MRC Aviation: 09/2014

An eagle eyed observer has noted the absence of Air New Zealand Link/Eagle Airways Beech 1900D
ZK-EAA from the operator's network.

As it transpires the aircraft has indeed exited the fleet as the Air New Zealand Link group of airline's shuffle their combined resources and as a result the Eagle Air fleet is downsized.

ZK-EAA MSN UE-424 was delivered brand new to the airline and arrived at Hamilton from Noumea on 15 October 2001 as N2335Y. It took up its Kiwi markings the same day it entered commercial life on 20 October 2001 with it positioning to Auckland from Hamilton as NZ2906 and returning to Hamilton as NZ2157. Its service with airline concluded on 21 September 2014 when it arrive at Hamilton from Auckland as NZ2211.

ZK-EAA was to be the third 1900 to enter service with Eagle Airways - for a full and concise review of all things Eagle Airways please click 3rd Level NZ

Alpha Alpha's exit follows the retirement of the younger ZK-EAL in May this year and its departure in on 04 July marked as ZS-EAA - just to be confusing! The aircraft is now registered to Money Aviation (Pty)

Auckland 31 October 2013.

It has been a historical 48 hours for Air New Zealand as it took delivery of not one but two widebody airliners. This morning the airline welcomed its second Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" ZK-NZF MSN 34335 when the jet, wearing the fern livery, arrived at Auckland direct from Paine Field as ANZ6398.

ZK-NZF first flew on 15 September (NZ date) as "Boeing 004" and conducted an air-to-air photographic flight with a Wolfe Air Learjet two days later.

http://www.mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2014/09/boeing-787-9-zk-nzf-takes-flight.html

ZK-NZF as seen from Wolfe Air's Learjet, Copyright Wolfe Air

The 787-9, configured with 18 business, 21 premium economy and 263 economy seats is expected to enter service during the first few days of October.

I think we would be correct in saying the arrival of ZK-OKS yesterday and ZK-NZF today would be the first time in the airline's history to receive two widebody airliners within a 24 hour time frame (or near enough to 24 hours!)

ZK-NZF returning to Paine Field at the conclusion of its air-to-air photo shoot with Wolfe Air's Learjet.
All photos copyright Chris Edwards @ Woodys Aeroimages
https://www.flickr.com/photos/126170853@N05/

Expect to see ZK-NZF arriving into Auckland tomorrow morning!

During August we reported the Antarctic Winfly programme activity with USAF Boeing C17 Globemaster and Skytrader Airbus A319CJ operating between Christchurch and Antarctica.
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/ice-ops-heat-up.html
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/winfly-201415-wraps-up.html

Boeing C17 Globemaster III 09-9209 arrived at Christchurch lunchtime 26 September from Hickam as "Reach 5E2". The aircraft made a city flypast in what has become a regular event to mark the beginning of the season. 09-9209 was a regular on the milk run to the ice during the last two seasons.

The US Antarctic Program Air Day is planned for 05 October, click HERE for details.

Air New Zealand this morning welcomed its seventh and final Boeing 777-300ER when ZK-OKS
(MSN 44547) touched down at Auckland shortly after 0500 today following a direct flight from Paine Field, Seattle as ANZ6397. Wearing the company's fern livery, ZK-OKS made its first flight on 05 September (NZ date) as "Boeing 057" and was painted at Paine, unlike ZK-OKR which was flown to New Liberia for painting.

ZK-OKS is expected to make its first revenue flight during the second week of October.

All photos taken at Paine Field and are copyright Chris Edwards @ Woodys Aeroimages

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126170853@N05/

New Zealand's BAC Strikemaster population officially reached four aircraft on the 19th of this month when ex RNZAF example NZ6362 became ZK-NTY with Strikemaster Ltd, Ardmore.

NZ6362 has for the last 20+ years resided in Australia where it was registered VH-AGI. Thanks to online resources, this airframe is construction number 302 and it first wore the test registration of G27-198 making its first flight from Preston, UK on 06 June 1972. It was delivered to the RNZAF two months later and became NZ6362. It arrived New Zealand on board "Majestic" 05 October 1972 and delivered to Ohakea four days later. Its first flight in New Zealand is recorded as 15 November 1972 serving with 14 Squadron.

It was transferred to Aermacchi as part of purchase deal for the MB339CB's in December 1992 and sold by tender in March 1993. It was shipped to Australia and became VH-AGI with International Air Parts Ltd on 09 September 1993 and subsequently took up residence in Western Australia. It arrived back in NZ during early 2014 to be operated alongside the country's first re-imported Strikemaster, ZK-STR/NZ6370.

ZK-NTY is the third ex RNZAF (MK88) example to grace our shores, the first (as mentioned above) being ZK-STR/NZ6370, followed by ZK-BAC/NZ6372 and now ZK-NTY. The fourth is a MK80A, ZK-VPR.

In October 2013 Helicopters (NZ) imported two Agusta A139 helicopters to provide additional airlift capacity for a short term oil exploration contract on behalf of Anadarko and these were initially centered off the North Island's Taranaki coast and then off the South Island's Otago coast. Both helicopters were later employed on regular off shore oil rig support work at the conclusion of the Anadarko contract.

ZK-IHJ and ZK-IHK arrived via Emirates Sky Cargo Boeing 777-200 freighter at Auckland on 28 October, see our post from that date HERE

ZK-IHJ concluded its contract with HNZ in May and was shipped out of NZ on board a Singapore Cargo Boeing 747-400 freighter on the 16th of that month.

ZK-IHK concluded its contract with HNZ this month and it was noted at Auckland 24 September fully prepared for air freighting out of the country, presumably on board the scheduled Singapore Cargo Boeing 747-400 freighter that same night.

Arriving at the Auckland International Airport cargo facility 24 September, bizjetboy photo

Registered to Air Affairs (Australia)/Pacific Flight Services is this Learjet 35A VH-LRX. Making its NZ debut, the Lear arrived at Whenuapai on the afternoon of 24 September from Nowra, New South Wales.

The aircraft is predominately deployed on military support activities http://www.airaffairs.com.au/ but as can be seen from the accompanying photo the target tow appendage is missing, or perhaps it is carried internally and then installed once on location.

NZ's resident target tow Learjet 35A, ZK-XVL, was recently noted at Ardmore undergoing what appeared to be reasonably significant maintenance.

Short finals runway 21 at Whenuapai, Bizjetboy photo

Noumea Renting SA of New Caledonia has until recently operated Citationjet CJ2+ F-ONYY from their base at Magenta, the domestic airport located on the outskirts of downtown Noumea. The CJ2+ has been a frequent visitor around the South Pacific conducting not only passenger charter flights but also medivac activities. The CJ2+ was last noted arriving at Sydney/Bankstown on 28 July this year from Magenta and Sydney.

A For Sale listing for F-ONYY can be found at http://www.controller.com

F-ONYY at Christchurch in January 2014.

Then on 25 September a new comer to the region popped up with Citationjet CJ4 F-ONCP, 525C-0164 noted flying from Guam to Chukk and Honiara, and quite conceivably onto Noumea concluding its delivery to Noumea Renting SA.

A photo of F-ONCP in transit at Boeing Field on 20 September can be found by clicking HERE

Earlier today we posted news on the two second batch of Beechcraft T-6C Texan's as they make their way to NZ from the USA.

Thanks to Graham Speirs who was on location to catch the aircraft as they visited Glasgow on the afternoon of 23 September local time.

Updating our post from early in August on the arrival of Beech D18S N43927.
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/classical-arrival.html

The owner has now settled in the Central Otago town of Wanaka, and a recent newspaper article can be found here :
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-lakes/316541/aviators-bucket-list-includes-earhart-search

A recent photo of N43927 parked at Wanaka can be found at the NZ Civair blog:
http://www.nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2014/09/wanaka-yesterday-from-matt-hayes.html

Gulfstream 550 N581D, operated by Du Pont Aviation, arrived at Auckland on the afternoon of 23 September from Sydney where it had arrived 21 September from Singapore/Seletar.

Du Pont operate 3 Challenger 300's - N583D, N584D and N585D plus a second Gulfstream 550 N582D.

Not taken at Auckland!

The next batch of Beechcraft T-6C Texan II's destined for the Royal New Zealand Air Force are well into their delivery flight and overnight NZ time have flown from Keflavik to Glasgow and Stansted.

The aircraft are carrying Beechcraft test registrations N2842B (NZ1404), callsign HKB143, and N2845B (NZ1405), callsign HKB176, and given their "island" hopping so far we can expect them to arrive into NZ in the first few days of October.

Where is NZ1403??!!

File photo

Gulfstream 550 N310TK, operated by Alltech Inc, a global leader in the animal feed industry, arrived at Auckland on the morning of 22 September having flown from the company's home town of Lexington, Kentucky via a techstop at Honolulu.

N310TK departed Auckland mid morning 23 September for Adelaide.

The registration N310TK was previously worn on the side of a Challenger 604, MSN 5606, and this aircraft, also operated by Alltech Inc, visited NZ in October 2007 arriving at Auckland on 28th from Suva and departing for Melbourne the following day.

Thanks to our intrepid photographer for braving the shocking weather this morning where winds peaked at 50kts soon after these were taken.

As you will have seen the blog's cover shot has changed and now depicts Qantas Boeing 767-338ER

VH-OGR arriving into Christchurch during winter 2012.

The widebody airliner was withdrawn from service on 12 September with its last flight being QF462 from Melbourne to Sydney. It was then ferried to Alice Springs 19 September as QF6160 for storage at the recently established Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage space http://www.apas.com.au/Html/Facility.html

With just nine 767-300's remaining in service the airline has flown its last international flight by the type with VH-OGU arriving at Sydney from Honolulu on the evening of 13 September. All passenger configured 767's are expected to be retired from Qantas service by the end of this year.

VH-OGR was delivered new to Qantas in 1997 and named "Port Macquarie" however it underwent an identity change in 2004 and was rechristened "City of Corowa".

The 767 in Qantas service has been a long time sight in NZ skies, initially with the smaller -200 series operating services across the Tasman replaced by the larger -300's but ultimately they were withdrawn from the NZ and replaced by Boeing 737-800's. A sole 767-300 freighter, VH-EFR, continues to visit NZ on a daily basis.

The last visit to NZ by VH-OGR was at the time the cover photo was taken, 07 June 2012, when it was employed to operate QF45/46 in lieu of a Boeing 737-800 to meet capacity demands after snow at Christchurch forced a number of flights the previous day to be cancelled.

And for now we record the last visit by a passenger configured Qantas Boeing 767-300 to NZ as being on the morning of 05 February 2014 when VH-OGU operated a freighter charter on behalf of Tasman Cargo Airlines flying from Sydney to Auckland as QF7601 and returning to Sydney as QF7602.

A recent Channel 9 article on the disposal of VH-OGG to Victorville in mid August makes for an interesting watch : http://www.9news.com.au/world/2014/09/21/23/20/qantas-planes-retired-to-the-mojave-desert-as-technology-drives-fuel-efficiency

Auckland based Global Express XRS N18WZ is better known for its intercontinental range flying as it makes the regular trip from Auckland to the US East Coast via a direct flight to San Diego/Brown Field so it is pleasing to note it making the somewhat short journey from Auckland to Wellington late Saturday morning and returning toAuckland Sunday morning.

The XRS has been with Rank Services since October 2010 and it has been a regular flyer across the Pacific Ocean with its US trips and a couple of journeys to South America, plus other jaunts to Europe and Asia.

Domestically we only know of it having visited the following NZ locations:

Dunedin (February 2011, September 2012, February 2013, May 2014)

Taupo (September 2011)

Queenstown (April and August 2012)

Napier (May 2012)

Arriving at Wellington 20 September.

A couple of great shots of the visiting jets at Christchurch over the weekend.

Learjet 36 N361PJ, operated by Premier Jets out of Hillsboro, OR, arrived at Christchurch on the morning of 21 September from Honolulu and Pago Pago on a medivac mission. The Lear most recently visited NZ in July this year with an overnight visit to Hamilton.

As mentioned earlier today, Hawker 800XP VH-RIU spent the night at Christchurch arriving 20 September from Perth and Essendon and departing 21 September for Queenstown and Invercargill.

Making its NZ debut yesterday was this rather striking Hawker 800XPi, VH-RIU. Previously registered M-CYEF, the jet arrived in Australia last month touching down at Port Hedland on 11 August from Male via Cocos Island. It then carried onto Essendon the next day for further pre-delivery work before heading to Sydney 04 September and then arriving at its new home of Perth two days later.

Its first foray across the Tasman Sea saw it arrive at Christchurch 20 September from Perth via a techstop at Essendon.

Operated by SC Aviation/Nantay Pty, the Hawker joins 800XP VH-RIO which is flown as a dedicated air ambulance on behalf of the RFDS Western Operations.

Awaiting its first trip to Sydney on 04 September, G Reid photo

Yesterday we mentioned some earthrounders out and about, and today we have some longhaul/delivery flight activity.

First up we have Vulcanair (nee Partenavia) P68 N104LT. This aircraft has crossed the Pacific Ocean in recent days having started its delivery flight from Florida before hauling across to Hilo from Yolo County Airport, CA on 13 September (all dates NZ). It then flew to Pago Pago 16 September from where it made its way to Norfolk Island and the Gold Coast 19 September. The Pago Pago-Norfolk Island leg is not confirmed as we suspect it may have staged perhaps via Nadi.

Departing the Gold Coast for Archerfield 20 September, T Magee photo

There have been a number of Cirrus Aircraft movements across the Pacific in recent weeks and arriving into Australia 17 September was SR22 N538SR. This aircraft has been based at Singapore/Seletar since 2012 and was noted flying westbound across the Pacific in February of that year as it made its way from Santa Maria to Seletar via Hilo, Tarawa, Guam and Kota Kinabalu. As it heads homeward bound to the USA it flew Seletar direct to Darwin on the 17th of this month, then to Cairns 18 September and today has launched for Tarawa.

At the same time another SR22, VH-CPE, is tracking across the Tasman Sea. This aircraft is registered to a Western Australia address but over the last couple of days it has crossed the Australian outback flying from Jandakot to Forrest, Leigh Creek then to Archerfield while today its flown to Lord Howe Island and as this goes to "press" is a good part of the way to Kerikeri. An online search quickly finds this 2004 example as listed for sale so it may well become ZK registered.
http://classifieds.aviationadvertiser.com.au/detail.php?id=2459
If so it will be a timely arrival for Cirrus New Zealand who recently registered ZK-CNZ and had their official launch at Fielding, Manawatu base last evening.

And not to be outdone, Cirrus SR20 N176CD is making the long journey from Merced to Hilo today. We fully expect this aircraft will continue in a more westerly direction towards Asia where a number of deliveries have been made to in recent months.

Rounding off the review is Cessna 337 VH-ODL. We mentioned this aircraft last month when it turned up at the Gold Coast http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/nice-catch-at-gold-coast.html.
Today the inline twin has departed Archerfield for Lord Howe Island and is due onto Norfolk Island later today.
It made an earlier attempt at a delivery flight to Apia flying for Archerfield to Lord Howe Island on the 14th with a plan to continue to Norfolk Island but made a return trip to Archerfield instead, perhaps for some sort of maintenance attention.

And a quick update on Piper Twin Comanche D-GPEZ. Trevor departed Auckland just on 0650 this morning heading for Pago Pago, just beating a rather active frontal system crossing the top half of the North Island bringing some gnarly thunderstorms and hail!

Nextant Aerospace, maker of the Nextant 400XTi - the world's only remanufactured business jet - and the forthcoming Nextant G90XT turboprop, yesterday officially announced the sale of its first 400XTi quick-change Air Ambulance to New Zealand.

Extracted from yesterday's announcement:

NEXTANT LANDS IN NEW ZEALAND

§ Nextant sells its first aircraft to the New Zealand market

§ The quick-change Air Ambulance will be a part of Skyline Aviation’s expanding fleet

§ The deal demonstrates strong regional interest in aeromedical operations

AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2014 – Nextant Aerospace (“Nextant”), maker of the Nextant 400XTi – the world’s only remanufactured business jet – and the forthcoming Nextant G90XT turboprop, today announced the sale of its first 400XTi quick-change Air Ambulance to New Zealand.

The aircraft has been purchased by Skyline Aviation Ltd (“Skyline”) and wholly owned associate company The New Zealand Air Ambulance Service Ltd, the region’s busiest aeromedical provider.

The Nextant 400XTi will complement Skyline’s aeromedical fleet of turboprops and helicopters. It will also be available for charter throughout New Zealand and internationally.

“Our new Nextant 400XTi, together with our specialist clinical teams, will be the first fully accredited intensive care jet air ambulance service ever to be established in New Zealand. This new service will support our longer range Australasian, South Pacific Island and beyond aeromedical program,” according to the company’s directors Mike and Annabel Toogood. “By any measure, the 400XTi, with its latest technology, fuel-efficient engines, advanced avionics suite, cabin size, 2003 nm range, high speed, very competitive operating costs and safety record, is clearly the best choice for our operation.”

“Our investment in the Nextant 400XTi will ensure our Government, Assistance Company and private clients, together with our patients, have access to a quality of jet aircraft, clinical support and equipment not previously available in New Zealand and all on a very competitive basis,” says Mr. Toogood.

This will be the first unit of this kind in New Zealand and the deal proves significant interest in aeromedical operations in this region following the delivery of another Nextant 400XTi quick-change Air Ambulance to Australia three months earlier. The cabin is by far the quietest in its class with a composite interior shell designed to provide extra room around the head and shoulders for the patient and medical staff.

“John Oppenheim and his team at Nextant Pacific have once again demonstrated the value of the Nextant 400XTi not only as a business tool but also as a life-saving medical instrument,” says Jay Heublein, Nextant Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. “With this aircraft’s air ambulance applications and a launch of the Nextant G90XT air ambulance expected later this year we are prepared to meet strong demand for aeromedical aircraft in the region.”

“New Zealand is a key conquest market for us, so we are delighted to have achieved our first sale into the country,” said Nextant Pacific Managing Director John Oppenheim. “With Skyline, we believe we have partnered with one of the premier aviation companies in the region. Their high profile operation will allow us to showcase the strengths of the 400XTi brilliantly.”

Skyline and the New Zealand Air Ambulance Service new Nextant XTi is expected to be commissioned to service in mid-December 2014.

About Nextant Aerospace

Nextant’s pioneering process for remanufacturing business jets is now recognized as an established technical and commercial success worldwide with significant sales in every major operator category and class-leading levels of comfort, performance, and reliability at a purchase price half that of comparable aircraft. The revolutionary 400XTi light jet features Williams FJ44-3AP engines and the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21™ integrated flight deck. The same winning combination of the latest technology in remanufactured airframes is expected to repeat this success with the Nextant G90XT turboprop powered by next-generation GE H75 engines and an enhanced Garmin G1000 integrated flight deck. Founded in 2007, Nextant is a Directional Aviation company based in Cleveland, Ohio.

http://www.nextantaerospace.com/

http://www.skylineaviation.co.nz/

Napier based Skyline Aviation fleet is currently made up of:

Beech King Air 200 ZK-PLK

Beech King Air C90 ZK-ZZA

Cessna 421 Golden Eagle ZK-MFT

Piper PA31-310 Navajo ZK-LWN

Beech King Air C90 ZK-SKL was until just recently also operated by Skyline but this has now moved to be with Air Gisborne providing a pressurised option for air ambulance activity alongside their existing Piper PA31 Panther ZK-SRC and two PA34 Senecas, ZK-DCP and ZK-SFC.

The first Nextant 400XTi in the region is Australian registered example VH-OVS. It was previously operated as N868JL on aeromedical activities around SE Asia and flown to Essendon on 20 October 2013 from Seletar via Port Hedland. This 1999 airframe was placed on the VH register 18 December 2013 and was noted in March this year departing Sydney for Mt Isa, Darwin and Seletar on its re-delivery to AP Jets PTY.

VH-OVS at Essendon in March, G Reid photos

Earlier today we posted the news of two Robinson R66 helicopters making their way to NZ from Russia.

It's somewhat timely then to update on additional Earthrounder activities as they take flight today, 19 September.

Trevor Landy and his Piper PA30 Twin Comanche D-GPEZ have just arrived at Auckland from Omaka where they have been based since arriving in the country back April 2013. Trevor made landfall at Wellington on on 18 April 2013 from Lord Howe Island before making the short trip to Omaka. The distinctive twin has since been spied around the country and most notably it made a trip from Omaka direct to the Chatham Islands on 07 March this year returning 08 March. D-GPEZ is expected to set-head for Pago Pago 20 September then onto Christmas Island, Hawaii and Southern California on the journey home to the UK.

At Wellington April 2013, Agairnz photo

Thom Kane is also out and about today with his Cessna 180 N6TK. He, along with companion Veronica Baird, are slowly trundling from Saipan to Chukk having made the trip from Sendai to Saipan on 8 September. Thom and his trusty 180 visited NZ back in 2010/2011.

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/n6tk/1/tpod.html

At Ardmore December 2010, MRC photo

And lastly, Heinz Peier extracted his Swearingen SX-300 N54JX from the hangar space at Ardmore 18 September to give his little red rocket a wash followed by a drying off flight. He is set to embark on a NZ tour tomorrow so keep an eye out for him!

On the move at Ardmore 18 September, C Hunter photo

An epic flight by two Russian registered Robinson R66 turbine helicopters has commenced earlier this week with RA-06345 and RA-06360 beginning the long trek from Moscow to New Zealand!

The journey, christened by the crew "There and Back Again" gives a clue to their reasons for marking New Zealand on their globe trotting trip as the title was to be the name of the third and final movie in the Hobbit trilogy by Sir Peter Jackson. Of course in April this year the movie title was changed to "The Battle of the Five Armies" but it doesn't have quite the same ring about it for such an epic flight!

With special thanks to Jeremy from the fantastic UK based website Helihub, we know that the helicopters are being flown by pilots Evgeny Kabanov, Igor Rudoy, Alexander Kurylev and Alexey Murashov. The route is approximately 30,000 nautical miles starting from a heliport near Moscow and heading east to the Russian coastline, skirting just north of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, before turning south through Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and onto Australia. The two helicopters then intend to visit various Pacific Islands including New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji along with the Tasman Sea stop overs of Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island before reaching New Zealand and traverersing the entire length of the country, no doubt taking in much of the scenery as seen on the various Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies. On exiting New Zealand they will head back through Australia and Indonesia to Singapore, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Then its onto India and Pakistan to reach the UAE and Saudi Arabia before the home run to Moscow via Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey and the Ukraine.

A map of their planned journey can be found by clicking HERE

RA-06345 is trackable by clicking HERE

RA-06360 should be spotted by clicking HERE but as yet we've not been able to get that to work

And, one final link to follow is their Facebook page, accessible to those who are not Facebook users:

https://www.facebook.com/ThereAndBackAgainFlight

Also thanks to Claude from www.earthrounders.com who has posted some photos on his website from a recent get together in Moscow, click HERE

Recently retired from Air NZ service Boeing 747-400 ZK-NBV has emerged from the airline's Auckland hangar base minus titles and name but still retaining the iconic "Koru", however it is expected this will also be removed in the near future before the aircraft flies away early October.

ZK-NBV was the focus of a predominately in-house open day last Saturday with approximately 1000 staff and their friends taking the opportunity for one last look at the "Queen of the Skies". Daniel Talbot has kindly provided us with a link to the photos he was able to capture on the day - thanks for sharing!

http://www.danieltalbot.co.nz/blog/2014/9/14/farewell-boeing-747-400

Gulfstream IV-X (G450) VP-CET, mentioned in our Corporate Corner review earlier this week, made a brief appearance at Rotorua 16 September as it made the trip north from Queenstown to Auckland.

Above, VP-CET arriving at Rotorua where it was to spend just over one hour on the ground 16 September.

And a little later the same day parked up at Auckland.

As a follow up to the weekend's post detailing the visit of the first Boeing 767-300 variant to Dunedin, this time lapse video has been posted of the aircraft's visit along with some of the other activity.

Also, thanks to JB for the accompanying photos of the Boeing 767-200 visitor to Dunedin in March 2003.

Air New Zealand gathered together a trio of aircraft sporting the carrier's new livery at Christchurch 15 September, namely Airbus A320 ZK-OXA, ATR72-500 ZK-MCF and Q300 ZK-NEQ.

Thanks again to our contributor for providing these unique shots.

Air New Zealand's long since retired Boeing 737-3K2 ZK-NGK (deregistered just under 12 months ago) has been slowly but surely dismantled at Christchurch and yesterday saw the aircraft have its wings surgically removed.
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/another-retirement.html
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2013/09/retirement-village-at-christchurch.html
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/boeing-737-3u3-zk-ngk-update.html

Thanks to our contributor for sharing these up close and personal shots

This morning we review the last week of corporate jet activity.

Falcon Operations Falcon 50 VH-FOL arrived at Queenstown 06 September from Brisbane and headed back to Brisbane 08 September.

Pentastar Aviation Gulfstream 4 N473CW arrived at Christchurch from Sydney 09 September as muso Bob Dylan neared the end of his Australasian tour. The Gulfstream had arrived at Auckland in the early hours of 07 August from Oxnard via techstops at Kona and Nadi. It departed for Perth 11 August and is known to have visited Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide and Sydney. It departed Christchurch 11 September for Nadi and Honolulu.

At Christchurch 10 September, CPT photo

Arkasair Challenger 604 TC-ARD departed Auckland on the morning of 10 September for Cairns and Singapore/Changi.

Jetcity/Tyremax Challenger 604 N604AU flew from Auckland to Nelson 10 September then made two short flights 11 September as it flew to Woodbourne and later onto Wellington. It departed Wellington for Sydney 14 September.

Abelag Aviation Falcon 7X OO-LMG departed Auckland 12 September for Sydney.

K5 Aviation Airbus A319CJ D-ALXX departed Auckland 12 September for Cairns and Tokyo/Haneda as "Kayak 52".

Evolution Asset Management LLC Challenger 604 N429WG arrived at Auckland 14 September from Port Vila.

Returning home to Auckland after a prolonged absence was Jetflight Air Services Falcon 2000 N818BH. It arrived on the evening of 14 September from Maui via Apia. The Falcon had departed Auckland for Cairns way back on 17 May and flew onto Macau 18 May and has been away ever since!

Park Rise Investments Gulfstream 450 VP-CET made its first NZ visit arriving at Queenstown on the morning of 15 September from Hong Kong via a fuel stop at Darwin.

Jetcity Learjet 45 VH-LJX spent less than one hour at Auckland mid morning 15 September arriving from Essendon and Adelaide and departing back to Essendon.

Rainbow Aviation Global 5000 N755RA arrived Auckland late evening 15 September from Singapore/Seletar.

Air New Zealand's second Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZF MSN 34335 has made its first flight (B1) from Paine Field 15 September (14th USA date) as "Boeing 004".

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/BOE4

The aircraft is expected to arrive Auckland by the end of this month.

Royal Australian Air Force Airbus A330-200 (KC30A) MRTT A39-002 visited Auckland briefly on the afternoon of 15 September arriving from Townsville, carrying out an instrument approach followed by a missed approach before departing to Amberley as "Ausy 714".

This example has visited NZ a few times now, the first in March 2013 (as pictured), then again in March and June 2014. The tanker/freighter/all round transporter was noted across the Pacific on 18 August arriving at Amberley from Eindhoven, the Netherlands via Travis AFB and then eleven days later it departed Adelaide for Honolulu returning to Amberley 02 September.
http://www.hnlrarebirds.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/raafs-kc-30a.html

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