Avro Anson ZK-RRA

Making its airshow debut at Ardmore last weekend  and the first trip out of the Nelson region was the world's only airworthy Avro Mk 1 Anson ZK-RRA.  First flown from Nelson on 18 July this year, this classic was last week flown to Ohakea where it spent a couple of days before heading north to Ardmore arriving just a few minutes before the first flying segment of the airshow commenced.

This 10 year project undertaken by Robin and Bill Reid is certainly an absolute credit to them and their team and it was certainly a fantastic effort to have it flown to Ardmore especially for the weekend's historic aviation gathering.  

Gulfstream 450 N60TC

Arriving at Auckland 24 September from Kona via Pago Pago and Tonga was this Gulfstream 450 N60TC registered to TC Colket Jnr.  It has been hangared for the duration of its time at Auckland with the exception of a brief few hours on 01 October while the hangar was utilised for maintenance.

N60TC is no stranger to the Pacific with it having visited Papeete a couple of times this year.  No doubt the owner's yacht "Windcrest" is in the region also.

(C) Agairnz 2012

Repeat Visitor

Challenger 601-3A HB-IKS has been an annual visitor to Wellington for many years now and again she turned up this time on 30 September from Sydney and departed 03 October for Port Moresby and Tokyo.

Yet another C17 visit

United States Air Force Boeing C17 Globemaster III 90-0533, based at Hickam AFB, Honolulu, arrived at Wellington as "Reach 6E1" 02 October from Honolulu and after a short time on the ground departed for Richmond.  However a technical fault saw the transporter return to Wellington where it subsequently overnighted before departing this morning destined for Richmond.

 

90-0533 is one of the oldest C17's in service with it being ordered during fisal year 1990 and a serial number of P-8.  It was delivered to the USAF on 29 October 1993.   The aircraft currently deployed on Antarctic duties out of Christchurch is 09-9209 and it is serial number P-209 delivered 22 March 2011.

 

 

Selection of Mosquito shots taken at Ardmore 29 September 2012

QF8 visited Auckland three days in a row

Qantas flight 8, a daily service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Brisbane, made techstops at Auckland on three consecutive days due to inclement enroute weather. VH-OEE visited Auckland 29 September and 01 October while VH-OEI (pictured) visited 30 September.

 

(c) Agairnz 2012

Jets of Ardmore

The airshow held at Ardmore this past weekend was a splendid time for the local warbird jet community to show off their skills with the Strikemaster and Vampire conducting solo displays, the fourship formation flight and the Vampire flying with the show’s star, the Mosquito.  Also rolled out for the occasion was the Warbirds Association resident museum pieces, MB339 NZ6471 and A4K NZ6209.  In addition to these aircraft, yet to be registered and flown Venom ZK-VNM was on static display in the public area having been early taxied over under her own steam.

Fleeting Falcon

NZ’s newest resident business jet, Falcon 2000EX N818BH, has been kept busy since its arrival last Thursday with a trip to Invercargill on Friday returning to Auckland late Saturday, then to Wellington and back on Sunday before set heading at lunch time Monday for Maui!

More NH90’s arrive

As the RNZAF takes delivery of their new Beech B200 King Air’s, two brand new NH90 helicopters arrived at Ohakea late this morning (01 October) on board Antonov 124 RA-82074, the same aircraft that delivered the first two NH90 helicopters in December 2011.  As VDA1874, the AN124 arrived at Ohakea from Singapore/Changi and is believed to be overnighting at the Manawatu airbase.



File photo of RA-82074 arriving at Ohakea 06 December 2011



 

“Deep Freeze 2012/2013” Kicks Off

Operation “Deep Freeze” has kicked off with two flights to the Antarctic’s ice runway 01 October.  Paving the way was Skytrader’s Airbus A319CJ VH-VHD departing Christchurch just after 7am as “Snowbird 1” followed a short while later by USAF Globemaster III 09-0209 as “Ice 07”.  The A319CJ had arrived at Christchurch from its Melbourne base the previous evening while the C17 arrived from Honolulu on Friday with a fly-by of Christchurch city prior to landing.  Interesting 09-9209 flew the last series of ice flights back in February this year.

VH-VHD has had a very busy “off” season flying on behalf of the Australian Government moving boat people from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean to the Australian mainland and more recently to Nauru, quite a contrast to its current tasking.  And of course it was employed for an emergency medivac from Pegasus Field, Antarctica on 09 August.

Helipro Fiji

Resident at Suva’s Nausori Airport with Helipro Fiji is their BK117 ZK-HYO.  This machine was noted at the Ports of Auckland on 13 July this year on its delivery voyage.

www.helipro.com.fj

Global Express N1868M

Global Express N1868M, operated by Metropolitan Life Insurance, arrived at Auckland on the evening of 29 September from Honolulu.