Christmas Present for Fly My Sky

Fly My Sky have acquired a fourth Britten Norman Islander to replace Islander ZK-DLA which was written off following a heavy landing at Great Barrier Island. Britten-Norman BN2A-26 Islander ZK-EVO (c/n 785) was registered to the company on 19 December 2014.

Captured at Ardmore on 30 December 2014 was Britten Norman Islander ZK-EVO now registered to Fly My Sky.

ZK-EVO previously saw service with Aspiring Air on its scenic services between Wanaka and Milford Sound and the scheduled services between Wanaka and Queenstown.

BN Islander ZK-EVO in Aspiring Air colours at Christchurch on 30 November 1987. Does anyone know when and why Aspiring Air eventually ceased operations??? Can they email me at westland831@gmail.com

 Before that ZK-EVO was operated by Cookson Air on its newspaper service between Napier Wairoa and Gisborne as well as on the Wairoa-Auckland service. For more on ZK-EVO's service with Cookson Air see http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2010/12/wairoas-cookson-airspread-part-2.html

BN Islander ZK-EVO at Wairoa on 8 May 1984

For more on Fly My Sky see http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/fly-my-sky.html

For more on DLA's demise see

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/wtf.html

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/dla-flies-again-albeit-under-helicopter.html

Moving to Hamilton 2

I didn't get a lot on my drive from Palmerston North to Hamilton. Most exotic was Cessna 402 ZK-SVQ, ex-ZK-FXS, at Taupo on 28 December 2014

Piper Pa28 Warrior ZK-ELX was wearing new Aviation Training titles.

Also at Taupo on 28 December 2014 was Super Air's Air Tractor AT-502B ZK-MAA

I hate aircraft covers!!!!!!!!

...but the aircraft that really interested me was Cessna 337 ZK-DFT which used to be based at Taupo with Air Central (see http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/11/air-central-north-island-commuter.html) and Taupo Air Services (see http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2010/03/taupo-air-services.html)

The only other photo I took was Cessna 172 ZK-ELH which used to be part of the Coast Air fleet when I was learning to fly in Hokitika... Photo taken at Matamata on 28 December 2014.

Moving to Hamilton 1

At Kaikoura on 27 December 2014 was Piper Cherokee 6 ZK-DOP being operated by Air Kaikoura on  whale watching.

WHY was the Gore Aero Club's Cessna 172 at Kaikoura?!

Murphy Rebel ZK-DBH was at Omaka on 27 December 2014

as was the Marlborough Aero Club's Piper Tomahawk ZK-DMF

and Cessna 182 ZK-VNE

A busy tarmac at Woodbourne... Air2there Caravan ZK-MYH, Eagle Beech 1900 ZK-EAN, Sounds Air Caravan ZK-PDM and Air Nelson Q300 ZK-NEE...

...and in this angle, from right to left, EAN and MYH again, NZ Post Friendship ZK-PAX, Sounds Air Grand Caravan ZK-SAA and an Air Chathams Convair

and at Paraparaumu Aero L39 ZK-CCP.

More from the Hokitika 150 celebrations

The rain poured and low cloud precluded the arrival of DH Fox Moth ZK-ADI and Air New Zealand's scheduled Beech flights and the Q300 which was going to be on static display for the fly in...

...but the band played on and I caught up with so many people under my umbrella!

In the afternoon there wasn't much flying or sign of aircraft at Hoki airport so in desperation I took a few cars on display

and the latest acquisition of the Hokitika Industrial Society, a bush tram from Southland

DH89 Dominie ZK-AKY managed to get out for a couple of flights as the base lifted

Outside the hangar was the Hokitika Aero Club's Rans S6S Coyote II ZK-VSI

while inside a hangar was Fisher Aero Corp Horizon II ZK-PDW

Fokker 50 to Fly NZ Skies

Sad news for Air Chats... Crossing the Tasman next month is Alliance Airlines' Fokker 50 VH-FKO which will be used to fly tourists around New Zealand on behalf of Tauck Tours.

In recent times Air Chathams has been operating the flights using their Convair 580s while previously Air National and Vincent Aviation used Whisper Jet ZK-ECO for these tours and before that Pionair also used their Convair 580s. 

Fokker 50 VH-FKO taken at Adelaide

The current Tauck Tours' itinerary

Christmas Greetings

To all the followers of 3rd Level New Zealand...

I have enjoyed bringing you 3rd Level NZ 

over the last few years. 

Thank you for those who have sent in comments and emails and helped me with photos and information for the posts.

Have a blessed Christmas

and best wishes for 2015

Steve

Facebook news...

I have been looking for news on Facebook today and found a couple of snippets...

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Fantastic New Year for all our current passengers, staff and future passengers. Paraparaumu, Wanganui, Blenheim, Picton Nelson and Wellington. They come from far and wide to be part of the action.........more news on more routes to follow soon.

We're adding additional capacity over the Holidays, with three Chieftains operating on flights to Auckland - enjoy a faster, quieter ride! We're also adding additional flights during peak times to both North Shore and Auckland to provide more options over your holidays.

Here I was wondering what the third Chieftain was and then an email came in with a photo of air2there's ZK-MYS  at Auckland on 21 December 2014

Holiday Flyers

Taken at Ardmore on 19 December 2014 Sunair's Cessna 172s ZK-DKK and ZK-DHN used on their services to Whitianga and Great Barrier Island

Retro Scheme for Christmas

So what retro paint schemes would you like to see???

The link below is US and UK... make sure you see all 16 photos

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/64382362/16-retro-aeroplane-paintjobs-that-should-make-a-comeback

So of my Christmas list I would be...

a Dreamliner in the Air NZ DC-10 scheme....

What would be on your list???

And is there a Flight Sim artist who can perform magic so we could see what they look like???

PS

This link was included in the comments below...
http://nzff.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=23726

Electras, Dominies and Friendships at Westport

Has anyone got any photos of an Air NZ Friendship at Westport???

I am wanting to do a post next year to coincide with the end of the Air NZ service.

Already I have great photos of NAC Fox Moths, Lodestars, DC-3s and Friendships at Westport. The Air NZ Friendship is a gap... I am also looking for any pics of a Lockheed Electra or DH Dominie at Westport which will be harder gaps to fill!

If you can help please email me at westland831@gmail.com

Thanks

Steve

Hokitika 150th Anniversary Celebrations

Visiting for the 150 celebrations, which also coincide with the 80th anniversary of the launch of Air Travel (NZ)'s service to Haast was de Havilland DH89B Dominie. All photos taken on 19 February 2014

Two companies operated DH89 services from Hokitika - NAC - the plane - and West Coast Airways - the stairs!

Coming over Kaniere

Downwind for Runway 03 - sadly a murky day

On finals, there's home! and the expanding dairy factory

The old and new - Currently operating most of the weekly services into Hokitika are Eagle Air's Beech 1900s. Hokitika will upsize to Q300s at some point in the next 18 months. 

Living at Hokitika temporarily is the Greymouth Aero Club's Cessna 172 ZK-FMP

A new Hokitika resident is Maule ZK-TDS

The actual anniversary is today 20 December... The weather is poor, the morning Eagle flight has been canned and the Q300 which was going to be on static has been delayed in Christchurch for an hour. I don't expect that we will see it or any flying today.