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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Learjet 35A ZK-XVL - Farewell

Ardmore 31 August 2007
Last month we covered off the NZ register of locally based business/corporate jets and at the time this included the recently refurbished Learjet 35A ZK-XVL operated by Auckland Air Charter. 
The Learjet underwent a flight from Ardmore to Ardmore via instrument approaches at Great Barrier Island and Whenuapai 03 November and then to Wanganui 07 November where it spent the following two nights before returning to Ardmore. It then upsticks and departed Ardmore early 18 November for Auckland, Sydney and RAN base Nowra on what appears to have been its delivery flight to military service provider Air Affairs as it was cancelled from the NZ CAA register 08 December as "exported".
Ardmore 01 February 2006

Ardmore 12 March 2015
Learjet 35A ZK-XVL, roman numerals for 35, was delivered to Rural Aviation in January 2003 arriving at Auckland from Pago Pago as N35QB on the 16th in an all white colour scheme. It carried out local flights over the next two days prior to positioning to its Ardmore base on the 19th. The ZK marks were taken up the following month and it was subsequently registered to Auckland Air Charter. The aircraft was configured for target tow duties and our records show its first mission was flown from Whenuapai on 29 May 2003 using the callsign "Learjet Tempest". Future flights for the NZDF adopted the radio callsign "Baldock". At some point during its target tow flying activity the Learjet was "tagged" with bullet hole decals! In addition to its military support role, ZK-XVL also conducted occasional passenger and medivac flights both domestically and internationally.
Ardmore 10 April 2015

Ardmore 03 November 2015. 
Air Affairs recently secured the contract to provide air support for Navy and Air Force utlising a fleet of seven Learjets. 
Latest News
October 2015 - INTERIM JET AIR SUPPORT TO ADF TRAINING CONTRACT
Air Affairs Australia is proud to announce the signing of the INTERIM JET AIR SUPPORT TO ADF TRAINING CONTRACT on 9th September 2015 with the Australian Defence Force. The Jet Air Support Contract provides Training Support Tasks including Aerial Target Towing and Tactical Flight Missions in support of the Navy and Air Force. The contract, which commences on 1st October 2015, will bring 35 additional jobs to Air Affairs to operate seven Learjets with target towing and special mission equipment.
Air Affairs is a wholly Australian owned company established in 1984 with headquarters based at the Albatross Aviation Technology Park at Nowra, NSW, and has been providing target services, fire surveillance and precision engineering support services to the Australian Defence Forces, other military forces and Governments since 1995.

Air Affairs is one of only two companies in the world that manufacture this specialist equipment, which is exported to 9 overseas countries. Air Affairs has completed acceptance flights for the Phoenix Jet Unmanned Aerial Target and delivers Learjet target services around the world.

Managing Director Chris Sievers said that Air Affairs is pleased to continue their support to the Australian Defence Forces' training programs and will now provide more and new services during a period of very high operational demand on our Forces.

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