Sunair,s expanding Fleet.

Sunair,s latest addition to its growing fleet of Aztec,s and Cessna 172,s was their recent purchase of Cessna 172 M ZK-DPN seen here taxing out to 07L routeing to Whitianga .

Sunair,s C.172 M ZK-DPN c/n 17263243

Sunair,s current fleet up to December 2014 is as follows.

Cessna 172

ZK-DKK ,ZK-DHN,ZK-DPN.ZK-CBZ,ZK-TAB,

Aztec PA-23

ZK-DGS,ZK-DIR,ZK-ECM,ZK-ERM,ZK-EVP,ZK-FVP,ZK-MTY,ZK-PIW,ZK-PIX,ZK-TDM,      ZK-WDP.

Tauranga is the main Hub with Gisbourne,Napier and Hamilton act as storing reserve aircraft and Ardmore now a recent base for trips to various destinations.

Go to 3rd Level New Zealand Blogsite for Sunair,s Summer Routes.

Afternoon of surprises at Tauranga.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon on the 28th December,I witnessed a very rare sight of local resident Cherokee Arrow ZK-EBA of which has evaded me for many months.The owner says it hardly leaves the hangar so obviously a quick trip around the  BOP was in order to remove all the cobwebs and see daylight again.

.ZK-EBA is a PA28R-Cherokee Arrow registered to Ashe Farms Ltd and is now up for sale for under $100,000 if anyone is interested .

With his hangar wide open,another surprise was unraveled, when a half built Titan Mustang is slowly under construction tucked away in the back of the small oval shaped hangar .I have no details on the ID of the build and maybe some one come enlighten me on the discovery.

PA28R-200 Cherokee Arrow ZK-EBA  c/n 28R-7535101

The un-known Titan Mustang build tucked away in the back of the hangar.

Happy Christmas Everyone.

I just want to wish everyone of you wherever you are in the world and taken time to view my blog,wishing you a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

ZK-IIC

Frontier helicopters from Whakatane dropped into Tauranga yesterday  with their newly re-registered AS 350 B2  ZK-IIC which was formally ZK-IEL from Ardmore

Demise of Bayflight-Helipro

Seen here on 20th december was the whole fleet of Bayflight Training Cessna,s 152 lined up along the fence waiting presale for new customers after Helipro Aviation Training Ltd went into receivership and finally into liquidation back in mid November.Unfortunately Bay flight were a joint venture with Helipro but were tarnished with the same brush so now Tauranga is now down to 1 only flying club and training which is provided by Tauranga Aero Club.

The whole fleet of Bayflight / Helipro Avation Training limited seen from right to left are the following Cessna 152,s

ZK-SON/ZK-DAD/ZK-JCC/ZK-NAN/ZK-FCO with ZK-JDB parked up at the far right but not part of Bayflight .

Visitors noted in November to Tauranga

Visitors visiting Tauranga over November.

                                                Cessna 172 S ZK-JSP  (c/n 172S8263)    from Auckland Aero Club at Ardmore.                                                                                                           

YAK 18T ZK-SSR (c/n 07-40) was dropping off the pilots to collect ZK-SAL from Solo Wings before heading back to North Shore via Whakatane. 

Vans RV-12 ZK-JRV (c/n 1203) was down from Pukekohe Airstrip

Arriving down from North Shore to Solo Wings was this TL-Sting ZK-SAL

Parked up after servicing with Flight Care was this Cessna A152 ZK-JDB which departed twice to Galatea before returning to a damp Tauranga Airport.The aircraft is still registered to a company in New Plymouth.

On loan to Ardmore Airfield from Invercargill was this Southern Wings PA28-181 Archer ZK-MIL

Arriving from Waihi Beach was this Europa XS ZK-CHV

Mercer based Cessna 185B ZK-CMW operated by CMC Investments who also operate Cessna 172 ZK-WFT.

Noted outside Flight Care,s hangar was North Shore based PA32 -Cherokee ZK-DSQ

Some fix wing at Matamata

And some fixed wing noted in the hangars on the 3rd December

Alpi Aviation Pioneer 200 ZK-WER was a former Ashburton resident before moving  up north to Matamata.

Un-marked S.M.A.N Petrel in all white scheme.The only way i discovered the registration was a plate inside the cockpit saying  ZK-JAQ

Stolp SA-900 V-Star U/L  ZK-MIJ.

Schweizer269C  ZK-HFN c/n 1355 privately owned seen re-fueling 

Vans RV 3-UL ZK-PMH  c/n AACA/359 owned by Michael Wilkins and in the back round is his Avia Stroitel AC5M Glider ZK-GPO which at the time was been looked over by a possible new customer

Zenair Zodiac 601 UL ZK-JHX  c/n 3472 resides at Matamata.

Visiting Matamata from Whakatane was Cessna 172 N ZK-EJS  c/n 17269149 operated privately.

Northern Area & Vintage Gliding Champs at Matamata NZ

Over the week from 29-7th December Matamata airfield is hosting the Northern area & Vintage Gliding Championships with over 20 gliders from Taupo,Drury,Tauranga and Whenuapai participating .The 3 air tow aircraft assisting in all air launches were PA-25,s ZK-CEB from Drury and locally based ZK-BZA and PA-18 cub ZK-BKJ arrived from Tauranga for the duration.

Myself and Pete "Hairy Mole Rat" visited the airfield on the 3rd December and wandering around the airfield came up with a couple of surprises .

Schempp-Hirth Discus B ZK-GXP from the local Piakio Gliding Club

PA-18 ZK-BKJ from Tauranga seen towing 

Schempp-Hirth Ventus cT  ZK-GSW up from Taupo gliding strip

Glasflugel Standard Libelle ZK-GGJ is one of a few classic gliders on show that day and is a Matamata resident.

Another Classic Glider was this Schleicher Ka 6CR  ZK-GBU which came down from RNZAF Whenuapai Air base.

Schleicher Ka 6CR ZK-GLX  parked up at the top end of the airfield.

Matamata resident Schempp-Hirth Disc Duo ZK-GYL tows away .

A rare Brantly B-2 Helicopter at Tauranga

Noted yesterday outside Flight Care maintenance hangar was the only registered Brantly helicopter in New Zealand ,ZK-INK Brantly B-2A.The helicopter was originally stored at Flight Cares old Hangar at Thames Aerodrome before arriving early this year and relocated to Tauranga and stored in the back of Flight Cares hangar.

So witnessing it outside the hangar is a very rare but welcomed sight so cheers Flight Care Staff.

Brantly B.2A ZK-INK c/n 417 owned by Gumboot Airways Limited.

Classic Flyers in the sun

Noted outside Classic Flyers recently were recently refurbished flying Grumman G-164A ZK-RTA and a non-airworthy Curtis P-40 Kittyhawk re-built for static display.

Grumman G-164A ZK-RTA  c/n 441 operated by Bay of Plenty Classic Aircraft Company parked outside the cafe area at Classic Flyers Museum.

Covered up Curtis P-40 Kittyhawk  with the only markings visible was  GA-K

.While it will never fly again,the Kittyhawk,s engine was rebuilt and can be started up  for taxi around the airfield at Tauranga.

ZK-IID and ZK-HJH noted in Rotor-Fix Hangar

On the 19th November noted inside Rotor -Fix hangar was a recent import to New Zealand , ex-Aussie Robinson R-44 Raven ZK-IID operated by Frontier Helicopters at Whakatane.Also noted inside the hangar were fellow Robinson R-22,s ZK-HJH , ZK-HMW,ZK-HHR and R-44 II ZK-HHJ.

Robinson R-44 Raven ZK-IID .Noted to the left is ZK-HJH.

Inside the hangar was ZK-HJH which has just been totally re-sprayed by Pacific Aero Coatings and on return to Ardmore with Heliflight Pacific ,it will be reregistered as ZK-HOU and remain in the Ardmore area.

ZK-HJH registration was crudely applied temporarily for delivery flight back to Ardmore before eventually being re-registered as ZK-HOU c/n 3184

Classic Flyers Hunter T.75 appearance

On a rare occasion,Classic Flyers Aircraft Museum bring out some of their exhibits to air some sunshine from the hangars including  not often seen  Hunter T8 ex-Singapore AF  516

She has been re-painted with another registration of 500 being displayed still representing the Republic Singapore Air Force as 516 was its original serial number.

c/n HABL003007

Pixs from Raglan Sands Fly-in

Here are some pictures from the recent 10th Black Sands fly-in from Raglan, even though it has been well covered by other blog sites.Over the weekend just under 100 aircraft arrived with the furthest machine ZK-FMR Murphy Rebel arriving from Fairlie  Aerodrome in the middle of South Island.

I will only cover the production built visitors captured at the fly-in.

Dropping in just for a coffee locally was Hamilton based Cessna 172 N ZK-DXP

AirTourer Super 150 ZK-DBD from nearby Te Awamutu

Te Awamutu resident Canadian Home Rotors Safari ZK-HXI.

Stratford based Cessna 180 ZK-EEJ

Temporary based here atRaglan was Fletcher ZK-JLU of Super Air.

Up from Turangi was Cessna 172 ZK-TFS

Hastings/Pa based Aero Commander 100.

Cessna 182P  ZK-SGH from Whaheke Island

PA28 ZK-CIS from Hamilton.If the pilot or owner see,s this please email me ,as this aircraft needs my attention at the paintshop.

It was good to meet at last Sir Minty,Mike from MRC blog as well as AGAIRNZ at Raglan.Maybe Blue Bus might ID himself to myself one day