NZ Warbirds and Anzac Day Commemoration Flight

The NZ Warbirds Association, based out of Ardmore, proudly flew a number of their aircraft across Auckland commemorating Anzac Day. Well done to all those involved for coordinating this flying activity. 

From the NZ Warbirds Facebook page:

Anzac Day Flypast

UPDATE
The aircraft will be getting airborne from Ardmore at approximately 10:30am.
The flypasts have been timed with aircraft speed (or lack of) according to where they will flypast and it is timed specifically to coincide with the parades we can fit in, in the time we have allocated. The aircraft will get airborne and take different routes to enable the slower aircraft to make it to the Cenotaph at the same time as the faster aircraft arrive - hence the split up at the beginning and only the two fighters will head south. We are unable to fit any more centres in, as we are working Auckland Council to fit as many parades in, in a workable route.
Because Manurewa is so close to AKL airport and airspace, we will not be flying the faster Fighters and Harvards overhead tomorrow.
They will be arriving back at Ardmore approximately 11:30am
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This year NZ Warbirds At Ardmore have the pleasure of commemorating Anzac Day in association with Auckland Council, with a flypast over many parades across Auckland.
The following places and times are approximate only and subject to change, but will be run along similar routes as last year. If the timings do change from that below, we will update this page. Unfortunately we cannot fly over any Dawn Services due to restrictions placed on us flying our aircraft before the sun rises. Subject to weather:

Pukekohe 10:40am - Kittyhawk and Spitfire Only, will fly south
Manuwera 10:45am - Tiger Moths only to fly overhead Manurewa
St Heliers 10:50am - Harvards, possibly fighters
Orakei 10:52am - Harvards and fighters
Devonport 10:54am
Northcote 10:56am
Hobsonville 10:58am
Point Chevalier 11:02am
Auckland Cenotaph 11:10am - The entire group will be together
Mount Eden 11:11am - Group will split to allow Tigers to head home
Motat 11:13am
Howick 11:18am

RAAF Boeing 737 Wedgetail A30-002

Royal Australian Air Force Boeing 737 Wedgetail A30-002 arrived at Whenuapai 30 April 2018 from its Newcastle/Williamtown base via an approach and overshoot at Norfolk Island as ASY257. The oddly configured AWACS aircraft departed Whenuapai late morning 01 May for Williamtown via an approach and overshoot at Christchurch. 

First visit by this particular aircraft to NZ.

Falcon 7X N818TL

New Zealand's resident corporate jet population has grown to 12 aircraft with the arrival at Auckland of Graphic Group/Network Jet's Falcon 7X N818TL MSN 15.  

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134062278@N02/39038890082

This 2006 edition tri-jet started out life under Dassault's test registration F-WWUL before heading to the Portugese register as CS-TLY where it flew with Vinair Aeroservicios. It moved to the FAA register in December 2017 and arrived at Springfield/IL 30 December from Geneva via a techstop at Bangor/ME. The jet conducted a Springfield-Springfield flight 25 April 2018 and embarked for Maui/HI two days later.  It then made the journey to Auckland 29 April arriving after dark. 

Network Jets have operated a number of aircraft over the years including Global 5000 N818FH, Falcon 2000 N185G, Hawker 800XPi N805M, Citation Sovereign N121TL/ZK-JTH and Falcon 2000 N818BH. 

Fokker 70 VH-QQY - Second Visit

Alliance Airlines Fokker 70 VH-QQY has made another trip across the Tasman replicating its November 2017 visit to our shores. It arrived Auckland 22 April 2018 from Cairns and Brisbane then continued to Rotorua the following day. It then flew to Queenstown and Auckland 25 April before heading home to Brisbane 26 April.

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Posted 17 November 2017:

Making its first foray across the Tasman, Alliance Airlines Fokker 70 VH-QQY touched down at Auckland on the evening of 11 November 2017 as "Unity 557" from Cairns and Brisbane.  It departed mid morning 12 November for Rotorua. It spent two nights there before heading to Queenstown, Auckland and Brisbane 14 November. 

For an in depth history for this aircraft, click HERE

Preparing to depart Rotorua 14 November 2017. 

USAF C17 Visitor

United States Air Force Boeing C17 Globemaster III 10-0222, operated out of Charleston/NC, arrived Christchurch 26 April 2018 as "Reach 314" from the old Barbers Point Naval Air Station, now known as Kalaeloa/John Rodgers Field to the west of Honolulu. It departed soon after this post went to air 29 April destined for Hilo/HI. 

Boeing 777-200 ZK-OKD heads off for re-livery

Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-219ER ZK-OKD departed Auckland 25 April 2018 as NZ6004 destined for Singapore/Changi where it will receive the airline's new livery and installation of WiFi. 

Another ATR72-600 for Mt Cook Airline - Update 27 April 2018

ATR72-600 ZK-MVR entered commercial airliner life on the afternoon of 26 April 2018 when it flew NZ5366 from Christchurch to Wellington. It then continued to Hamilton as NZ5826 before heading back to Wellington as NZ5827. Its last flight of the day was "home" to Christchurch as NZ5387.

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Posted 19 April 2018:

Air New Zealand subsidiary Mt Cook Airline has taken delivery of its 18th ATR72-600 with the arrival of ZK-MVR MSN 1487 at its Christchurch base. The ATR arrived after dark 18 April 2018 as SXI1809 and followed the route taken by ZK-MVQ (delivered September 2017) from Toulouse staging via Trabzon, Al Ain, Nagpur, Subang, Bali, Darwin and Brisbane. 

ZK-MVR first flew on 06 April 2018 under its F-WWEM marks and was registered in NZ on 13 April 2018. 

Thanks to Sid Mitchellf or providing these shots of ZK-MVR at Darwin. 

Long Ranger N521RG

1992 Bell 206L-3 Long Ranger N521RG MSN 51566 has turned up at Ardmore, first noted on 23 April 2018. Most recently registered to Microseal INC of Greenpoint, New York State.  The Bell has had a number of previous identities starting out as N4278Z, then became 5B-SMC, N93EA and N521RC before settling with N521RG. 

It is currently listed for sale via Heliflite Pacific

http://www.heliflite.com.au/sales/1981-bell-206-l1-c30p-longranger

Outside the Heliflite Pacific facility, Ardmore, 24 April 2018. 

We Will Remember Them - Anzac Day 2018

Tasman Crossers - Safely Home

The intrepid duo have safely returned home to Tauranga touching down 19 April 2018 having flown from Norfolk Island via Kerikeri.

ZK-ECE departs Lord Howe for Norfolk 18 April 2018, Chase'n/Thyme photo

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Posted 05 April 2018:

Tauranga-based Vans RV7A ZK-ECE and Pazmany PL-2 ZK-TLP set off from Kerikeri 29 March 2018 destined for Norfolk Island. The duo continued to Lord Howe Island on the 30th then to Port Macquarie on the 31st.

Corporate Corner 01 - 16 April 2018

Bairong Group Gulfstream G650 B-3255 departed Auckland mid morning 01 April for Sydney.

Kayne Andersen Gulfstream G650 N829JV departed Auckland late evening 01 April heading direct to Los Angeles.

Executive Jet Management/Air Tiger 1 LLC Gulfstream 5 N50KC departed Queenstown 01 April for Honolulu and Teterboro/NJ as EJM659.

Vistajet Malta Global Express 9H-VJK arrived at Dunedin 01 April from Tokyo/Narita as VJT836. It departed Dunedin at 0212 local time 02 April destined for Bali.

Tidnish Holdings of Halifax/NS Falcon 900EX Easy C-GTLA arrived at Napier 01 April from Lihue/HI via a techstop at Pago Pago. It flew to Kerikeri 05 April. From there it headed to Auckland and Lihue/HI 08 April.

Parked at Napier, C Ford photo

At Kerikeri 07 April 2018, C Hoffmann photo

Arriving Auckland 08 April 2018. 

Execujet Global Express VH-OCV concluded its Christchurch layover and headed to Queenstown and Sydney 03 April.

CML Aviation Gulfstream G350 VH-NKD departed Queenstown 02 April heading to Sydney.

TAG Aviation (UK) Gulfstream G550 G-OGSE arrived at Queenstown 02 April from Moscow/Vnukovo and Singapore. It departed for Christchurch and Singapore 06 April. 

Rank Services Gulfstream G650ER N66ZG, delivered to NZ late March, departed Queenstown 02 April for Auckland and after several hours at its new home departed on a 13HR 55MIN flight direct to Waukegan/IL. It arrived back at Auckland 07 April from Waukegan via Ontario/CA. 

N66ZG arrives Auckland 02 April 2018 from Queenstown. 

Flight Options (Australia) Citation VII VH-ING positioned from Invercargill to Queenstown 04 April then flew to Auckland and Sydney 05 April.

Edwards Coaches PTY Citation VII VH-LYM briefly visited Christchurch 04 April arriving from Brisbane and departing for Sydney and Armidale.

Asset Management Company Gulfstream G200 Galaxy N800PJ arrived Wellington 05 April from Kona/HI via Apia. It then continued to Melbourne/Essendon 06 April. it then went on to visit Sydney from where it departed for Apia, Kona and San Jose/CA.  Looks like its been just over three years since this machine last visited NZ.

Higher Cause LLC Falcon 2000EX N222JE arrived Queenstown 05 April from Melbourne. It continued to Auckland 08 April then flew direct to Bora Bora 10 April.  It departed Bora Bora 11 April (local date) for Papeete and Kona. The Falcon had arrived in the region back on 26 March turning up at Nadi from Lihue/HI. It continued to Honiara two days later then to Cairns and Hamilton Island 30 March. Onto the Gold Coast and Sydney 01 April and south to Melbourne 03 April.

Arriving at Auckland 08 April 2018

Bellawings Boeing BBJ N666ML departed Christchurch 07 April for Queenstown, Port Moresby and Hong Kong.

Departing Christchurch 07 April 2018

PBAS Jets LLC/Oriental Aviation Hawker 4000 N7567T arrived Auckland after dark 11 April from Rarotonga as "Dotcom 4647". It departed early afternoon 12 April for Sydney as DCM4287 and then onto Wollongong under its registration as callsign.
Our records show this to be the first N registered Hawker 4000 to visit our region, and only the second 4000 to visit NZ - the first was back in April 2010 when B-3906 made the type's debut. N7567T is also the first aircraft to visit our neck of the woods using the rather anonymous callsign "Dotcom". 

http://flttrack.fltplan.com/FltPlanInfo/FltPlan_DCM-Call-Signs-v-FAA-Blocking.htm

Resting at Rarotonga 10 April 2018 (local date). 

Departing Auckland 12 April 2018. 

Marcplan Gulfstream G450 VH-MBP arrived at Auckland late afternoon 12 April from Essendon and departed during the last hour of the day for Christchurch. It then departed at 0500 16 April destined for Essendon. 

Avwest PTY Global Express N599CH gravitated back to NZ 13 April arriving at Queenstown from Perth.

Foreigners at Warbirds over Wanaka 2018

Only a handful of foreign registered aircraft at this year's Warbirds over Wanaka event held Easter weekend, and all of them are long term NZ residents. Not pictured (this trip) was the locally based Cessna 172 VH-BFQ http://mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=VH-BFQ

Beech C17B Staggerwing VH-UXP is presently domiciled at Wanaka and was busy conducting local flights on the days we attended the event.
http://nzcivair.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/staggerwing-vh-uxp.html

Another classic Beech, this time the D18S N43927. It once called Wanaka home but we understand it now lives at Omaka. It arrived into NZ with its UK owner back in August 2014. The old bird was noted visiting Auckland a few days after the Wanaka show. 

Cirrus SR22 Australis Platinum N438NZ arrived in NZ during February 2017 and lives at Fielding with the local Cirrus distributor. 

Cessna T240 TTx N362CS has been lurking in the region for three years now, on and off. A few posts on the subject aeroplane can be found HERE

RAAF Hercules visitors

Two Royal Australian Air Force Lockheed C130J Hercules have spent the last couple of days lurking around New Zealand. 

A97-449 (Ausy 545) and A97-467 (Ausy 547) arrived Christchurch 11 April 2018 from East Sale via Hobart. Both aircraft then conducted a nationwide navigation exercise (NAVEX) 12 April conducting high/low level altitude flights, instrument approaches and circuits at numerous locations before eventually touching down at Whenuapai around dusk.  

They departed Whenuapai mid morning 13 April heading to Townsville.

Not to be outdone, Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 NZ7571 departed Whenuapai 12 April for Norfolk Island and Hobart as Kiwi 079 and then headed to Invercargill for an approach and overshoot then onto Christchurch 13 April.  

Mustangs as Warbirds over Wanaka 2018

I'm unsure how long it has been since New Zealand's only North American P51 Mustangs have been together. Perhaps the 2016 Warbirds over Wanaka? In anycase, its a long time since I've seen them together so herewith a few snaps of ZK-SAS (Dove of Peace) and ZK-TAF.