Quest Kodiak N143QK

Japan's Setouchi Seaplanes is in the process of taking delivery of 2015 edition Quest Kodiak 100 N143QK with the amphibian making the long haul journey from Honolulu to Majuro during the course of today with a planned elapsed flight time of 12hr 53min. On the 18th of this month N143QK flew 13hr 15min departing from California's Santa Maria and initially heading to Hilo but changing destination enroute to Maui.

On arrival in Japan the Kodiak is set to become JA03TG.

On static display at EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2015. 

Undertow preparing for departure at the conclusion of EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2015. 

Kiwi on the Gold Coast

Nothing unusual about finding a Kiwi on the Gold Coast but it is a little strange that Kiwi Air's Pacific Aerospace 750XL ZK-XLE was parked at the airport 26 November having arrived there 04 October from Gisborne via Auckland, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.

It may well have conducted some flying in between but we've not "sighted it" doing so.

Thanks to Mark from http://www.taurangaspotter.blogspot.co.nz/ for this photo.

De Havilland Canada Beaver ZK-WKA

After numerous attempts to catch Auckland Seaplane's De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Mk1 ZK-WKA, it was awesome to catch up with it in the sun on Friday the 13th and again more recently when it was returning to Ardmore where it is hangared each night. 

ZK-WKA has had a busy few weeks covering all bases as ZK-AMA has recently been in dry dock for a scheduled maintenance visit at Okahu Bay. 

Nauru Airlines Boeing 737-300 VH-NLK

Nauru Airlines Boeing 737-33A VH-NLK has made its first visit to New Zealand since the airline adopted its most recently livery with the airliner arriving at Auckland early on the afternoon of 26 November from Perth via Melbourne as "Ausy 1054" carrying deportees from the Christmas Island detention centre. It departed a short time later heading to Brisbane.

VH-NLK was delivered to Our Airline (later Nauru Airlines) in 2008 and in an all white scheme flew from Santiago to Easter Island, Papeete, Auckland and Melbourne arriving 15 November as RON733. It later entered service with the airline in Norfolk Air livery and was primarily used on the contracted services from Sydney and Brisbane to Norfolk Island and is known to have visited Auckland twice during its time with Norfolk Air. 

This service terminated in late February 2012 and it was later repainted in the snazzy scheme it wears today.

Thanks to www.aviationshotz.blogspot.co.nz for the snap!

Cool Photos!

In our final collection of shots from Antarctica, Darryn shares gleanings from a trip to Williams Field where the LC130 Hercules and other ski equipped aircraft ply their trade across the frozen continent.

Corporate Corner

It has been a while since our last corporate corner - a sign that there has been very little taking place to review!

But 24 November saw a spike in jet movements - mostly Australian residents - so here we go:

Jetcity Learjet 36 VH-JCX flew from Auckland to Wellington before continuing to Sydney and Essendon. The Lear had arrived into Auckland 22 November from Santos and Port Vila. It made another visit to Auckland 25 November arriving from and returning to Essendon.

Business Aviation Solutions Citation VII VH-DHN made a brief visit to Christchurch 24 November, arriving from and returning to the Gold Coast.

French Navy/Marine Falcon 20 Gardian 72 touched down at Auckland mid afternoon 24 November from Noumea via Norfolk Island and departed over the reverse route the following day. This aircraft spent a few days at Wellington earlier this month. 

Sega Sammy/Western Air Charter Global 5000 N115MH was the next jet movement at Auckland on 24 November with it arriving from Sydney as "Jetedge 115". The Global had arrived into Sydney from Narita 22 November. 

Next to arrive was Learjet 60 VH-XPN operated by Avcair PTY. It arrived from Brisbane and flew back to Brisbane 25 November. The Lear made its NZ debut earlier this month with a visit to Auckland and Taupo. 

Marcplan Gulfstream G450 VH-MBP was the final arrival for the day arriving from its Essendon home. It departed Auckland 25 November for Queenstown. 

Linfox/Air National Australia Global Express VH-LZP, ex VH-LEP, made its second visit to NZ under its new registration arriving at Auckland from Essendon 25 November. 

Just Chilling

Again we'd like to extend our sincere thanks to Darryn for sending through images captured in Antarctica and today we share a C17 carrying out a missed approach in poor weather conditions at Pegasus Field and subsequently making a second approach and successful landing from the opposite end of the "field" along with a visiting LC130H that would normally be stationed at Willy Field. Speaking of Williams Field, we will share some images from there in the coming days.

Schedule Changes through Auckland

I don't normally report the changes to airline schedules through Auckland as there are numerous avenues for people to do their own research on what is happening. However more for my own reference than anything else I've noted the following:

Cathay Pacific will replace their daily Airbus A340-300 service with Boeing 777-300's from 02 December through until 02 March inclusive with CX197 arriving at 1250 and departing at 1440. The airline will also commence its seasonal CX117/118 operation from early December using the Airbus A340-300 arriving at 0735 and departing at 0900.

Philippine Airlines commence services to Auckland from 03 December flying Airbus A320's from Manila via Cairns and out over the reverse route.

PR218 will arrive at 1630 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and depart as PR219 the same day at 1930.

Air China commence daily services to Auckland from 10 December flying Airbus A330's from/to Beijing.

CA783 will arriving at 1810 and depart 2000 as CA784.

Korean Airlines continued to operate the Boeing 747-400 on its KE129/130 daily service through Auckland until 05 January when the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday flights will be flown by the Boeing 747-8i Intercontinental - the first time this Boeing variant will have operated to New Zealand (unless Cathay Pacific Cargo drop one in between now and then!). Online schedules indicate the -8i will operate KE129/130 on a daily basis from 02 February through until 01 March inclusive before their schedule reverts to Boeing 777-300's and operate daily except for Wednesday and Friday.

Southern Katipo 2015 - Final Report

The last remaining USAF participant for Exercise Southern Katipo 2015 has departed New Zealand with Lockheed C130H Hercules 89-1184/AK departing Ohakea 21 November for Pago Pago as SCARS84. It appears the Herc flew onto John Rodgers Field (the old Barbers Point NAS) on 22 November. 

A Royal Australian Air Force Lockheed C130J Hercules A97-450 arrived at Ohakea 20 November from Richmond as ASY743 while a King Air 350 A32-350 arrived at Christchurch the same day from East Sale and Hobart as ASY104.

The Hercules was observed flying as LIFTR038 21 November visiting Westport and Christchurch and again 22 & 23 November while the King Air flew a navigational exercise from Christchurch to Invercargill followed by an approach at Queenstown before heading to Hokitika and ending up in Nelson overnight. A32-350 then flew an approach and overshoot at Wellington before lunch at Ohakea and onto Whenuapai 22 November then onwards to Norfolk Island the following day.

Royal Australian Air Force Boeing C17 Globemaster III A41-209 arrived at Christchurch on the afternoon of 23 November from Amberley. As this post goes to air the C17 was due to be heading back to Amberley.

A41-209 on finals for runway 29 at Christchurch - photos supplied

Meanwhile Royal New Zealand Air Force Lockheed C130 Hercules NZ7005 departed Christchurch 23 November for Pegasus Field on the first flight for this season's Operation Ice Cube.

Jetstar Q300 VH-TQL

The third Dash 8-Q300 for Jetstar's regional New Zealand operation, flown by Eastern Australian Airlines, was delivered across the Tasman 23 November with VH-TQL arriving mid afternoon from Brisbane via Norfolk Island using the callsign "Q-Link 6714".

It joins VH-SBI and VH-TQM at Auckland ahead of the commencement of schedule services 01 December.

VH-SBI is expected to visit Napier and Nelson today.

Blue skies greeted VH-TQL arriving at Auckland yesterday. 

Gardian Departs

French Navy/Marines Falcon 20 Gardian tail number 48 finally departed Wellington 21 November having arrived the week before last. It made its way to Papeete via a techstop at Niue however inclement weather saw the jet divert to Tonga before proceeding to its final destination.

48 tucked away in the hangar as 72 taxis for departure 19 November. 

Jetstar Q300 VH-SBI

Eastern Australian Airlines, operating on behalf of Jetstar Regional, ferried their second Dash 8-Q300 VH-SBI across the Tasman Sea 21 November with the aircraft arriving at Auckland from Brisbane via Norfolk Island as SXA713 and this morning it is parked on the remote stands between Auckland Domestic and Auckland International which is where these aircraft will operate from when services commence. 

VH-SBI was repainted in Townsville during August and delivered to Brisbane on 10 September.

Jetstar's regional flying commences 01 December with up to three flights per day from Auckland to Nelson and to Napier.


Auckland-Nelson
JQ371 ETD 0805 ETA 0930 - Daily
JQ375 ETD 1505 ETA 1630 - Daily
JQ377 ETD 1740 ETA 1905 - Daily except Saturday


Auckland-Napier
JQ351 ETD 0835 ETA 0935 - Daily
JQ355 ETD 1435 ETA 1535 - Daily
JQ357 ETD 1900 ETA 2000 - Daily except Saturday


Nelson-Auckland
JQ370 ETD 0635 ETA 0800 - Daily except Sunday
JQ372 ETD 1000 ETA 1125 - Daily
JQ376 ETD 1700 ETA 1825 - Daily


Napier-Auckland
JQ350 ETD 0630 ETA 0730 - Daily except Sunday
JQ352 ETD 1005 ETA 1105 - Daily
JQ356 ETD 1605 ETA 1705 - Daily


An increase in frequency between the above cities coincides with the airline commencing services from Auckland to New Plymouth and Palmerston North and Nelson to Wellington.

Global 6000 9H-VJL

Vistajet's Global 6000 9H-VJL touched down at Wellington mid afternoon 21 November from Sydney as VJT840J. The 2014 edition Global had arrived into Sydney from Tokyo/Haneda a couple of days earlier and its visit downunder coincides with the appearances in Australasia of iconic musician Elton John.

Vistajet (Malta) has 42 jets on their books - all manufactured by Bombardier

http://www.airframes.org/fleet/vjt

The 6000 was only in the Capital for the afternoon/evening departing prior to midnight for Auckland arriving during the first hour of 22 November and promptly making its way onto Hong Kong.

Thanks to Lanzi for these great shots.