Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 enters service

Air New Zealand's new Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZE entered service today flying NZ103 from Auckland to Sydney and then the return NZ104 service. I caught ZK-NZE arriving back into Auckland just after sunset...

The same photos with a little Photoshop

The Q300 koru... Which is your choice?

There has been a lot of comment about the fern on the tail of the Air Nelson Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEQ

Cowlesco has done some fantastic photo-shopping of my pic... Which do you think looks best???

Option 1 - NEQ as photographed at Auckland on 6 August 2014

Option 2 - mimics the size and position of the Koru on the current blue Pacific wave scheme.

Option 3 - Cowlesco's suggestion

Four ferns at Auckland!

The first Bombardier Q300 in the new black/fern colour scheme - ZK-NEQ at Auckland on 6 August 2014... I think the koru placement looks wrong

ZK-OJC previously had a black tail. This is my first photo of Airbus 320 ZK-OJC with its fern...

A better shot of Airbus 320 ZK-OJS

and my first shot of Airbus 320 ZK-OXA with its fern applied. All photos taken at Auckland on 6 August 2014

Xtra Wide Body...

While health professionals don't promote xtra wide bodies Airbus is proudly showing off its new Airbus 350 Xtra Wide Body. At present Airbus 350 F-WWYB is on a world tour and I caught it on its departure from Auckland on 6 August 2014 enroute to Santiago, Chile...

This is an Airbus press release from 24 July 2014 on the world tour...

The world’s newest airliner, the Airbus A350-900, has taken off this morning for the final stage towards certification. These Route Proving tests are designed to demonstrate readiness for airline operations and will include high airfield performance, auto-landing trials, and airport turnaround and handling services. Some flights will have passengers on board. The A350 world tour itinerary includes 14 major airports worldwide and one route via the North Pole.

The world tour using A350 MSN5 test aircraft forms part of the route proving for certification campaign. The aircraft (MSN5) is one of the fleet of five test aircraft and one of two with a fully functional cabin (42 business class and 223 economy class seats). The A350 flights will be operated by Airbus flight crews with the participation of Airworthiness Authority pilots from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The tests form part of the last trials required for aircraft Type Certification scheduled for Q3 this year. The first airline delivery, to Qatar Airways, will follow towards the end of the year.

The three week trial (four trips) starts in Toulouse, France. Trip one, includes destinations such as Canada via the north-pole and Frankfurt. Trip two to Asia, the world’s fastest growing aviation market, includes visits to Hong Kong and Singapore. The third trip brings the aircraft to Johannesburg and to Sydney. From Sydney it will fly to Auckland, followed by Santiago de Chile and Sao Paulo before returning to Toulouse.  On the fourth and final trip, the A350 will depart from Toulouse to Doha, then onto Perth and back to Doha. From Doha it will fly to Moscow, then to Helsinki from where it will fly back to Toulouse.

Today five development A350s are flying and are actively involved in the intensive flight test programme, which has already reached over 540 flights and 2,250 flight hours. 

The A350 XWB is the latest addition to the market-leading Airbus Widebody product line. Offering its customers a 25% reduction in fuel-burn, the all-new mid-size long-range A350 XWB Family comprises three versions from 276 to 369 seats. The A350 has carbon fibre fuselage and wings and sets new standards in terms of passenger experience, operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. At the end of June 2014, the A350 XWB had won 742 orders from 38 customers worldwide.

Trip one: Toulouse-Iqaluit-Frankfurt-Toulouse 

Trip two: Toulouse-Hong-Kong-Singapore-Hong-Kong-Toulouse (Hong Kong to Singapore several times)

Trip three: Toulouse-Johannesburg-Sydney-Auckland-Santiago de Chile-Sao Paulo-Toulouse

Trip four: Toulouse-Doha-Perth-Doha-Moscow-Helsinki-Toulouse

ZK-DOJ - a glimpse back...

A few of my photos of the ill-fated Cherokee 6 ZK-DOJ which crashed yesterday in Central Otago.

A couple of shots Piper Pa32 Cherokee 6 taken at Palmerston North. Above, ZK-DOJ taken on 20 February 1985 and below, when operated by United Aviation, on 16 May 1988

ZK-DOJ was then operated by Hokitika-based Westair. It is seen here in 3 January 1994

for the last 18 years ZK-DOJ has been operated by Glenorchy Air. It is seen here in Milford Sound 

Sad News for Glenorchy Air

A Queenstown pilot has died and his overseas tourist passengers are seriously injured after a light plane crash in Central Otago. The Queenstown man, a pilot for Glenorchy Air, died at the scene of the light plane crash in the Poolburn, Central Otago area this afternoon. Three people were on board when the plane crashed in a remote area, Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk, of Alexandra Police said. Kerrisk said weather was fine at the time. "Two overseas tourists have been transported to Dunedin Public hospital in a serious condition," he said. The people involved have not been named as police are contacting their next of kin. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission and Civil Aviation Authority are investigating. Police remain at the scene. A full scene examination will be undertaken tomorrow morning. The site of the crash is about 20 kilometres east of Alexandra, north of the Poolburn Reservoir.  

My sympathy goes out to the Glenorchy Air team...

The aircraft concerned is Piper Cherokee 6 ZK-DOJ. A photo of the crash can be found at http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10350543/Light-plane-crash-kills-one

A profile of Glenorchy Air can be found at http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2011/06/day-at-milford-glenorchy-air.html

Four from yesterday...

I had an airport pick up to do yesterday and managed to get some time out at the airport...

A couple on departure... Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-200 ZK-OKC 

...and Cathay Pacific's Airbus 340 B-HXJ at Auckland on 4 August 2014

On approach, China Southern's Boeing 787-8 B-2735

while on the taxi was a new Jetstar Airbus 320 for me, VH-VGJ

Zoom lens shots

A couple of long range shots taken yesterday, 3 August 2014, at Auckland International

Virgin Australia's Boeing 737-800 VH-VUY was a new one for me...

I quite liked the light conditions... Airbus 320 ZK-OXD about to depart on a damp Auckland day

Birthday Treat

I was delighted to get my first photos of an Antonov AN-124 today as Antonov Airlines' UR-82008 arrived into Auckland from Perth... and the rain cleared too!