Airbus A400M Atlas - what might have been?

French Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas F-RBAF/61-AF/0014 has been in the region primarily for static display at the Australian International Airshow staged at Avalon. The aircraft was to have been demonstrated to the New Zealand Defence Force as they undergo a review of its air transportation requirements with the A400 understood to be planning a visit to our shores however it seems the NZDF traveled to Avalon to view the aircraft and this was done on 26 February when Boeing 757 NZ7571 made a day trip from Wellington to Avalon and back.

This A400M arrived Avalon from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah/Subang as "Cotam 1506" on the morning of 22 February and departed early afternoon 26 February for Manila. The aircraft then flew from Manila to Noumea 28 February.

The Atlas, dubbed Grizzly for the prototype and development airframes, is a multi-national four-engine turboprop transport designed by Airbus Military with an eye to be a successor to the ageing fleet of Lockheed C130's and similar workhorses around the world.  The A400M first flew on 11 December 2009 from Seville, Spain and it received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)certification in March 2013 following an extensive flight test programme. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013. 

As of January 2015 the order books stood at:

Germany - 53

France - 50 (six in service)

Spain - 27

UK - 22

Turkey - 10

Belgium - 7

Luxembourg - 1

Malaysia - 4 (the only non-European nation so far to purchase the A400M)

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/malaysia39s-first-a400m-gets-airborne-408613/

The A400M advertises a capacity of 37000kg (81600lb) which could equate to 116 fully equipped troops/paratroops or 66 stretchers and associated medical personnel. It is powered by 4 Europrop TP400-D6 turboprops producing 8250kW (11060hp) each. These drive 8-bladed Ratier-Figeac FH385 and FH386 variable pitch tractor propellers with feathering and reversing capabilities with a 5.3m diameter. Empty weight for the Atlas is 76500kg and a maximum take off weight of 141000kg. The fuel capacity of 50500kg and a payload of 20 tonne will see it travel roughly 6400km cruising anywhere between Mach 0.68 to 0.72. 

Thanks to Transair for these great shots

First Timers

Two jets made their first visits to Auckland 26 February. 

Falcon 20F-5 VH-FAI arrived prior to sunrise having overnight flown from Sydney to Norfolk Island and Niue. It is expected to head back to Sydney later today.

VH-FAI is operated by Business Aviation Solutions and it was delivered to Australia in July 2014 arriving at Bankstown on the 6th. It joins another Falcon 20F-5 with Business Aviation Solutions, VH-PNY.

Rotorua's resident jet Citation Mustang ZK-JAK made its first visit to Auckland arriving mid morning from its home town. The Mustang is being operated on behalf of its owners under the Air Hawkes Bay banner and since its arrival late January it has been spotted at Wanganui, Tauranga, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

On the subject of first timers, Hawker 900XP VH-NKD made its first appearance this side of the Tasman when it spent a couple of hours at Auckland on the evening of 25 February. It is registered to CML Aviation and arrived from the Gold Coast via Essendon before heading to Sydney.

And another rare visitor to our shores was spotted at Wellington on the same evening with Revesco's Gulfstream 4 VH-TXS jetting in after dark from Sydney and departing a short time later for Perth. Its movements coincided with two Chinese based jets featured here earlier. Airbus A319 B-6435 had arrived Wellington 24 February from Christchurch and departed 25 February for Darwin and Hangzhou while Gulfstream G550 N999HZ arrived 25 February from Christchurch and departed for Hong Kong. 

VH-TXS has only visited NZ once, back in October 2013. Above shot taken during its brief time at Wellington. 

Also around our skies have been Global Express VH-ICV and Gulfstream G550 N588PX, the latter arriving Wellington late morning 26 February from Melbourne and cruising onto Auckland the same day. The Global Express meanwhile flew from Queenstown to Auckland, back to Queenstown and onto Sydney 25 February then Sydney-Auckland-Sydney 26 February. Falcon 7X VH-CRW made a visit to Auckland 26 February, arriving from and returning to Napier while Gulfstream G650 N650AB made a round trip from Auckland to Queenstown and back. 

Virgin Boeing 737-800's disappearing from the ZK register

As many will have noticed, the ZK registered Boeing 737-800's once operated under the Pacific Blue brand are disappearing off the Kiwi register as Virgin Australia simplifies their operation and absorbs the NZ Air Operators Certificate (AOC) into the Australian one thus seeing the NG's move to the VH register.

Craig has captured the changes wonderfully on his blog and the links are below:
http://nz-aviation-notes.nzompilot.info/2015/01/vanz-starts-to-disappear.html
http://nz-aviation-notes.nzompilot.info/2015/02/ex-vanz-aircraft-update.html
http://nz-aviation-notes.nzompilot.info/2015/02/vanz-fleet-update.html
http://nz-aviation-notes.nzompilot.info/2015/02/virgin-australia-international-fleet.html
http://nz-aviation-notes.nzompilot.info/2015/02/vanz-fleet-update_14.html
http://nz-aviation-notes.nzompilot.info/2015/02/vanz-halfway-through-reabsorption.html
http://nz-aviation-notes.nzompilot.info/2015/02/then-there-were-4.html

ZK-PBI departs Auckland 20 February 2015. 

Challenger 604 VH-URR

Execujet Australia's Challenger 604 VH-URR made its first visit to Auckland arriving from and returning to Sydney 24 February. The aircraft was delivered to Perth on 14 February 2011 as N350ES arriving from Lihue via Honiara and became VH-URR two days later. It made its debut trip to NZ 15 July 2012 when it flew from Essendon to Queenstown and back and visited the southern town on two more occasions that year. It then didn't appear again on 19 November 2014 when it flew from Sydney to Queenstown and back. 

VH-URR arriving at Auckland 24 February 2015. 

Additional Australian registered jet activity yesterday saw Falcon 7X 

VH-CRW arrive at Napier from Brisbane and Global Express VH-ICV swooped into Queenstown from Sydney.

The Chinese visitors shuffled around with Airbus A319CJ B-6435 making its way to Wellington from Christchurch and Gulfstream G550 B-8269 departing Auckland for the Gold Coast. 

Boeing 737 Airliners At Christchurch

Happened to stumble across this YouTube clip that may appeal to those 737 fans out there! The type is rapidly becoming a rare sight on domestic services with Air New Zealand as the fleet dwindles and ultimately concludes its time with the airline in September 2015. 

Citation Mustang VH-YDZ

Crossing the Tasman Sea on its delivery flight last evening was Cessna C510 Citation Mustang VH-YDZ. The very light jet has most recently been operated by Pacific Real Estate of Wollongong, NSW but has recently been purchased by NZ interests and embarked from Bankstown for Sydney then direct to Auckland 23 February. It is understood this Mustang will be based at Ardmore.

VH-YDZ was delivered to Australia on 04 November 2009 arriving at Bankstown from Darwin via Longreach. The Mustang visited NZ during the Rugby World Cup of 2011 arriving at Auckland direct from Sydney 08 October that year and departing for the Gold Coast via Norfolk Island two days later. It returned to Auckland on the 15th, again flying direct from Sydney then exited the country two days later for the Gold Coast via Norfolk Island. 

Arriving at Auckland in October 2011. 

Air New Zealand Airbus A320 ZK-OXG arrives

Air New Zealand's 11th dedicated domestic Airbus A320, and 7th sharklet equipped model, has arrived in New Zealand overnight concluding its delivery flight from France.

ZK-OXG MSN 6430 (ex F-WWDZ) touched down at Christchurch during the first hour of 24 February as ANZ6397 from Cairns having over the previous couple of days flown from Toulouse, Muscat and for the first time on an A320 delivery, Kuala Lumpur.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bycac/16501281245/

And a great shot of her at Cairns
http://fnqskies.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/air-new-zealand-airbus-320-zk-oxg.html

The 171 seat jet is expected in service later this week and will be followed in early March by the delivery of ZK-OXH MSN 6471 (ex F-WWIQ) which can be seen in the supplied images below taking off from Toulouse still wearing its Airbus test registration. 

Also see:
http://xfw-spotter.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/a320-232sl-air-new-zealand-f-wwiq-zk.html

Comings and Goings

The Chinese New Year jet activity around the country has seen arrivals and departures in recent days along with some other visitors here and there. 

Gulfstream G550 N999HZ and Airbus A319CJ B-6435 departed Auckland on the afternoon of 21 February for Christchurch. 

At Auckland 21 February 2015. 

At Christchurch 22 February 2015. 

Gulfstream G550 B-KID departed Auckland 22 February for Hong Kong while arriving at Auckland was Gulfstream G550 B-8269 as featured yesterday.  Also on the move but unrelated to the Chinese New Year was local Gulfstream G650 N650AB with this aircraft making its first trip across the Tasman with a flight to Essendon. Also departing Auckland was Gulfstream G450 VH-MBP with this jet heading to the Gold Coast. 

And an early riser for Hamilton was the nocturnal visit by Careflight's Learjet 45 VH-CXJ with the medivac jet arriving from Brisbane and departing a few hours later back to Brisbane, then onto Mount Isa, Darwin and Bali.

N650AB arriving at Essendon. 

23 February started off with Embraer E135 Legacy M-JCCA heading to Queenstown from Auckland and its departure was followed by local Falcon 900 N146EX heading to Essendon and then Avalon.
Falcon 7X B-8205 arrived at Auckland late morning from Manila and after clearing formalities continued to Palmerston North. This great looking trijet visited NZ back in February last year.  

At Auckland 21 February 2015.

At Auckland 23 February 2015. 

Embraer E190 Lineage N889ML concluded its visit to Auckland with a departure yesterday afternoon to Nadi while Global Express LX-GXX flew from Queenstown to Auckland and Honolulu. And signing the day off was Global Express VP-CLY flying from Rotorua to Auckland and onto Cebu/Mactan. It had made the hop from Napier to Rotorua 22 February.

Arriving Auckland 20 February 2015. 

Parked at Napier 21 February 2015. 

Stunning G550 B-8269

All Points Jets stunning Gulfstream G550 B-8269 arrived at Auckland on the afternoon of 22 February from the Gold Coast. The aircraft arrived at Sydney during the early hours of 18 February having flown from Hong Kong with an enroute diversion to Brisbane before continuing to its planned destination. It then flew onto Melbourne 19 February and the Gold Coast 21 February.

C-17 visits RNZAF Woodbourne

Deep Freeze cooling down

Operation Deep Freeze 2014/2015 is cooling down as the sun begins to set across the southern continent. The Lockheed LC130 Hercules have migrated north after a busy season shuttling between Christchurch and William Field and long haul ops across Antarctica.

LC130, 92-1094, concluded its tour of duty late January and departed Christchurch for Pago Pago on the 30th while 73-3300 departed Christchurch 20 February for Pago Pago. 

As at 21 February, the Deep Freeze ramp at Christchurch was hosting:

83-0490 Lockheed LC130 "Raven Gang"

93-1096 Lockheed LC130 "City of Christchurch"

76-3302 Lockheed LC130 Nose art with a Dragon at the South Pole

83-0493 Lockheed LC130 Nose art with a penguin on JATO assisted skis

92-1095 Lockheed LC130 parked at Air NZ number 1 hangar

01-0192 Boeing C17 arrived from Hickam 20 February as RCH465

09-9210 Boeing C17 arrived from Hickam 09 February as RCH5E2 and has since flown to Pegasus and back 11, 13, 17, 18, 20 (returned without landing) and 21 February.

Sincere thanks to Bargeld01 for assistance in supplying material for this post. 

Multiple Movements

New Zealand has become a popular retreat for those heading away on holiday for Chinese New Year and in addition to the myriad of scheduled airliner activity, including China Southern operating three special services through Christchurch with Boeing 787-8 equipment, there is of course the increase in Chinese based private jets migrating south.

The first arrival was on 18 February at Napier when Global Express VP-CLY arrived from Cebu/Mactan as TBJ23.

19 February Auckland farewelled the J C Penney Gulfstream G450 N1902P with the aircraft departing mid morning for Papeete. Arriving a couple of hours later from Essendon and Christchurch was another Gulfstream G450 in the shape of Marcplan's VH-MBP. Also crossing the Tasman was Execujet NZ's Gulfstream G650 ZK-KFB with it flying from Wellington to Sydney, Queenstown and back to Wellington. Meanwhile Skyline's Nextant 400XTi N111CX flew from Auckland to Dunedin and back before heading off to Napier. 

20 February saw a number of jets arrive, all of Chinese origin - I think!

First up was Wilmington Trust registered Gulfstream G450 N666ZW as SJM88 inbound from Hong Kong via a techstop at Broome and it was followed by Cloud Skipper II's Gulfstream G550 N999HZ arriving Auckland from Hangzhou. 

Next to arrive was Airbus A319CJ B-6435 operated by Evergrande Real Estate/Capital Airlines. It arrived at Auckland from Hangzhou via a techstop at Cairns.
http://fnqskies.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/evergrande-real-estate-group-airbus.html

Later in the day Embraer Legacy M-JCCA arrived at Auckland from Cairns as TBJ61, the jet having arrived in FNQ from Seletar a couple of days earlier.

Rounding out the arrivals into Auckland was Embraer Lineage N889ML. The corporate jet, based on the E190, arrived from Sydney.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream G450 N668EM departed Auckland at lunchtime for Kupang and resident Gulfstream G650 N650AB flew from Auckland to Queenstown and back. 

Global Express LX-GXX departed Auckland early afternoon for Queenstown using the callsign "Silver Arrow 53 Xra Xray".