Sunset Shots

While sorting through some photo files I stumbled upon these candid snaps taken on 13 May right on or slightly after sunset as a gaggle of us waited in the cold breeze for the RAAF Poseidon to turn-up. 

Hainan Logo Jet

Making its first Auckland back on 28 May was Hainan Airlines Airbus A330-300 B-8287 on the carrier's scheduled service from/to Shenzhen. The aircraft wears a prominent logo on from the nose to forward of the wing applied almost a year ago when the carrier commenced services from Beijing to Manchester. 

Thanks to Aircraft Services for these great shots.

planes clouds and vortices

Singapore Airlines visits Ohakea

Persistent fog conditions affected flight operations at Christchurch 26 May with multiple flight cancellations and diversions. Notably Singapore Airlines daily Boeing 777-200 service from Singapore to the Garden City made one approach and diverted to RNZAF Base Ohakea. 9V-SVI, operating as SQ297, arrived at the Manawatu "bolt hole" a little after 1000 and spent a couple of hours on the ground uplifting fuel and awaiting an improvement in the Christchurch weather where it finally returned to around 1345. 

File photos - 9V-SVC made an unexpected visit to Ohakea back on 29 April 2016 under the circumstances. 

20 minutes at another fence

A nice sunny autumn day with runway 03 in use at Ardmore afforded the opportunity to catch some of the locals at "work" and in a space of 20 minutes early on a Thursday afternoon the following were taken:

Cessna 185C ZK-JHS, registered to a Whitianga address, arrived (above) and departed a short time later. It still wears "temporary" ZK marks applied for a trip to Australia back in April/May 2008. 

NZ Warbirds Association Ryan ST-3KR ZK-RYN spent considerable time in the circuit making fullstop landings on the grass vector having initially departed from the seal. 

Locally based Cessna T206H amphib N26NZ departed..............

and a short time later returned. 

While the 206's owner and his Vans RV10 ZK-STU also departed and returned. 

Eagle Flight Training DA20 Katana ZK-DAV busy earning its keep. 

Syndicated Piper PA28-140 ZK-DNE was enjoying a spin in the pleasant conditions, all the while Auckland International - just a stones throw away - was shrouded in mist and fog!

United States Coast Guard C130 Hercules exercise participation

The visiting United States Coast Guard HC130H Hercules 1790 mentioned in a blog post last weekend participated in a joint exercise  24 May with the New Zealand Coast Guard and in association with Maritime NZ and Rescue Co-Ordination Centre and Westpac Rescue BK117 ZK-HKZ. 

The Hercules departed from Whenuapai mid afternoon and proceeded direct to Auckland Harbour low level where it spent the next 45 minutes conducting simulated supply drops etc as depicted in the accompanying news article link. 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/92948845/US-Coastguard-to-the-rescue-in-Auckland-exercises

The C130 exited the training exercise via an instrument approach back to Whenuapai.

Its visit concluded mid afternoon 25 May with it departing for Pago Pago.

20 minutes at the fence

A pleasant 20 minutes spent at the fenceline of Auckland International Airport on a glorious autumn afternoon netted a handful of movements 22 May. 

Qantas mainline Boeing 737-800's are a common sight through NZ now as the carrier supplements the Jetconnect operation. Here VH-XZE departs for Sydney as QFA144. 

Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZH crosses the numbers as it arrives from Shanghai as ANZ286. 

Skyline's snazzy Beech King Air 350 ZK-SSH arrives from Nadi - its first trip away to the Pacific Islands. It had departed Auckland for Nadi 21 May then flew to Funafuti and back 22 May. 

Eastern Australia / Jetstar Regional Dash 8-300 VH-SBW arrives. 

Life Flight Jetstream 32 ZK-LFT taxis to Charlie One for either a patient dropoff or pickup. I've yet to catch up with their second example, ZK-LFW, but perhaps its not in service yet. 

Wet leased to Qantas is the Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 freighter N409MC seen here arriving as QF7552 from Honolulu and running about 4 hours late. 

"Rockstar Two" Global Express N2020Q floats down runway 23L with a slight tailwind having cruised down from Tokyo/Haneda. 

Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 B-LRM heads to the holding point for runway 23L. 

Postcard from the USA - Part Four

While clear skies prevailed for our time around the Los Angeles region, timing and sun angle where not favourable so many images filed in the trash can but here are a few that were mostly ok. Thanks to MRC Junior Team for there 

LA County Fire Sikorsky S70A N190LA cruising by the Griffith Observatory north of downtown LA. 

From one end of the aviation spectrum to the other! This dude was grooving southbound along the shoreline just beyond LAX. 

Air New Zealand withdraws from Auckland-Norfolk Island run

Air New Zealand's long history of scheduled flight operations between Auckland and the rugged Norfolk Island has drawn to a close with Airbus A320 ZK-OJO flying the final NZ794/795 Auckland-Norfolk Island-Auckland run on 21 May 2017.

The airline announced in mid December 2016 its intention to terminate the long standing run as a result of falling demand on the once weekly service. Passengers will however still be able to travel via the airline's flights operating from Sydney and Brisbane (both operate twice a week). 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/87678880/Air-NZ-to-scrap-Auckland-Norfolk-Island-route-in-2017

The national carrier has a long history of operations to Norfolk Island starting in April 1947 when the National Airways Corporation commenced services using Douglas DC3's, presumably departing from Kaitaia. NAC serviced the route until September 1955 and from November that year it operated fortnightly using a Qantas Douglas DC4 under charter to TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Ltd). 

This arrangement continued until the final DC4 flight on 1 June 1975 and it was taken over by NAC Fokker F27-500 Friendships under charter to Air New Zealand with the first of these flights taking place on 4 June 1975. The F27's dedicated to the run where ZK-NAN and ZK-NAO with both aircraft fitted with large cargo doors and HF (high frequency) radios for overwater operations. 

The F27 was superseded by Boeing 737-200's from 23 September 1984 operating once a week. The Boeing -200 series was replaced with the -300 series from 1998 and these ran until December 2006 when some the Airbus A320 started to enter the fleet and ZK-OJF made the type's first visit to the Island on the 27th as NZ814/815 from/to Auckland. A mix of 737's and A320's operated the run until 28 October 2012 when the final Boeing service was flown with ZK-NGE operating NZ794/795. 

Air New Zealand services from Sydney and Brisbane to Norfolk Island commenced in March 2012 after it won an Australian Government tender to provide services to the remote island. 

Our Airline/Air Nauru quickly entered an arrangement with newly formed Norfolk Island Airlines and will commence weekly services on a Saturday from 17 June flying a Boeing 737-300 (most likely an ex Air New Zealand aircraft) from Brisbane to Norfolk Island, Auckland and vice versa. 

http://australianaviation.com.au/2017/04/norfolk-island-airlines-to-begin-flying-from-june/

Thanks to the team from Burnt Pine Travel for the use of these photos of the last departure to Auckland. 

Airbus Invasion

The annual Bluff Oyster and Food Festival attracted a large number of visitors from across the country and to cater for the demand Air New Zealand arranged for three domestic configured Airbus A320's to carry passengers from Auckland and Wellington to Invercargill on 20 May. Given the regional airport only receives aircraft of less than 90 seats, the airline and airport operator arranged for Aviation Security to be in place for passenger screening of the flights departing and additionally ground equipment was moved to Invercargill to assist with maneuvering aircraft on the apron.

http://www.bluffoysterfest.co.nz/

Airbus A320 ZK-OXE was the first to arrive touching down direct from Auckland as NZ1205. It departed on its return to Auckland as NZ1234.

Airbus A320 ZK-OJR arrived from Wellington as NZ1233 and departed on its return to Wellington as NZ1244.

Airbus A320 ZK-OJS was the last to arrive and it made its way from Auckland as NZ1219. It then positioned to Christchurch as NZ6204 before heading back to Invercargill as NZ6203 then onto Auckland as NZ1206. 

Sincere thanks to Wharf Photography for providing these fantastic shots. 

United States Coast Guard Lockheed HC130H 1790 - UPDATED WITH LINK

An interesting visitor arrived at RNZAF base Whenuapai mid afternoon 20 May when United States Coast Guard Lockheed HC130H Hercules 1790 touched down after a journey from its base at Barbers Point/Kalaeloa/John Rodgers Field located west of Honolulu via an overnight stop at Pago Pago.  

https://www.uscg.mil/d14/airstaBarbersPoint/ 

This example, serial number 382-4931, was allocated the tail number 1790 to commemorate the year the USCG was established. 

The USCG has a fleet of 211 aircraft in its inventory of which 22 are the HC130H Hercules and 6 HC130J Super Hercules.

http://maritimenz.govt.nz/public/news/media-releases-2017/20170521a.asp

Thanks to VJ for tackling the wintery conditions to catch this beauty arriving. 

Air Asia X Airbus A330-300 9M-XXH

Making what appears to be its second visit to Auckland since having special decals applied, Airbus A330-300 9M-XXH operated by Air Asia X arrived 17 May on the scheduled service from Kuala Lumpur and the Gold Coast as XAX206 sporting a spectacular tribute to the late Air Asia Group Chief Operating Officer Anaz Ahmad Tajuddin who passed away in January this year.