Departing VIP

Departing New Zealand today on export is Piper PA31-350 Navajo Chieftain ZK-VIP (c/n 31-7405482).

The 1974 model Chieftain was placed on the New Zealand register on the 15th of March 1993 first being used by VIP Air Charter Ltd out of Hamilton. In 1997 it was used on a short-lived air service between Hamilton and Gisborne air service under the name of Te Kaahu Airlines... see https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2012/06/vip-air-charter-and-its-te-kaahu.html

VIP Air Charter's Piper Pa31-350 Chieftain ZK-VIP at Hamilton on 15 December 1993

On the 24th of October 2002 ZK-VIP was registered to the Gloriavale-owned Air West Coast Ltd of Greymouth. From the 8th of November 2002 Air West Coast began operating a Greymouth-Westport-Wellington service and a very short-lived Greymouth-Westport-Christchurch service. The Chieftain was was used on air service until March 2007 when it was replaced by Dornier 228 ZK-VIR. Air West Coast's air service ended on the 1st of August 2008 but ZK-VIP stayed with Air West Coast until June 2014... see https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2011/05/air-west-coast-flying-on-wing-prayer.html

Piper Chieftain ZK-VIP with Air West Coast arrives back in Greymouth from Wellington and Westport on 9 March 2005.

On the 18th of June 2014 ZK-VIP was registered to Enfield Holdings Limited of Mosgiel which traded as Mainland Air. The Chieftain was used on Mainland Air's services between Oamaru and Christchurch. This services was operated for only a short time but the Chieftain was also used on medical staff flights from Dunedin to both Invercargill and Alexandra as well as charter and air ambulance work... see https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2010/10/mainland-air-last-airline-to-operate-to.html

Mainland Air's Piper Chieftain ZK-VIP being used by Barrier Air at Auckland on 26 October 2015

On the 1st of December 2015 ZK-VIP was leased to Auckland-based Great Barrier Airlines Limited which by then traded as Barrier Air. It was used on flights from Auckland to Kaitaia, Whangarei and Hamilton before it was registered back to Enfield Holdings Limited on the 11th of July 2016. It was last used on a medical staff flight from Dunedin to Alexandra and back on the 15th of September 2023 operating as MAINLAND 5... see : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2015/08/barrier-air-new-name-to-barrier-and.html

Piper PA31-Chieftain ZK-VIP with Barrier Air at Auckland on 30 November 2015

Since then the Chieftain was used as part of the Mainland Air operation but it has been on the market for some time. It departs New Zealand for Australia today as VH-KYI.

Aquatic & Vintage Airways' Widgeons and Beaver

After Sea Bee Air ceased operating Grumman Widgeon and Goose aircraft on scheduled services in New Zealand during Easter 1989 there was one final operator that continued commercial operations using G. While this was the end of amphibious scheduled services it was not the end of commercial flying by amphibians. That honour goes to Aquatic & Vintage Airways Ltd and, as it was later renamed, Salt Air. 

Aviation often has passionate people in it. While Fred Ladd is well known for his passionate promotion of amphibian flying not so well known is Grant Harnish whose love affair with Grumman Widgeons continues to this day.

Aquatic & Vintage Airways Ltd came into being on 16th of October 1992 when O & C Harnish Ltd was renamed. The new operator was a 50-50 partnership between Grant Harnish and who was to front the operation and his father Owen who provided the initial financial backing. Owen Harnish had acquired Grumman G44A Widgeon ZK-CFA (c/n 1439) in 1987 but on the 23rd of December 1992 Grant took possession of it enabling Aquatic & Vintage Airways to take to the air offering scenic flights from the waterfront at Paihia. The Widgeon ZK-CFA had seen a lot of service with Tourist Air Travel, Mount Cook Airlines and Sea Bea Air and in offering scheduled services and scenic flying. With Sea Bee Air's closure the scheduled flying ceased and the new Bay of Islands-based company used the Widgeon to offer a variety of popular flights around the Bay of Islands as well as an option for a flight around Cape Reinga. 

Aquatic & Vintage Airways' Grumman Widgeon on maintenance at Ardmore on 31 May 1996

Meanwhile, Northern Air had developed an airstrip at Waitiki Landing, some some 20km south of Cape Reinga. Northern Air never used the airstrip very much and after damaging an aircraft on it it hadn't been used for some time. Aquatic & Vintage Airways saw an opportunity and on the 7th of June 1995 two of Owen Harnish's aircraft, De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver ZK-CGX (c/n 1548) and Cessna 172P Skyhawk II ZK-EWF (c/n 17275010), were added to Aquatic & Vintage Airways' fleet and these aircraft were used to develop scenic flights from the airstrip at Haruru Falls near Paihia. On arrival  at the Waitiki Landing airstrip the passengers were taken from the airstrip to visit the Cape Reinga lighthouse, Tapotupotu Bay and the Te Paki quicksand stream and its giant sand dunes.

Before it went to Aquatic & Vintage Airways, DHC Beaver ZK-CGX, the Eager Beaver, at Ardmore on 19 November 1992. It was used on the Cape Reinga flights in this scheme with small Aquatic & Vintage Airways' titles on the side passenger door. Photo : MRC Aviation

1996 saw the acquisition of a second Widgeon. Grumman G44A Widgeon ZK-AVM (c/n 1466), like sister Widgeon ZK-CFA, had seen service with Tourist Air Travel, Mount Cook Airlines and Sea Bea Air. It was cancelled from the New Zealand register on the 18th of June 1987 after being sold to E J Jones of Cairns in Queensland, Australia who registered it as VH-WET and who operated it as Coral Wings. On the 22nd of April 1994 its Australian registration was cancelled and was registered to Massim Expeditions & Tours P/L, of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea and placed on the PNG register as P2-WET. It arrived back into New Zealand on the 10th of December 1994 and eventually it was cancelled from the PNG register in 1996 being placed on the New Zealand Zealand register as ZK-AVM again on the 1st of July 1996 and registered to Aquatic & Vintage Airways Ltd.

Aquatic & Vintage Airways Grumman Widgeon ZK-AVM at Ardmore on 15 September 1996

A couple of days after ZK-AVM's arrival at Paihia the first Widgeon, ZK-CFA, flew to Ardmore for supposedly a winter overhaul. It was a case of the best laid plans not coming to pass. The overhaul was put on the long finger and subsequently the Widgeon  had its wings removed, before it was placed on a trailer with the wings underneath and it was towed back to the Bay of Islands for what would become a 26 year restoration project.

Grumman Widgeon ZK-CFA at the top of the Brynderwyns on its way back to Kerikeri and the start of a long restoration project

Meanwhile Grumman Widgeon ZK-CFA continued to operate Aquatic & Vintage Airways

Some magnificent Lawrence Acket photos of Aquatic & Vintage Airways' second Grumman Widgeon, ZK-AVM, flying over the Bay of Islands during 1997

In 2022, 30 years on from his establishing Aquatic & Vintage Airways, Grant Harnish described that company name as "such a mouthful when answering the phone" that in '97 it became Salt Air. From then the aircraft were rebranded and Aquatic & Vintage Airways traded under the name Salt Air until the company name was officially changed to Salt Air Ltd on the 16th of April 1999. 

As stated above Grant Harnish' love affair with Grumman Widgeons started in 1992 with the launch of Aquatic & Vintage Airways and continues to this day. 30 years on, 2022 saw the completion of his restoration of Grumman Widgeon ZK-CFA. I was given the privilege of checking out the magnificent restoration of Grumman Widgeon ZK-CFA on the 14th of September 2025.   

The continuation of the story of Salt Air can be found here :

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2010/04/salt-air-xpress-service-to-northland.html

The magnificently restored Grumman Widgeon ZK-CFA on 14 September 2025

ZK-CFA's history

The old and new cockpit technology

A big thanks to Grant Harnish for his help in writing this post

Sad Day #2 for Sounds Air

 

Today, the 28th of September 2025, was the final day of Pilatus PC12 operations for Sounds Air with the aircraft operating to Christchurch, Wānaka, Paraparaumu, Nelson, Wellington and Blenheim for the final time.

If anyone has any photos to record these final flights I would appreciate a copy to illustrate this history... my email is westland831@gmail.com ... thanks, Steve

Three Pilatus PC12s were in action today.

Today, also marks the day  Sounds Air has withdrawn all its air services to Christchurch and Wānaka with these flights operated in Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLS. Departing Blenheim at 12.30pm it flew to Christchurch as S8 691 and from Christchurch to Wānaka with a 1.40pm scheduled departure as S8 791 for the final flights to Wānaka under the command of Phil Brewer. It then operated the northbound services with the final scheduled departure from Wānaka at 3.20pm for Christchurch as S8 792 and then a northbound service from Christchurch to Blenheim, S8 692 which has scheduled to depart at 4.30pm. It then operated a Kāpitit Coast flight departing Blenheim at 5.40pm and operated S8 414 from Blenheim to Paraparaumu and the return flight S8 415 which arrived back into Blenheim at 6.15pm. It then departed for Christchurch as S8 693 at 7.25pm. For its last sector of the day ZK-PLS, the PC12 that inaugurated Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 services on the 28th of April 2015, in a nod to history, was given the honour of doing Sounds Air's final Pilatus PC12 flight, S8 694, departing Christchurch at 8.35pm to arrive into Blenheim at 9.25pm under the command of Logan Keats.

ZK-PLX, with Ash Hurndell as pilot, started the day at Wellington and departed for Nelson as S8 375 at 2.55pm before doing S8 from Nelson to Paraparaumu as S8 506 departing at 3.45pm and the return flight S8 507 departing at 4.35pm. It then operated S8 376 departing from Nelson for Wellington at 5.45pm before operating S8 291 from Wellington to Blenheim which was scheduled to arrive there at 7.45pm.

Farewell to Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLX at Nelson on 28 September 2025

ZK-PLB, with Jordan Williams as pilot, flew from Blenheim to Wellington at 2.45pm as S8 214 before flying what was a return scheduled flight to Picton but which operated instead to Blenheim as S8 127 with a scheduled departure of 3.30pm and S8 128 with a scheduled departure of 4.20pm. It then returned from Wellington to Blenheim as S8 213 before doing a another return flight to Wellington, S8 268, and S8 269 back with a scheduled departure from Wellington at 8.20pm and arriving into Blenheim at 8.50pm. 

Sounds Air has operated six Pilatus PC12s;

ZK-PLB - Pilatus PC12/47 (c/n 725)

@ Westport on 28 April 2021

ZK-PLS - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 363)

@ Westport on the inaugural service on 28 April 2015

Repainted in full Sounds Air colours @ Woodbourne on 23 February 2017 

ZK-PLT - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 379)

@ Taupō on 21 October 2016

ZK-PLV - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 400)

@ Wellington on 7 May 2024

ZK-PLX - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 396)

@ Christchurch on 6 December 2023

ZK-PLZ - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 445)

@ Taupō on the inaugural service on 2 June 2015

Repainted in the corporate scheme @ Wellington on 7 October 2024

The Pilatus PC12s have inaugurated a number of new Sounds Air services;

Sounds Air commenced Pilatus PC12 operations on the the 28th of April 2015 with ZK-PLS  inaugurating air services between Westport and Wellington on the 28th of April 2015 flying SDA 988 from Wellington to Westport and the return SDA 989. 

Pilatus PC-12 ZK-PLS on the day of the inaugural flight at Westport on 28 April 2015

Taupō to Wellington flights began on the 2nd of June 2015. Three return flights were operated each weekday with two return flights being operated on Saturdays and Sundays. After positioning from Woodbourne the first flight from Wellington to Taupō, SDA 803, was operated by Sounds Air's second Pilatus PC-12 ZK-PLZ under the command of Craig Anderson. Also on the flight deck was Sound's Air's Chief Pilot Willie Sage. 

Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ operating Sounds Air's first flight from Taupō departs for Wellington on 2 June 2015

The next new service Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12s inaugurated was between Blenheim and Napier on the 5th of November 2015. The inaugural services, northbound SDA712 and southbound SDA713, were flown in Pilatus PC-12 ZK-PLZ under the command of Tim Johnson. Six flights a week were flown departing Blenheim at 6.30am and 5pm and Napier at 8am and 6.30pm departures on Thursday and Fridays with a late afternoon return flight on Sundays and an early morning return flight on Mondays.

Passengers board Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ on Sounds Air's first flight from Napier to Blenheim on 5 November 2015. Photo Hawkes Bay Today

A further new Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 commenced between Blenheim and Christchurch on the 1st of August 2016 after Air New Zealand withdrew from the route the day before. Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLX was used for the first flights, SDA651 to Christchurch and SDA652 back to Blenheim. These were captained by Craig Anderson with Dave King as co-pilot. Eleven flights a week were offered between the two centres.

The first Pilatus PC12 service to be cut was that between Blenheim and Napier. Airline chairman John Stace said, the service is being cut because it was simply not viable to fund the route anymore. We had planes going one way empty and returning with only two to three passengers on board so in the end it wasn't viable." The final Napier service was operated on the 3rd of January 2020 with Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLB operating flights S8 714 from Blenheim to Napier and the return flight S8 715. 

The final Sounds Air flight into Napier arrives on 3 January 2020 operated by Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLB 

While Napier lost its Sounds Air service Wānaka gained a service from the 2nd of November 2020 with flights to Christchurch. The Wanaka service started with Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV operating the first flight, SDA 710, from Wanaka to Christchurch and the return service flight SDA 711. Ten flights each week were operated.

Ready for the airline's first scheduled service to Christchurch, Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV at Wanaka on 2 November 2020 

However, the aviation industry had changed post-Covid. In October 2025 Sounds Air's CEO was reported observing that the aviation market is the toughest he has seen in his 21 years at the airline: “Post Covid, the combination of staggering jet fuel costs, a weak NZD exchange rate, increasing landing fees and CAA charges, wage pressures, high interest rates, and the dramatic international escalation in the costs of servicing engines have been crippling. These challenges led to the services between Wellington and Taupō and Wellington and Westport ending on the 31st of January 2024. The last flights, SDA 804 from Wellington to Taupō and S8 805 from Taupō to Wellington and SDA 903 from Wellington to Westport and SDA 904, from Westport to Wellington were flown in Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ under the command of Na'ama Gueta.

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ ready to board its 3 passengers at Taupō with the airline's last flight to Wellington, S8 805, on 31 December 2024

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ at Westport on 31 December 2024 before operating S8 904, the final Sounds Air service to Wellington. Photo : Pete Dickson

With today's final flights we farewell an incredible aircraft from the New Zealand regional airline scene. At the same time I wish Sounds Air all the best as it continues to face the challenges of these difficult days for our regional airlines.

A full, updated history of Sounds Air can be found here : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2014/08/sounds-air-fast-scenic-way-to-cross.html

Sad News out of Australia

On the 23rd of the August 2025 ex Mount Cook Airline Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter ZK-MCK flew on export to Jump Aviation Pty Ltd, Australia as VH-XAA to be used as a skydiving platform with Skyone Moruya at Moruya, New South Wales.

Yesterday afternoon it took off with eight skydivers and one pilot on board. After all eight occupants jumped out, the pilot was returning to base when the airplane crashed 2 km north of the airfield. The pilot was killed and the aeroplane was destroyed. 

ZK-MCK      Pilatus PC-6/B2-H2 Turbo Porter                     c/n 809

HB-FHO       19/08/1980     Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG, Stans, Switzerland

                     22/01/1982     Registration cancelled

ZK-MCK      26/01/1982     The Mount Cook Group Ltd, Christchurch

                     29/11/1986     First flight following modification to model PC-6/B2-H4

                     18/02/1987     Mount Cook Airline Ltd, Christchurch

                     01/07/1998     Tourism Holdings Ltd, Queenstown

                     20/12/2002     Aoraki Mount Cook Ski Planes Ltd, Mount Cook

                     01/05/2012     Skydive Franz Josef Ltd, Franz Josef Glacier

                     26/09/2018     Inflite Ski Planes Limited, Auckland

                     15/08/2025     Registration cancelled - Exported

VH-XAA      15/08/2025     Jump Aviation Pty Ltd, Moruya NSW, AUSTRALIA

                     22/08/2025     Timaru-Auckland on export

                     23/08/2025     Having depart Timaru for Auckland on the 22nd it flew

                                             Auckland-Norfolk Island-Gold Coast on the 23rd and on to

                                             Dubbo on the 24th.

                     27/09/2025     Crashed Moruya NSW with pilot killed and plane destroyed

Pilatus Porter ZK-MCK at Franz Josef on 21 September 1982

Pilatus Porter ZK-MCK surrounded by flood waters at Franz Josef's Mercer Airport on 28 December 1989. Photo : M Thomas

Pilatus Porter ZK-MCK with a modified tail scheme at Mount Cook on the 19 September 1987

At Franz Josef again, now as a skydiving platform, Skydive Franz's Pilatus Porter ZK-MCK on 27 May 2017

After a stint back on skis ZK-MCK wears a Mount Cook Skiplane and Helicopters logo as seen here doing skydiving duties at Motueka on 23 January 2023. Photo : M Beaven.