taken some shots of Hawaiian based C17 Globemaster III 05-5147 during a family vacation in Hawaii during July 2010.  It was conducting circuits at MCAS Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu.

Arrivals 29 March

The Ohakea airshow continues to attract visitors with the arrival today of Wedgetail A30-004, RAAF C17 A41-208 and USAF 15th Airlift Wing/Hawaii Air National Guard 154th Wing C17 05-5147.    Pilatus PC12 VH-FMM arrived at Ohakea from Masterton while Texan II N3000B conducted local flights.  Citation Mustang VH-PWX arrived at Wellington from Bankstown and Lord Howe Island, it should also be at Ohakea for the weekend.

05-5147 arriving at Hickam 26 March, Bargeld 01 photo

Soon after arrival at Wellington, Michael L photo

The foreign military contingent at Whenuapai conducted low level operations over central and western parts of the North Island while the RAAF Hornets at Ohakea flew a sortie over the South Island.
C17 00-0171 is expected to depart NZ Friday 30 March for Hawaii and Alaska at the conclusion of its participation in Kiwi Flag 2012.

Texan and a Caravan

Beech's Texan II N3000B made landfall at Auckland under sunny skies this evening (28 March) arriving from Brisbane via a techstop at Norfolk Island where it shared the hard stand with 6 RAAF F18 Hornets also dropping in for fuel on their way from Williamtown to Ohakea.  After clearing formalities N3000B continued south to Ohakea.

Noel J photos

Cessna Grand Caravan demonstrator N341GC arrived at Kerikeri mid afternoon from Pago Pago and it is also understood to be in the country on demonstrator duties so expect to see it around the traps.

And rounding out the trio of demonstrators, Pilatus PC12/NG VH-FMM flew from Auckland to Masterton this morning and is expected at Ohakea over the weekend.

More of BBJ P4-AFK

Thanks to Jase for these outstanding shots of P4-AFK sitting under sunny Otago skies yesterday, 27 March.  It arrived at Dunedin the previous afternoon from Auckland. 

Herk 04 looking good!

Captured at Christchurch 27 March was the RNZAF Lockheed C130H Hercules NZ7004.  As seen in this great photo, shot by Graham W, it features prominent 75th anniversary decals.

Pilatus Demonstrator

Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus have demonstrated the popular PC12 series in New Zealand for a number of years now, alas without a sale of one to the country.  This year they have flown VH-FMM, a 2009 47E model,  across the Tasman with the aircraft arriving at Auckland direct from Brisbane 26 March in a flight time of just 4 hrs 34 mins.

It is understood the aircraft will be present at both this weekends Ohakea air show and the following weekend at Wanaka.

Under tow at Auckland, Stephen L photo

Gulfstream Trio

Mike of Queenstown kindly provides these shots of two visiting Gulfstreams at the resort town.

N15Y has been mentioned a number of times in this blog and it arrived at Queenstown from Christchurch on the afternoon of 26 March.

B-8100, a Gulfstream 550, is operated by Deerjet and it arrived at Queenstown just after 0800 26 March from Papeete as CBJ868.  It departed for Coolangatta this afternoon as CBJ869.

Netjet Gulfstream 5 N509QS arrived at Auckland this morning from San Jose and Honolulu.

Noel J photo

And an update on BBJ P4-AFK, it arrived at Dunedin from Auckland 26 March.

French Casa 235M

Perhaps the most frequently seen foreign military visitor (outside of the RAAF) would go to the French with their Armee De L’Air Casa 235M transport aircraft operating from both Noumea and Papeete.  This examply, 52-IH/107 is currently stationed at Noumea and arrived at Whenuapai from its home port on Saturday as “COTAM1161”.  Today it flew an 80 minute exercise using the callsign “REEF11”. 

United States Air Force C17

Its fantastic to have United States military aircraft participation in New Zealand following many years of just peripheral visits.  Based out of Alaska’s Elmendorf AFB, C17 Globemaster III 00-0171 arrived at Whenuapai on Saturday from Darwin as “TOGA99”.  I missed its first departure from Whenuapai today but caught its arrival which included a spectacular buzz and break from the east over the field and then short landing onto the duty runway, 26.  It subsequently departed a couple of hours later on another exercise departing via the city sector as “TOGA98”.

Republic of Singapore C130H Hercules

The Republic of Singapore have been regular participants at NZ based military exercises and its great to see them back again with C130H Hercules 734 in its glossy camo scheme. 

The last known visit by Singaporean aircraft was after the fatal Canterbury earthquake in February 2011 when a KC135R and two C130’s, including 734, visited the country providing specialist search and rescue personnel. 

734 has been listed as a KC variant but my untrained eye didn’t see any of the prerequisite additions that would aid it in a tanker role.

During my short time at Whenuapai today I was fortunate enough to get the Herc arriving and subsequently departing again using the callsign “CONDOR84”.

US Marine Corp Lockheed KC130J

As previously posted, RNZAF Whenuapai is this week hosting international Air Forces on exercise Kiwi Flag as part the force’s 75th anniversary. 

Today, 26 March,  was the first opportunity for the visitors to “get amongst it” with flights conducted to the north of Whenuapai with locals at Mangawhai Heads reporting in of low level operations by the participants.

One aircraft I was looking forward to seeing was the Lockheed KC130J of the US Marines, 167982 of VMGR-152 squadron, Futenma, Okinawa, Japan.  Aptly, the C130 tanker uses the radio callsign “SUMO”! 

Citation X C-GCUL

Briefly mentioned in dispatches on a previous post, Citation X C-GCUL departed Wellington 26 March on its way to Brisbane.

Boeing BBJ P4-AFK

Arriving at Auckland from Singapore on the morning of 25 March was this Boeing 737-7FY BBJ P4-AFK.  Its registered operator is Premier Avia of Russia http://www.premieravia.ru/main.php?trid=236

Is this the first fixed wing aircraft to visit NZ with P4 (Aruba) markings?

Above and below Wayne G photos

Above and below Noel J photos