Lakeair and Mitsubishis for sale

 

 

Lakeland Aviation Ltd was a Taupo-based company formed in 1971 by Ron Fincham and three other shareholders. Initially the company focussed on training and charter work. Licences in the early year confined much of the charter work to Turangi with lesser operations from Taupo but gradually the Taupo licence restrictions were removed. A particular focus for the company was flying hunters into the airstrips of the Kaimanawa Ranges. This focus was enhanced with the involvement of Ron Connell who had a number of aviation enterprises including South West Helicopters Ltd which did deer hunting and recovery from bases at Taupo and Fox Glacier and Ron became one of Lakeland Aviation’s shareholders. By the late 1970s Lakeland Aviation was also operating its first twin-engined aircraft, Partenavia P68B ZK-LAL (c/n 70).

 

Ron Connell’s interest in the company grew and he eventually took it over. At the same time he had diversified into aircraft and helicopter sales. In 1980 he imported New Zealand’s first Mitsubishi Mu2 for Wairarapa Airlines. It was planned to use the Mitsubishi Mu2B, aptly registered ZK-WAL (c/n 037), on services from Masterton to Auckland and Christchurch and to use Partenavia P68B ZK-LAL, which Lakeland had sold, as a backup aircraft. Delays were experienced getting the Mitsubishi ready for service and it eventually transpired that the aircraft was unsuitable for operation from Masterton’s Hood Aerodrome and so it was never used on this service.

 

In 1980 it was widely anticipated Air New Zealand would relinquish a number of its unprofitable provincial services. With this in mind Connell imported a larger 10-seat Mitsubishi Mu2B-30 model (or Mitsubishi Mu2G as they were commonly known) to New Zealand in November 1980. Registered N671MA, this aircraft was demonstrated to a number of operators including Hokitika’s Westland Flying Services in December 1980. The aircraft later was registered as ZK-EKZ. Another Mitsubishi Mu2G, N88BC arrived in March 1981. This was to become ZK-EON.

 

For sale - two Mitsubishi Mu2Gs still in their US registrations... Above, N671MA (which became ZK-EKZ) at Hokitika in December 1980 and below, N88BC (which became ZK-EON) at Christchurch in April 1981.

 

  

The Mitsubishis, however, did not attract any sales and so in March 1981 Lakeland Aviation Ltd successfully applied to the Air Services Licensing Authority to operate a scheduled Taupo-Auckland-Taupo service using a Mitsubishi Mu2B-30 (Mu2G) to be operated under the name of Lakeair. Air New Zealand did not object to the granting of the licence. One provision was that the nine-seat twin engine plane be granted a certificate of air worthiness. A company spokesman, Mr Daryl Devereaux, told the Taupo Times the certificate was a formality and would be obtained later that month. He said the company hoped to begin offering the service in May.

 

The service commenced on the 4th of May 1981. Return flights between Taupo and Auckland were offered in both the morning and late afternoon, Monday to Friday, with a daily return service being operated on Saturdays and Sundays. Mitsubishis were the mainstay of the operation. Mitsubishi Mu2B ZK-WAL (c/n 037) operated the early services until the G-model Mitsubishi Mu2B-30 N671MA was placed on the New Zealand registered to South West Helicopters Ltd as ZK-EKZ (c/n 519) on the 15th of May 1981. Permission was granted to use South West Helicopters Beech B58 Baron ZK-EJJ (c/n TH-181) as a backup aircraft.

 

The smaller Mitsubishi Mu2B, ZK-WAL, on the Lakeair service at Auckland on 13 May 1981

 

In 1981 Air Central’s John Gardiner sold half of his company to Ron Connell’s RCS International (1981) Ltd. This opened the door for Air Central to trial the use of Mitsubishi Mu2G, with ZK-EKZ being operated from July 1981. About this time Air New Zealand announced changes to be made in October 1981 to its services between Auckland and Taupo that would have its flights running at the same time as the Lakeair service. By this stage Lakeair was receiving regular patronage. With Air Central’s Mitsubishi trial proving successful the airline operations of Air Central and Lakeair were rationalised in late August 1981 and Air Central took over the Taupo-Auckland service with a twice daily Napier-Taupo-Auckland return service on the 31st of August 1981.

 

A little more on LYP

Following on from the last post BN Islander ZK-LYP is enroute from Auckland to the Chathams... Maybe I will get to fly Chatham to Pitt on the Islander next month...

Another Air Chathams aircraft flies home to roost...

Arriving back into New Zealand tonight was Air Chathams' Britten Norman BN2A-27 Islander ZK-LYP.

BN Islander ZK-LYP arriving back into Auckland on 5 March 2014. Photo supplied

The Islander originally flew up to Tonga on the 13th of May 2008 to be used by Chathams Pacific. The Islander was primarily employed for the short Fua'amotu-'Eua service but it also saw service to the Niuas to the far north of the island kingdom. 

The Islander was cancelled from the New Zealand register on the 21st of December 2009 and placed on the Tongan register as A3-LYP. It was restored to the New Zealand register on the 25th of November 2013.

Wearing its Tongan registration, A3-LYP at Fua'amotu on 7 January 2011

It will be interesting to see what happens to the Islander... I am off to the Chathams next month so maybe by then it might be running a scheduled service to Pitt?!

Two Virgins, Two Ferns, and an Atlas Inflite

Virgin Australia's Boeing 777-300 VH-VPH arriving into Auckland on maintenance on 4 March 2014

The first time I've seen Virgin Australia's Boeing 737-800 ZK-PBD in its new colour scheme at Auckland on 4 March 2014

Two more Air New Zealand Airbus 320s are wearing the fern... Above, repainted ZK-OJQ and below new Airbus ZK-OXD. Photos taken at Auckland on 4 March 2014

Atlas Air's Boeing 747-400 N496MC on arrival at Auckland on 4 March 2014

On a smaller scale Inflite Charter's BAe Jetstream ZK-ECI at Auckland on 4 March 2014

Oh dear... MA-60 problems again

An interesting piece, even though the description of the MA-60 as a jet is not quite correct...

China's AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) has applied to ground its MA-60 planes after two instances of landing gear failure this month, in a move one commentator said could dampen enthusiasm for Chinese-made planes. The mishaps of the small jet add to over a dozen accidents in recent years and amount to unwelcome publicity as Commercial Aircraft of China (COMAC) struggles to develop an airliner to compete with Boeing and Airbus. Xi'an Aircraft applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China to suspend domestic use of the MA-60 after the landing gear malfunctioned on a plane carrying 38 passengers on Tuesday, state news agency Xinhua reported. The aircraft operated by Okay Airways circled Shenyang Taoxian Airport in northeast Liaoning province for two hours while crew assessed a 'faulty instrument' related to the landing gear, Xinhua reported. Xi'an Aircraft's problems not only put the future of the MA-60 in doubt, but may curb demand for other Chinese-made aircraft, said Wang Xiaohua, a senior consultant at Kent Ridge Consulting in Xiamen. 'The market will be in a panic about these made-in-China small jets and that might also have some spill-over effect for the home-made large commercial jet.'

One wonders what this will mean for Real Tonga...

Source : Reuters, February 27, 2014

Auckland this week

I had an unexpected free afternoon so after getting some photos processed I went out to Auckland International with some reading I had to do to catch China Airlines' Boeing 747-400 which was doing a few trips into Auckland over the last few days... On 28 February the service was operated by 'Jimmy', B-18203

I thought I had missed seeing Jetstar's Boeing 787-800 and it was a real surprise to see it about to depart... a desperation shot from the viewing park of VH-VKA.

Operating Fiji Airways service from Suva was Boeing 737-700 DQ-FJF

I must say the simple Air NZ black and white scheme is growing on me... it is crisp... Above Airbus 320 ZK-OJS while below ZK-OXA has had its registration moved down below in preparation for application of the fern.

Will the Boeing 767-300s ever be painted in black... ZK-NCK on approach

Still wearing the Pacific Wave, Boeing 777-200s ZK-OKB (above) and ZK-OKF (below)

Over at Ardmore on 25 February 2014 was turbine Robinson R66 ZK-HCE...

and the RNZAF's Beech Super King Air NZ7121

25 years ago - February 1989 - Hokitika and Greymouth

Sud Aviation Gardan GY.80-180 Horizon ZK-BXM at Hokitika on 17 February 1989

Cessna 150 ZK-CTE at Greymouth on 18 February 1989

Cessna 177 Cardinal ZK-DIH at Greymouth on 18 February 1989

Cessna 172 ZK-DAT at Hokitika on 19 February 1989

Piper Pa28 Cherokee ZK-DEG at Hokitika on 19 February 1989

Beech C23 Sundowner ZK-DVC at Hokitika on 19 February 1989

Cessna 172 ZK-EOA at Hokitika on 19 February 1989

Cessna 152 ZK-ETF at Hokitika on 19 February 1989

Rutan Varieze ZK-EZE at Hokitika on 19 February 1989

Pazmany PL-2 ZK-TLP at Hokitika on 19 February 1989

More on the visit of Vincent's Saab to Masterton

It was a genuine case of up, up and away yesterday for a group of Wairarapa VIPs given the opportunity to take a maiden flight over the valley in a Saab 340. The Vincent Aviation-owned aircraft touched down at Hood Aerodrome for a getting-to-know-you morning tea and the flight. Masterton businessmen Colin Oldfield and David Borman are heading a proposal to re-establish a passenger air service from Hood, with Vincent Aviation the preferred airline, and are completing a business plan to prove its viability. The 34-seater Saab would be used not only as an Auckland-Masterton service - which was the focus of the now defunct Eagle Air service - but as a charter service. Mr Borman said since the Times-Age first wrote about the likely new service he and Mr Oldfield had been inundated with messages of support. "I have had over 180 emails from business people wanting to use it regularly and from rugby clubs, bowling clubs and others who would charter the aircraft," he said. Attractions such as a flower show in New Plymouth were only "15 minutes away" from Hood and the aircraft would be ideal for ferrying groups to events such as an All Blacks rugby test in Dunedin, Mr Borman said. Though the business plan was still being constructed, it was hoped that the first paid flight from Hood could lift off in six to eight weeks. At a function at the aerodrome before the VIP flight, former Masterton mayor Bob Francis, who has supported the initiative, said the Vincent Aviation proposal looked to be the best opportunity to re-establish a service from Hood. Vincent Aviation managing director Pat Vincent spoke of the qualities of the Saab 340 aircraft, which the company flew from a number of Australian bases, namely Darwin, Brisbane and Sydney, as well as its New Zealand operations. "It is not a Boeing 747 but it is a very comfortable aircraft with three-abreast seating, plenty of leg room and the seats recline," he said. The aircraft to be utilised in Wairarapa would be painted in Wairarapa colours and had many years of service ahead of it. Mr Vincent said a Saab 340 had a lifetime of about 80,000 landings. "Your craft is only a quarter way through its life, so with the traffic loading in and out of Hood it is probably good for another 60 years," he said.

Source : http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503414&objectid=11210685

25 years ago - February 1989 - An Auster and a heap of Cubs

Piper J-3 Cub ZK-AHC at Nelson on 5 February 1989

Auster J/1Y ZK-AXF at Nelson on 5 February 1989

Piper Pa18 Cub ZK-BQN at Nelson on 5 February 1989

Piper J3C-65 Cub at Nelson on 6 February 1989

A working Cub - Piper Pa18A-150 Cub ZK-BVJ at Omaka on 6 February 1989

Piper Pa18 Cub ZK-BKW at Timaru on 11 February 1989

On the same day at Timaru I also took Piper Pa18-150 Cub ZK-BNM... 25 years on both these Timaru Cubs still live there with the same owners

Over at Hokitika on 19 February 1989 was Piper Pa18-150 Cub ZK-BTI

Piper Pa18-150 Cub ZK-BJG was at West Melton on 25 February 1989

Vincent Saab checks out Masterton

Many thanks to Michael Adams from Masterton who sent in these great photos of Vincent Aviation's Saab 340B VH-VNY which visited Masterton today, the 26th of February 2014. Michael writes...

Today while working I heard an unusual plane doing a couple of loops of town. A quick check of FlightAware and I saw that Vincent had flown their SAAB 340 in from Taupo. Headed down to NZMS and was welcomed onto the tarmac and into the plane for a look around by the very friendly crew.

Chatting with the crew they had come over to show off the plane and check out the runway etc. They seemed pretty happy with our wee set up here.

Many thanks once again Michael. I hope you guys get an air service again soon!