S8 906 to Wellington

 

Continuing on my post on my recent Sounds Air flight to Westport I had my return flight to Wellington on Friday evening...

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLT arrives in Westport with S8 903 from Wellington on 28 May 2021

Sounds Air's check-in... service plus. A late passenger was given a phone to find out how far away he was.

Front seat 🙂

PLT's front office

Now boarding

Westport traffic, Sounds Air 906, PC12, taxi and back tracks 04

Rock work protection at the end of runway 04

Westport traffic, Sounds Air 906 rolls 04

Westport and the Buller River

The last time I flew with Chad he was on the Caravan... he's been with Sounds Air for four years... Westport airport slipping past below

Passing Cape Foulwind and setting heading at 5000ft

and at 21,000 ft

In the distance - the Kaikoura range

Cape Campbell, Lake Grassmere and Clifford Bay

On the approach to Wellington 

Somehere, 5 miles ahead, was Sounds Air 805 from Taupo. 

In between the landing of the Taupo and Westport PC12s and Airbus departs... Wheels down, flaps down, the PC12 slows right down... Sounds Air and Air Traffic Control have a great relationship... ATC know what the PC12 can do and this makes ease of managing flights in and out of Wellington

Short finals for 34

Thanks Chad and Sounds Air for another great flight

3C 401 and 3C 402 - DELAYED

 

Air Chathams have delayed the start of their Auckland-Norfolk Island flights. On the 15th of April, following the announcement of the trans-Tasman bubble, Air Chathams announced that they are resuming flights to and from Norfolk Island from May 27th using Saab 340 aircraft.

Unfortunately, the airline had to delay the recommencement of flights to Norfolk Island. In a statement the day before the resumption of the service Air Chathams said, “We are deeply disappointed to advise that due to delays in legislative process here in NZ (namely around Air Chathams being added to the Air Border Order as an approved Quarantine Free Travel airline) we will not be able to operate tomorrows scheduled service to Norfolk Island… We have now started the process to contact all passengers on this week and next week’s flights to offer rebook/refund options.” 

The airline's website now says flights will resume on the 10th of June 2021.  

 

S8 907 to Westport

So what Sounds Air routes have you flown on??? I have bolded and underlined the ones I have done.

Blenheim-Christchurch

Blenheim-Kaikoura (no longer current)

Blenheim-Kapiti Coast

Blenheim-Napier (no longer current)

Blenheim-Wellington

Christchurch-Wanaka

Kaikoura-Wellington (no longer current)

Kapiti Coast-Nelson

Nelson-Wellington

Picton-Wellington

Taupo-Wellington

Westport-Wellington

Wellington-Whanganui (no longer current)

I had to go Westport late this week and so ticked off the Wellington-Westport route... This is Sounds Air flight S8 907 to Westport

My ride to Westport, Pilatus PC-12 ZK-PLT arriving as flight S8 906 from Westport on 27 May 2021... a desperation shot just on dark - photoshopped slightly but I like the effect.

The original shot

Flying on a Sounds Air PC12 or an Air NZ Q300??? A lot more fun on a PC12! 

Lining up Runway 34

Departure from Wellington

Last light of the day

Sounds Air flying over the Sounds as the day draws to a close

Cam's front office

I really need to learn how to get night shots on my my camera... a blurred Nelson as we passed slightly to the south

Caught the strobe on descent through the cloud to Westport

The warmly glowing terminal at Westport

ZK-PLT on the ground at Westport after another Sounds Air flight

Wellington Airvans

Full flights from Wellington to Hamilton meant a five hour wait until my flight to Westport... It gave me an opportunity to walk to the other side of the airfield and down to the southern end of the runway... A biting wind but worth it for what I was chasing...

Air Kaikoura's passenger service between Kaikoura and Wellington now operates only on demand. However, Air Kaikoura has found new passengers and is flying crayfish from Kaikoura to Wellington. Up to two flights a day are being operated. Air Kaikoura's Gippsland GA8 Airvan ZK-ORC departs Wellington for Kaikoura on 27 May 2021.

 

After hardly seeing ZUG for ages I've seen it four times in the last month. It is seen arriving in Wellington on 27 May 2021 from Takaka

The day had turning gloomy by the time it was ready to depart for Takaka