DHL Duo - updated

Tasman Cargo Airlines Boeing 757 freighter VH-TCA has returned from its scheduled maintenance visit at Singapore/Seletar with the jet arriving at Auckland via Sydney in the the early hours of 27 February as "Tasman 92". It had departed Auckland for Seletar via Sydney as TMN91 back on Boxing Day 2015. The 757 then carried out crew recurrent training 28 February and while expected back in service tonight it did not and was parked outside the Air NZ jetbase.  During its layover in Seletar the aircraft underwent a full repaint. 

The operator has been wet leasing Boeing 757 freighter G-BMRI and this aircraft arrived at Auckland on the afternoon of 07 January 2016 from Singapore via Sydney as DHK1P. It is expected to depart direct to Darwin in the next day or so. 

Aerial Surveyors

Ardmore, Auckland's satellite general aviation airport, is hosting two out of town aerial survey aircraft this week.

First to arrive was the Pacific Aerospace 750XL ZK-XLE operated by Gisborne's Kiwi Air. It flew into Ardmore direct from Christchurch 21 February and has since then been conducting aerial work across the Auckland and Waikato regions.

Second to turn up was Reims/Cessna F406 Twin Caravan II VH-LAA. Operated by Australian Aerial Mapping, the 406 has been operating on and off in New Zealand since Spring 2015 and has most recently been traversing the South Island. 

Like ZK-XLE, VH-LAA flew into Ardmore direct from Christchurch 23 February and it has also been up enjoying the clear skies conducting its survey work.

Not to be outdone, locally based Cessna 310Q ZK-DEM has also been capitalising on the fine summer weather and was across the Waikato district 25 February. 

Jungmann SE-AIK

A pleasant surprise has greeted aviation enthusiasts around the North Island this month following the arrival of Bucker Bu-131B Jungmann SE-AIK. The 1939 vintage bi-plane took to the skies over Ardmore in early February and it was a participant at last weekend's Art Deco gathering at Napier.

This airframe has a history with Ardmore having had an unfortunate incident two years ago when registered D-EAZO:

http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=D-EAZO

At Napier 21 February 2016. 

Falcon 50 N496PT

Plane Folk Too LLC Falcon 50 N496PT has been at Auckland since 15 February having flown in from Kona via Apia. It made its way from Auckland to Queenstown 26 February and the following day it returned to Auckland before continuing onto Honiara and then to Cairns.

Challenger 300 N228PK

Tango Air Inc/KJP LLC Challenger 300 N228PK arrived at Auckland from Kona and Pago Pago 23 February and flew onto Queenstown 25 February from where it departed late afternoon 26 February for Sydney. 

Up, Up and Away

The 2016 Wairarapa Balloon Festival is in full swing with a large number of locally based examples joined by international visitors including two special shapes which are often the main draw card these days for spectators.

Planefil was on location at Greytown's Soldiers Memorial Park on the morning of 26 February capturing these great images.

Cameron C-70 ZK-PPI operated by the Commemorative Balloon Team

RVB Baloes Ltda SS-30-LS PP-ZDL, known as Owlbert Eyenstein, owned by Gary (pilot) and Diana Moore of Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Left - Aerostar Raven S-55A N28861 flown by Michael Shouse

Centre - Almeida Ricardo SS-30-DIA N47ZS, known as Flighthouse, that is flown by Barry DiLibero from Uwchland, Pennsylvania. 

Right - Cameron Z-275 piloted my Michael Oakley

Left - Boland Rover ZK-WHS flown by Murray Shaw

Background - Kavanagh C-77 ZK-RYZ piloted by Pauline Hickey

Centre - Boland Fred N8295 flown by Ross Sale

Right - Boland Flagship ZK-FAG piloted by Peter King

Airbus A319CJ B-6418

Capital Airlines Beijing Airbus A319CJ B-6418 arrived at Auckland during the early hours of 27 February from Merauke/Mopah, Indonesia. 

At Auckland 27 February 2016

Capital Airlines is 70% owned by Hainan Airlines and based at Beijing Capital Airport. In addition to the corporate configured A319, the airline operates another 23 A319's along with 32 A320's and 2 A330's. 

Capital Airlines was formerly known as DeerJet until it branched into scheduled passenger operations in 2010. The DeerJet brand continues in its corporate role and they are a regular visitor to the region, is owned by Capital Airlines and they run two Gulfstream G550, two Gulfstream 5 and two Hawker 4000's. 

Demonstrators

Cessna demonstrator Cessna 182T N517CS up sticks and crossed the Tasman earlier this week. It was imported to New Zealand for the purposes of being a demonstrator with locally based Flightline Aviation/Oceania and was unpacked at Ardmore in early January. It departed from Kerikeri for Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island and the Gold Coast 23 February and it then headed south to RAAF East Sale 24 February. 

On the subject of demonstrators - we mentioned earlier the upcoming regional tour of a Kodiak Quest. Well, N150KQ has turned up in the area arriving into Darwin from Kupang on 22 February after the Singapore Air Show. It then flew onto Cairns via Normanton 23 February and then to Port Moresby 24 February from where it departed on its return to Cairns 26 February.

http://fnqskies.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/quest-kodiak-100-n150kq.html

Also in the region is Beech 350 King Air N136KF with this aircraft currently working the Australian East Coast. Having entered the country at Darwin on 22 February, the King Air has visited Longreach, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Canberra, Bankstown, Sydney, Essendon and Moorabbin.

Fox Moth ZK-AGM revisited

In August last year we shared some images of the recently restored to flight DH83 Fox Moth ZK-AGM 

http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/fox-moth-zk-agm.html

A video has since been uploaded to Vimeo of the aircraft on its debut 

http://www.airteamimages.com/video_139.html

Pacific Island visitors

Coral Sun Aviation Beech 200 King Air T3-JMR has been in the country since late 2015 and has spent most of its time at Hamilton and more recently Ardmore.

Air Rarotonga Saab 340 E5-EFS has concluded its C check maintenance visit at Hamilton and conducted a local proving flight exercise 24 February ahead of its ferry flight home to Rarotonga.
It departed for Tonga and Rarotonga 26 February.

Cessna 206 YJ-RIR remains static at Ardmore after arriving from Vanuatu back in January. 

Corporate Corner

It has been a busy few days around the traps with a number of jets flitting here and there.

Locally based Citation Mustang ZK-LCA was spotted flying from Hastings to Woodbourne and back 24 February and again 25 February while Citation Mustang ZK-JAK made the trip from Auckland to Kerikeri and back 24 February before heading home to Rotorua 25 February. . Another Citation was out and about 24 February, this time N112BR with it breaking tradition and flying from Auckland to Tauranga where it spent a couple of hours before heading back to Auckland. And there was yet another Citation about on the same day, this time C650 VII VH-DHN.

It arrived at Auckland from Brisbane and departed for Sydney.

There were a couple more jet movements at Tauranga 24 February before the visit of N112BR with Gulfstream G450 VH-MBP departing late morning for Wellington and Essendon while Learjet 60 VH-XPN departed for Auckland and Kaitaia. It returned to Auckland 25 February on a techstop before heading to Brisbane. 

Other locals on the move 24 February  included Nextant 400XTi ZK-NXJ flying a round trip from Auckland to Queenstown and back and Citationjet CJ4 ZK-OCB flew from Auckland to Melbourne and return having the previous afternoon visited Kerikeri and Wanaka. 

Hawker 900XP N580RJ concluded its NZ visit and departed Kerikeri for Auckland and Rarotonga 25 February.

Arriving at Nelson earlier in the month. 

Falcon 7X OY-EJD also concluded its NZ visit 25 February and it departed Hokitika for Christchurch and Essendon.

Challenger 300 N288PK migrated south from Auckland to Queenstown 25 February 

Gulfstream 4 N772AV

Journey Aviation LLC Gulfstream 4 N772AV touched down at Auckland early on the afternoon of 24 February from Melbourne carrying musician and singer Prince for his first ever visit to New Zealand. The artist staged two concerts the same day/evening before jetting out of Auckland at 0300 25 February heading to Perth. It departed Perth in the early hours of 26 February for Nadi and Honolulu. 

N772AV first entered the region on 15 February arriving at Melbourne from Honolulu via Nadi and it flew onto Sydney 18 February returning to Melbourne 22 February.

Boeing BBJ N260DV

Alticor/Amway/RDV Leasing Boeing 737-7HT (BBJ) N260DV touched down at Auckland on the morning of 23 February from Grand Rapids, CO via a techstop at Honolulu. The BBJ was on the ground for a little over an hour before continuing its journey to Queenstown. 

Its arrival coincides with that of Gulfstream G550 N250DV that was mentioned in the most recent Corporate Corner post. 

N260DV has visited NZ before, in 2002,  when it was then registered N737WH and it visited Christchurch. And if my memory serves me right it was the first time a Boeing Business Jet had ventured to New Zealand. 

best I could get from home of it departing Auckland for Queenstown. 

Fire Bombers!

Last weekend the four heavy fire bombers stationed at Avalon, near Melbourne, were put in the air to test their dropping equipment much to the delight of local aviation enthusiasts. 

A big shout of thanks to Transair for sending us these outstanding shots of the action as seen 20 February in the skies above Avalon.

The DC10, N612AX, departed Avalon for Pago Pago 26 February at the conclusion of its 6 month deployment. 

http://fireaviation.com/tag/australia/

French President visits Wallis and Futuna

We seldom hear of the French protectorate islands of Wallis and Futuna located some 480km northeast of Fiji. However this week the small nation hosted the second visit of a French President when Francois Hollande and his entourage arrived at Wallis Island early on the morning of 22 February on board Armee de L'Air Falcon 7X F-RAFB arriving from Papeete as COTAM01. The President was then flown to neighbouring Futuna Island by a Armee de L'Air Casa 235 52-ID/066 before returning to Wallis and catching the 7X back to Papeete.

President Hollande had arrived Papeete during the early hours of 22 February (NZ date) from Orly via a techstop at Vancouver onboard Airbus A330 F-RAFA and immediately tranfferred to the 7X for the day trip to Wallis and Futuna. Yesterday the President was flown to Raiatea and back and the same night departed for Lima, Peru onboard the A330. 

Thanks to 

https://www.facebook.com/AVgeeksTahiti/ 

for the photo and information.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/south-pacific-islands-greet-french-president-francois-hollande-dancing-garlands-30-dead-pigs-1545305

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/297139/french-leader-addresses-wallis-and-futuna-assembly

Corporate Corner - updated

Air Alsie Falcon 7X OY-EJD touched down in Auckland 17 February as "Mermaid 655" from Kona. The previous day the Falcon had made the long haul (almost 13 hr flight)  from Keflavik to Kona. The tri-jet flew to Tauranga 19 February and onto Nelson 20 February. From there it flew to Hokitika, where it is seen in the photos below, on 22 February. 

Royal Australian Air Force Boeing BBJ A36-001 made a brief, late afternoon appearance in Queenstown 17 February arriving from Canberra and departing to Brisbane and Sydney. 

Air 7 LLC Gulfstream G550 N575PK arrived at Auckland from Sydney and Brisbane 18 February. It departed Auckland late 20 February for Honolulu.

Fame Mountain Ltd/Jet Aviation Business Jets Hong Kong based Global 5000 VP-CWQ arrived in Auckland from Sydney 18 February. The Global flew from Auckland to Queenstown 20 February.

Hinman Co Hawker 900XP N580RJ arrived at Nelson 18 February from Queenstown. It then made its way to Kerikeri 21 February.  

Airflite Inc Gulfstream G550 N801TM arrived at Wellington first thing 19 February direct from its Nagoya/Komaki, Japan home and departed the following morning on its return to Komaki.

Royal Australian Air Force Challenger 604 A37-002 made landfall in New Zealand somewhere on the evening of 20 February as ASY307 and then made a brief visit to Wellington the following morning on its way to Canberra.

Gulfstream G550 N250DV arrived in Queenstown on the morning of 20 February from Grand Rapids, MI via a techstop at Honolulu. Its arrival ties in with the owners EC130 N176LY noted operating in the Central Otago district in recent days.

United States Air Force Gulfstream 5/C37A 01-0030 touched down at Wellington on the evening of 21 February from Hickam as SPAR31.

BR Leasing Citation II N112BR conducted its semi regular run flying from Auckland to Kerikeri and back 21 February.

Marcplan Gulfstream G450 VH-MBP arrived at Auckland from Hamilton Island and Essendon 22 February. It flew onto Tauranga on the evening of 23 February joining VH-XPN on the ramp.

Norris Aviation Learjet 60 VH-XPN made its way to Tauranga from Brisbane via a techstop at Auckland 23 February.

Alticor/Amway Boeing BBJ N260DV arrived at Queenstown 23 February.

Tango Air Inc/KJP LLC Challenger 300 N228PK arrived at Auckland from Kona and Pago Pago 23 February.

Parked at Auckland are Falcon's N999PM and N496PT.

NOTAR N778MH

Spotted at Nelson in recent days is the McDonnell Douglas 520 NOTAR N778MH (LN-077). The helicopter has been registered to Microseal Inc of New York since October 2015 and it spent the previous 18 years registered in India as VT-RMD.

Peter Campbell photo

Tropical Cyclone Winston - updated late 21 February

Our thoughts this morning turn to the people of Fiji who overnight hunkered down against potentially the most ferocious category 5 tropical cyclone to hit the islands, and possibly the most potent weather system recorded in the Pacific with a central air pressure as low as 915hPa and winds reaching 325km/h.

(I had a funny feeling the photo I was sent this morning of damaged aircraft at Nadi was from 2012 and after hunting around my inkling was confirmed hence I've removed it - Pprune post from 2012 has images of the previous cyclone damage:
http://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/503214-ga-nadi-airport-after-cyclone-evan-came-town.html

Royal New Zealand Air Force Lockheed P3K-2 Orion NZ4202 departed Whenuapai at 1202 21 February as "Kiwi Rescue 963" to provide aerial survey capability of the Fijian islands and to assist with any SAR activities. The aircraft was planned to land at Nadi but I'm not sure if it did or not.

Fiji Airways aircraft lined up at Auckland 20 February
(from left to right - Boeing 737-800 DQ-FJH, Boeing 737-700 DQ-FJF and Airbus A330 DQ-FJU)



A gaggle from Ardmore

A sunny Sunday afternoon at Ardmore wasn't as busy as I'd expected but if you wait long enough something of interest will come, or go. 

While registered to Stan Smith of North Shore, De Havilland DH83C Fox Moth ZK-APT has been an Ardmore resident for sometime now and it is seen here departing on a short local flight.

Mooney M20C ZK-CPF caught just about to touch down on runway 03.

Air Gisborne's Grumman AA-5A ZK-JER made a brief appearance, arriving from and departing to the south.

Vans RV-7 ZK-LVA is a regular flyer and is seen here "landing long" to minimise the taxi time back to the hangar at the east end of the airfield.

Yak 52 ZK-XXS seems to share its time between Ardmore and Pauanui and its seen here touching down on runway 03. 

Gulfstream G650 N650AB

Auckland based Gulfstream G650 N650AB flew to Wellington from Auckland 18 February arriving to a damp morning producing a moody backdrop for these fab shots as caught by Lanzi.