A couple of little snippets about Merlin Labs...
On the 6th of February 2025 Taupo Tandem Skydiving's Cessna 208 Grand Caravan ZK-JMP did a Kerikeri local flight as MERLIN 1. It then positioned to Paraparaumu on the 7th of November. On the 10th of November, it flew to Kaikoura and operated two crayfish flights from Kaikoura to Wellington as MERLIN 1 as part of the Air Kaikoura operation (see https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2018/01/air-kaikoura-and-its-parikawa-life-line.html). A single flight was operated on the 12th, 14th, 17th and 21st. I notice also three flights operated from Invercargill to Christchurch by ZK-JMP on 14th, 18th and 21st. I am not sure if these were freight flights as well or part of Merlin Labs' systems development work.
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| Taupo Tandem Skydiving's Cessna 208 Grand Caravan ZK-JMP as MERLIN 1 at Wellington on 14 November 2025. Photo : T Gorman |
Tim notes, What makes this Cessna Caravan so interesting is that it is powered by the Garrett/Honeywell TPE331 engine, not the normal P&W PT-6... I am informed that the 5 Bladed propeller is a M-Tech Composite.
Meanwhile, Merlin's Cessna 208 Grand Caravan ZK-MLN which has been out of the air for some time has been observed flying around Kerikeri this month.
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