ZK-EVP - the East Coast Piper Aztec

Following on yesterday's post on my Sunair flight to Gisborne, as we were flying across on EVP it struck me that it had served the East Coast for a long time.

Piper PA23-250 Aztec F ZK-EVP (c/n 27-8054053) was imported by Cookson Air in 1980 to operate their services Napier-Wairoa-Gisborne services. These routes were for a time extended to include Palmerston North and the company also operated a Wairoa-Auckland service. The Aztec operated with Cookson Air until the company closed in 1995.

ZK-EVP at Napier on 20 January 1992 in Cookson Air colours

For more on Cookson Air see
http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2010/12/wairoas-cookson-airspread-part-2.html

In October 1999 Air Freight NZ Ltd took over Vincent Aviation’s courier operation from Palmerston North to Napier, Wairoa and Gisborne using Piper Pa23-250 Aztecs ZK-DGS, ZK-EVP and ZK-FMU. Air Freight it service ended in 2002 and EVP was sold to Sunair.

ZK-EVP at Gisborne on 9 February 2001 while operating for Air Freight (NZ) Ltd. 

For more on Air Freight's East Coast service see
http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2011/02/air-freight-nz-ltd-21-this-year.html

ZK-EVP has been used on the Sunair network since 2002. It has featured two colour schemes as seen below...

ZK-EVP at Napier on 15 April 2009 carrying Sunair titles

ZK-EVP at Gisborne on 25 November 2011 in full Sunair colours