New Freight Service Up and Away

 

Merlin Labs commenced their air freight operation last evening when Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ZK-MLO flew from Kerikeri's Bay of Islands' Airport to Palmerston North. 

An article in the Northern Advocate on the 26th of June had reported that Merlin has signed a deal with Freightways businesses Fieldair, Parceline and New Zealand Couriers to deliver the cargoes. The first flight will be on Thursday, when the companies will deliver domestic courier items from the Boston-based tech firm’s NZ outpost of Kerikeri to Auckland and through to Palmerston North in an increasingly autonomous capacity. At first, two pilots will continue to supervise the trips while the Merlin team integrates its software and hardware into the Cessna fleet on-site. Freightways trucks and couriers will then pick up the cargo and integrate the items into the nationwide courier network, creating efficiencies and another option for congestion or emergencies on the road that will support the current team to meet service standards in New Zealand. 

For the full article see : https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/kerikeri-robot-plane-company-signs-deal-to-delver-cargo-from-its-unmanned-flights/ZAFWFMTLGBGXRBQ4ADHNYL3IFQ/

The Cargomaster then positioned to Paraparaumu where Jordan Elvy captured it this morning. Today the aircraft has been doing some developmental flying between Paraparaumu and Palmerston North and return.

Merlin Lab's Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ZK-MLO at Paraparaumu on 30 June 2023

Big Bird and Little Bird

North Shore airport's big bird is surely Barrier Air's Cessna 208B Grand Caravan which operates scheduled services to and from Great Barrier Island... It is seen landing at North Shore on 26 June 2023 in a rare moment of sunshine.

North Shore is home to a raft of little birds too... On the same day Tecnam P2008 ZK-ZZB returns from a scenic.

Sunair's new East Coast service begins

This morning, the 26th of June 2023, Sunair commenced its new East Coast services. 

The new services that operate between Napier and both Wairoa and Gisborne are a result of the February Cyclone Gabrielle damaging the roading infrastructure in the region. Air New Zealand had been operating a temporary air service between Napier and Gisborne and with its withdrawal earlier this month local authorities reached out to Sunair to operate an air service.

This morning's first flights were flown by Paul Corrin and Vince Gardner in Sunair's Aztec ZK-EVP. The Aztec positioned from Tauranga to Gisborne this morning and then operated the first Gisborne-Wairoa-Napier service followed by a direct Napier-Gisborne service.

ZK-EVP is no stranger to all three airports, having previously been operated by Cookson Air on its air service which linked Wairoa to both Gisborne and Napier as well as to Auckland.

Third Level North Shore

Operating Barrier Air's flights from and to Great Barrier Island today was Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-SDC... at North Shore on 25 June 2023

A little later Island Aviation's Britten Norman Islander ZK-SFK operated to Great Barrier Island and back... at North Shore on 25 June 2023

Island Aviation's Cessna 172 ZK-RNX was also at North Shore as was BN Islander ZK-PIZ

The only other movement of interest was Eagle Aircraft Eagle 150B ZK-XAB which was out on a scenic... at North Shore on 25 June 2023

Introducing ZK-CIW and friends

Air Chathams' second Saab 340A freighter, ZK-CIW, now sporting its New Zealand registration at Auckland on 23 June 2023

This is a ship I'd love to have a ride in, Air Chathams' Aero Commander 690A ZK-PVB at Auckland on 23 June 2023. I understand it was up in Kiribati on aerial mapping duties recently

Another Beech B200 Super King Air, Life Flight's ZK-LFA operated by Air Freight NZ at Auckland on 23 June 2023. 

 

Air Napier going electric

 

Air Napier has signed a purchase agreement with Maeve Aerospace to acquire thirty-five Maeve 01 electric aircraft. Along with European start-up FlyWithLucy (Eindhoven), the New Zealand carrier will be the launch customer of the type. When developed, the Maeve 01 aims to scoot along 264 knots per hour with a range of 460 kilometres. The aircraft will be capable of carrying 44 passengers and recharging in 36 minutes. Maeve is eyeing commercial service entry around the end of the decade. "Right now in New Zealand, there are a lot of opportunities in aviation, because most regions have limited or no air connectivity at all. This is where Maeve potentially comes into play, as Maeve 01 seems to be the perfect combination of range and capacity," said Air Napier CEO Shah Aslam. Air Napier, a subsidiary of SO Capital, is a passenger charter operator with a mixed fleet comprising a Falcon 2000EX/EASY/LX, Piper (twin turboprop) PA-31 Navajos, Piper (twin piston) PA-34 Senecas, and a Piper (single piston) Cherokee. 

The full article can be found here : https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/128956-new-zealands-air-napier-orders-35-maeve-01s

VH-KDB now ZK-CIW

 

The second of Air Chathams' latest Saab SF340As which arrived into Auckland from Wagga Wagga and Sydney on 16 June 2023, VH-KDB, has been placed on the New Zealand civil aircraft register as ZK-CIW.

Now ZK-CIW, Pel-Air's Saab SF340A VH-KDB seen at Auckland on 17 June 2023

Winter sun at North Shore

It was a sunny afternoon with winter sun at North Shore on 11 June 2023

Piper PA28 Cherokee 140 ZK-DGH

Cessna 172 ZK-DMW

"Nanchang 01", ZK-FRU

Cessna 182 Skylane ZK-RDJ

Maule ZK-RLT

Island Aviation's Cessna 172 ZK-RNX arriving from Waiheke Island

Island Aviation's BN Islander ZK-SFK departing to Great Barrier Island and returning in the golden hour

Piper PA28 Arrow ZK-TGF

A classic Czech twin

Continuing the wade through my unsorted photos this year, another from the South Australian Aviation Museum... Commodore Aviation's Aero 145 which was used for fish spotting and a regular service to supply lighthouses

Commodore Aviation's Aero 145 VH-WWC at the South Australian Aviation Museum on 26 February 2023

The only Czech built aircraft I have flown in was Manx2's Let 410 OK-RDA, 

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2016/07/plane-spotting-on-isle-of-man.html

Two new pics at Auckland

Wamos Air' s Airbus A330-243 EC-NBN on departure from Auckland for Perth on 19 June 2023

My first look at a Life Flight Beech B200 Super King Air... ZK-LFI at Auckland on 19 June 2023. The aircraft is registered to Air Freight NZ Limited of happy memory

One more, another Airbus A330, Fiji Airways' DQ-FJU at Auckland on 19 June 2023

 

And in other news Air Chathams' newest Saab 340A VH-KDB has had it's Pel-Air titles stripped