De Havilland Mosquito ZK-FHC - UPDATED 17 SEPTEMBER

A large crowd of enthusiasts gathered at Ardmore 16 September in eager anticipation of a first flight from Mosquito ZK-FHC, however issues with the port engine conspired against it and despite favourable weather conditions she was unable to take to the sky. That said, it was fantastic to see her wearing markings from RNZAF 75 Squadron as NZ2337, see the Wings over New Zealand forum for more : HERE

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With high hopes of a first flight post restoration for Mosquito ZK-FHC today the weather decided to not play ball with light rain for most of the day and an ever lowering cloudbase as the afternoon rolled on. This didn't stop the aircraft being rolled out of the hangar for it to have both engines run.

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As the saying goes, good things take time - and that is indeed the case for Mosquito ZK-FHC which continues to tempt the gathering masses ahead of her much anticipated first flight.

Late morning 10 September the Mosquito was towed around to the fuel pumps - hopefully a sign of a pending first flight in the coming day/s!

Apt sign on the hangar!

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The Mosquito has been rolled outside for what I believe to be the first time and it was chance timing to get it "on the move"

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A delightful addition to the ZK registered popped up on August 5th with the soon to fly De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito T.III TV959 becoming ZK-FHC. While registered to the globally recognised Avspecs Ltd/Warbirds Restoration of Ardmore, the Mosquito is destined for a life in Seattle, Washington State with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection located at Paine Field. 

http://www.flyingheritage.com/

For a rundown on the life of TV959 go to http://www.mossie.org/TV959.htm and The Warbird Watcher

We are not aware of the pending FAA registration but note N959TV is available - so it will be interesting to see if this is used.

Meanwhile, we wait with anticipation for the aircraft's first flight from Ardmore hopefully by the end of the month!

File photo - ZK-MOS @ Ardmore September 2012. 

Mosquito TV959 Taxi 15 Sep 2016

Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEB

The second Air Nelson Bombardier Q300 to be painted overseas, ZK-NEB, has returned home arriving at Auckland from Townsville via Brisbane and Norfolk Island 14 September as SXI1653. It was then collected by a local crew who flew the aircraft onto Nelson as NZ8985. 

Arriving at Brisbane 14 September, L Fox photo

N4446

An unexpected post sunset arrival at Christchurch 14 September was Columbia Aircraft LC41-550FG N4446. Christened the C400 Corvalis by Cessna, who took over the Columbia production in 2013, this 2007 example is registered to Aida Bauermeister of Little Falls, New Jersey and it arrived at Christchurch after the long haul direct flight from Pago Pago. Interestingly online records indicate it had initially planned to land at Auckland, then Wellington before settling on heading to Christchurch.

The high performance single is no stranger to long haul flights having taken 13hr 40mins to fly from Tracy Municipal , CA to Hilo, HI then 15hr 18mins to Pago Pago. 

Image sourced from the WWW. 

Convairs For Sale

The Air Freight New Zealand fleet of four Convair 580's have been listed with Dunedin-based Southern Aircraft Sales. All four aircraft are now located at Palmerston North. 

http://www.southernaircraft.co.nz/for-sale-tender/twin-engine

United Airlines Boeing 787-9's

United Airlines thrice weekly service from San Francisco to Auckland and back has been upsized from the regular -8 Dreamliner to the larger -9 variant on a few occasions now which has been nice to see. And the airline has confirmed it will operate the Boeing 777-200's when it commences daily services from 02 October through until late March when the type becomes Boeing 787-9. 

N27957 departing Auckland 02 September. 

Air New Zealand 787-9 (ZK-NZJ) Delivery from KPAE

Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZJ - updated

ZK-NZJ entered commercial life with Air New Zealand on the afternoon of 14 September operating as NZ125 from Auckland to Melbourne and returning to Auckland as NZ126.

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Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ZK-NZJ has arrived at Air New Zealand's home port, Auckland touching down early evening 11 September after a direct flight from Paine Field as NZ6094.

ZK-NZK is set to be delivered before the end of the year, then two more Dreamliners in 2017 and then one more in 2018. These last three aircraft will be configured with 275 seats featuring 27 business class (currently 18), 33 premium economy (currently 21) and 215 economy (currently 263).

Jonathan Rankin photos

Short finals at Paine Field at the conclusion of its C1 customer acceptance flight 04 September - spot the crow and a rat!

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Air New Zealand's eight Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ZK-NZJ MSN 37966 has conducted its first flight with it operating as BOE008 from/to Paine Field via Moses Lake 10 August (USA date).

It is due for delivery to Auckland during the second week of September.

A neat photo of ZK-NZJ prior to the application of full airliner livery can be found HERE and since then it has received the Air New Zealand at the Boeing paint facility located at Paine Field. A photo of her post livery application and on first APU start-up is HERE

Its arrival back at Paine was caught by Chris Edwards ZK-NZJ

Outbound and Inbound

Eagle Airways Beech 1900D ZK-EAC,  was registered to Manila Aerospace Products on 05 September  and on the same day it flew from Hamilton to Auckland. It departed Auckland direct to the Gold Coast then onto Charleville 07 September then onto Alice Springs and Broome 08 September. It then continued to Surabaya, Indonesia 09 September on its delivery flight to Myanmar.

The New Piper Aircraft Inc Piper PA42-1000 Cheyenne 400LS VH-PFQ cleared formalities at Auckland late afternoon 09 September arriving from the Gold Coast via Norfolk Island using its registration as callsign and then continued onto Paraparaumu as XFX01. It is understood the aircraft will be used for Airways Corporation calibration duties in lieu of Burley Aviation's example, VH-BUR. 

VH-PFQ has a NZ past with it being operated as ZK-RUR from 1996 until 2008 when it was exported to Indonesia where it became PK-ZGZ. 

The Cheyenne when it was registered ZK-RUR arriving at Ardmore in May 2007. 

One more outbound to report is the Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLS. The ex Royal Flying Doctor Service machine departed Wellington for Lord Howe Island, the Gold Coast and Redcliffe 07 September indicating its most likely destined for a repaint with Flinders Aviation.

RAAF C17's

Whenuapai has this week hosted two Royal Australian Air Force Boeing C17 Globemasters.

On the afternoon of 06 September A41-209 spent less than two hours at Whenuapai, arriving from and returning to Amberley as ASY693.

Then just before sunset 09 September A41-213 arrived at Whenuapai from Richmond as ASY694. It departed the next morning for Richmond and Amberley.

This is just the second visit to NZ by -213, the first being a fleeting stop in Christchurch 22 March after arriving from Pearce providing support to the four Hawks deployed to Queenstown for the Wanaka airshow. It spent little time at Christchurch jetting onto Amberley.

Boeing 737-400F N962NZ / ZK-TLL - updated

Boeing 737-400 freighter ZK-TLL entered commercial life on the night of 02 September operating the Parcel Air flight 79 from Auckland to Christchurch returning north during the early hours of 03 September. It subsequently conducted a number of other NZ domestic freight night operations before departing Auckland for Brisbane 11 September.

Boeing 737-300 freighter ZK-TLE (as mentioned below) did not enter maintenance at Auckland but instead ended up operating domestic freight night operations on behalf of Parcel Air. It departed Auckland on its return to Brisbane 01 September.

Boeing 737-400 freighter ZK-JTQ departed Brisbane 10 September for Darwin as AWK1 and continued onto Singapore/Seletar under its registration as callsign.



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Airwork Flight Operations Boeing 737-400 freighter N962NZ MSN 25362 arrived at Auckland just after sunset 20 August from Kalaeloa/John Rodgers Field, HI and Pago Pago as JTN6062.

On 11 August it had conducted a test flight from/to Dothan, AL and 19 August (NZ date) flew to Kalaeloa from Dothan via Ontario, CA. The jet, in full Toll livery, will become ZK-TLL before its delivery to Australia for operations with Toll. 

This airframe started out life in 1991 making its first flight from Renton, WA on 03 October. It was delivered to Olympic Airways as SX-BKD the same month it first flew and continued in service until being withdraw from use in September 2009. It was sold and became N362AS with Aersale Inc for a period before lease to Med-View Airlines as 5N-BPA from 2012 until 2015. It then reverted to N362AS and stored as Roswell, NM before heading to Dothan, AL in October for freighter conversion.

Meanwhile, Boeing 737-300 freighter ZK-TLE arrived at Auckland lunchtime 23 August from Brisbane as "Airwork 1".

ZK-TLE was delivered to Auckland as N919GF on 17 April 2011. Its most recent maintenance visit to Auckland was from October until December last year, and its last visit was on 31 December when it conducted a freight flight from Sydney to Auckland then onto Melbourne and Adelaide. 

Timelapse: Royal Air Force 50 Years of C-130 Paint Scheme Application

This stunner was unveiled in the UK during June this year - perhaps we will see it at the RNZAF Air Tatoo, Ohakea, February 2017??!!

http://lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2016/C130UKLivery.html

AS332 Puma ZK-HHL

A brief visit to Ardmore early afternoon 05 September netted a rare sighting of Heli Harvest's Aerospatiale AS332 L1 Puma ZK-HHL. Normally hangared with Airbus Helicopters, the largest helicopter on the NZ register arrived in the country during May 2013 from Japan and has featured a number of times on the NZ civil aircraft blog.

Corporate Corner

Execujet Challenger 604 VH-VSZ made an around the houses visit to the South Island 30 August arriving at Oamaru from Sydney and Christchurch and after just a few hours on the ground it departed back to Christchurch and onto Essendon.

Goonies Co interestingly painted Global Express N2020Q arrived at Auckland mid morning 31 August from Tokyo/Narita and after a couple of hours on the ground it departed for Queenstown. The Global headed back to Narita via Auckland 01 September. 

Pegasus Elite Aviation Gulfstream 4 N619A was another in and out visitor jetting into Wellington mid morning 31 August from San Diego/Brown Field via Honolulu and Tonga then after just an hour on the ground pushing on westward to Sydney as PEG19. It departed Sydney for Tonga, Honolulu and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, AZ, 01 September. 

Little Aviation Gulfstream G650 N650PA made its first visit to New Zealand arriving at Auckland from Melbourne 01 September and returned to Melbourne the next morning.

Gulfstream G650 N946JB made a first of type visit to both Hamilton and Tauranga with the jet flying from Auckland to Hamilton, Tauranga, back to Hamilton and home to Auckland 02 September.

https://taurangaspotter.blogspot.co.nz/2016/09/n946jb-gulfstream-g650.html

Bromma Business Jet AB Falcon 7X SE-DJK arrived at Auckland 02 September from Sydney. The Swedish based trijet had arrived Sydney from Bali 27 August. The 7X departed Auckland for Honolulu 06 September.

Wellington-based Citation III N163JM has been spotted around the south of the South Island with visits to Invercargill, Queenstown, Alexandra and Dunedin. 

Avwest Global Express N599CH arrived at Queenstown from Brisbane 06 September.

ANZA/Tyremax Challenger 604 N604AU remains static at Auckland.

Dash 8-Q300 swapover

The repaint program for Air Nelson's Dash 8-Q300 fleet continues with ZK-NEB departing Auckland 01 September for Townsville via Norfolk Island and Brisbane as SXI1651. 

Meanwhile, ZK-NEA, having arrived at the Flying Colours facility last month, made its way back to New Zealand departing Townsville 05 September as SXI1652 destined for Brisbane, Norfolk Island and Auckland before continuing to Nelson on the morning of 06 September. The aircraft carries the standard new livery.

Boeing 737-400 ZK-PAT and Parcelair - Updated

Airwork Flight Operations Boeing 737-400 freighter ZK-PAT entered service on the evening of 19 August operating as AWK43 from Auckland to Christchurch. The aircraft had earlier that evening conducted a local flight from/to Auckland and is seen in the accompanying photo rolling runway 23L on its departure.

And it seems after a few months of delay the Parcelair (http://www.coys.co.nz/company/?no=5734923-PARCELAIR+LIMITED) operation has finally been launched with Boeing 737-400 freighter ZK-PAK operating as PAK71 from Auckland to Christchurch 22 August and then to Palmerston North as PAK62. 

https://youtu.be/o6OkF1ToKU0

The operator callsign for Parcelair was initially allocated as PAK however from 05 September this was changed to APK and callsign Airpak.

Jetstream 32EP SE-LXD - UPDATED

Wellington-based Lifeflight have taken delivery of a second Jetstream 32 to complement their already in service example ZK-LFW MSN 976, registered to Air Freight NZ on behalf of the air ambulance operator. 

SE-LXD MSN 977 (sistership to LFW) arrived at Mount Isa 30 August from Bali and Darwin and flew onto the Gold Coast and Norfolk Island 31 August before the flight south to Wellington 01 September arriving just after 1300.

The aircraft was registered to Air Freight NZ 05 September as ZK-LFT. 

SE-LXD differs from all the other J31/32 that have flown in NZ featuring a 5-bladed propeller setup mimicking BAe's larger Jetstream, the J41. 

http://www.mt-propeller.com/en/entw/stcs/bae_31.htm

Heading offshore

Kiwi Air's Pacific Aerospace 750XL ZK-FNZ is no stranger to trips abroad and its latest mission saw it depart Auckland for Lord Howe Island and Port Macquarie 22 August with it continuing onto Mount Isa 23 August, Darwin 24 August and Makassar, Indonesia 25 August.

Kaipara Aviation Trust Mooney M20R ZK-VVB was noticed refuelling at its Ardmore home 30 August and then the next day spotted departing Kerikeri for Lord Howe Island  and then to Coffs Harbour 01 September. Again, this aircraft is no stranger to overseas trips however this time its one way as it was cancelled from the registered 06 September as exported. 

North Shore-based Beech G58 Baron N298WA departed Kerikeri for Lord Howe Island and Bundaberg 28 August. 

Pacific Aerospace 750XL ZK-KDG arrived at Auckland from Hamilton 02 September and flew onto Norfolk Island 03 September. From there it continued to Lord Howe Island and Archerfield 04 September. It continued to Mackay and Cairns 05 September then to Gove and Darwin 06 September.
http://fnqskies.blogspot.co.nz/2016/09/pacific-aerospace-ltd-pac-750xl-zk-kdg.html

Meanwhile, Cirrus SR22 N517CP made the long haul from Merced, CA to Honolulu 02 Sep (local date) while Cessna 206 N25GP trundled across from Salinas, CA destined initially for Honolulu however ended up flying to Kahului. The Cirrus continued to Majuro 04 September and Guam 05 September.

Across the Tasman, Cessna 208 demonstrator N271EX, which we had visit our shores earlier this year, arrived at Perth 03 September from Bali via Broome and Meekatharra and Cessna 240 N362CS, also a previous visitor to New Zealand, arrived at the Sunshine Coast 03 September from Mount Isa having the previous day flown from Bali to Kupang, Darwin and Mount Isa. Two more Cessna 208's have arrived in Australia with N71367 (P2-MAH) delivered to Mission Aviation Fellowship at Mareeba, FNQ on 25 August (see FNQ Skies) and N7129S arriving at Sydney 04 September from Port Moresby and hoping across to Bankstown 05 September. 

GX Aviation World Tour | Connectivity | Honeywell Aerospace

A review of last month's global tour by Honeywell's Boeing 757 N757HW - sadly Auckland appears to have been neglected from the map showing places visited!!

Convairs Bow Out

The Air Freight New Zealand fleet of Convair 580's quietly bowed out of service late last month as the operation was merged with Airwork under the Parcel Air name and flights conducted by Boeing 737's flying between Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch.

As already reported, Air Freight's Convair 5800 ZK-KFS departed our shores earlier this year on return to Canada while Convair 580's ZK-KFH (arrived 02 Sep), ZK-KFJ and ZK-FTA are now parked at Palmerston North with ZK-KFL at Christchurch.

It would appear the final Convair freight flights were conducted on the morning of 20 August with ZK-KFJ flying as AFN646 from Christchurch to Palmerston North returning south as AFN647.

Meanwhile, Boeing 737-300 freighter ZK-TLE, pressed into service during the startup phase of Parcel Air, headed back across the Tasman 01 September flying from Auckland to Brisbane as AWK1.

Final Fokker F27 Friendship Flight

As part of the restructured air freight operation in New Zealand, Airwork Flight Operations have officially retired the long serving Fokker F27 Friendship from our skies concluding a 56 year career in New Zealand skies. 

A large number of the popular Fokker F27's have operated in New Zealand with the first being -100 series ZK-BXA operated by the National Airways Corporation (NAC). The fleet with NAC transitioned to Air New Zealand and continued a long relationship with the carrier before retirement in the early 1990's. At this time Airwork purchased -500's ZK-NAN and ZK-NAO, both fitted with large forward cargo doors, for their NZ Post contract work and for one of the F27's it spent a brief time in the role as an aerial sprayer! The operator added -500's ZK-POH (July 1998) and ZK-PAX (August 2003). 

The last commercial F27 flights were conducted by Fokker FK27-500 ZK-PAX with her flying from Auckland to Christchurch on the night of 01 September as PST675 and returning north to Auckland as PST674 touching down on runway 05R at 0404 local time flown by Tony Clarke and Paul Temoke.

It will be strange not hearing the distinctive whistle of the Rolls Royce Dart engines! 

F27-500 ZK-PAX showing off at the Omaka airshow, Easter 2013. 

"The skies are for the strong"

It is easy to see why this YouTube clip has quickly surpassed 1 million views in just over two weeks. With incredible footage and a rousing music score its well worth watching this review of Russian military aviation.