Christmas Greetings

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to all readers of 3rd Level New Zealand

Christmas is a time of birth and love

As you celebrate with those you love 

may the gifts of love

come to birth in you and your family

 

New ATR Enters Service

 

Entering service with Air New Zealand today is its newest ATR 72-600 ZK-MZF operating as it first flight NZ5346 from Christchurch to Wellington and its return, NZ5349. 

ZK-MZF was the last ATR 72-600 Air New Zealand had on order. The first, ZK-MVA, arrived in New Zealand in November 2012. The airline has a fleet of 29 ATR 72-600s.

More Expansion!

 

Within days of launching their new Auckland-Whitianga service Barrier Air have announced on their Facebook page, as follows, plans for further expansion including another aircraft and new routes.

In line with our growth strategy and our commitment to service our existing route network and introduce new routes to a excellent standard we are excited to announce we have a 5th Cessna Grand Caravan arriving next winter. Our Cessna Grand Caravans with TKS (anti icing system) and a Garmin 1000 avionics configuration are perfect for what we do but are very hard to find! We have found one in Canada which is currently on a land survey contract.

This aircraft will be online with us in time for the busy summer period and will bring our fleet number to 5 (subject to regulatory approval). 

Watch out Tauranga! Scheduled services to Great Barrier Island and Whitianga are the plan soon! 

Two more from Auckland

I didn't have long to hang around Auckland when I was there on Thursday but I did manage to get a couple of jets... 

Parcelair's Boeing 737-400 ZK-PAT at Auckland on 16 December 2021

Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZG at Auckland on 16 December 2021

What's happening?

Parked out Dennis Thompson International at Ardmore on 15 December 2021 were two of the ex Fly My Sky BN Islanders, ZK-PIZ and ZK-SFK. Both are registered to Auckland Seaplanes Limited but nothing seems to be happening to them. It has really got me thinking, what's happening?

 

Whitianga - We have lift off

This is Part 2 of my coverage of Barrier Air's inaugural service between Auckland and Whitianga. This focuses on the first outbound flight, GB 402 to Auckland

Barrier Air's latest Cessna 208 Grand Caravan, ZK-SDE at Whitianga on 16 December 2021

The check in at Whitianga...

The whole day I found Barrier Air's staff so happy and obliging... they clearly have a good team spirit.

Pilot for the inaugural services and Barrier Air's CEO Grant Bacon... Grant told me, "I actually shed a tear when the aircraft landed and went through the water salute. It has just been such a tough year I didn’t know if it would actually happen." Despite the challenges of 2021 Barrier Air has broken through the barriers!

Auckland staff supervising and showing the new Whitianga staff the ropes.

The GPS showing the standard instrument departure

Lining up Runway 22 at Whitianga

A skiff of rain on departure as we climb out of Whitianga towards Mercury Bay

Whitianga Airport

Cooks Beach

Light and dark in the very atmospheric weather

Mahurangi Island and Hahei Beach

Looking over Opiti Bay on the left

Matarangi Beach

Our GPS track to Auckland via Hook until we were given clearance t track direct

Ponui Island with Waiheke Island in the background

Waiheke Channel between Ponui and Waiheke Islands

Ponui Island w ith the Ruthe Channel and Rotoroa Island above 

Coming up on Auckland looking over Howick

Ardmore airport out to the left

On the ILS for 23

Runway 23 in a shower of rain

Puhinui Interchange - forget light rail to the airport - heavy rail from here! 

The camera wanted to focus on the rain on the window 

Another Barrier Air Cessna Caravan comes out to watch the arrival of the first flight from Whitianga

Barrier Air announce the arrival flight GB402, the first flight from Whitianga

ZK-SDE enjoying the sun before flying to Hawera and then doing the afternoon flight to Whitianga

 Congratulations to Grant and the Barrier Air team

A big thanks to Daryl and all the ground staff

Return to Ardmore

Sunair has returned to Ardmore. The Tauranga-based airline is offering twice daily flights between Ardmore and Great Barrier Island. The first service from Great Barrier Island to Ardmore was operated yesterday, the 16th of December 2021, with Piper Aztec ZK-FVP doing the honour as SUNAIR 16 PAPA.

Sunair first started operating to and from Ardmore on the 1st of December 2014 when it moved the Auckland terminus of its Whitianga flights from Auckland International to Ardmore Airport. At the same time Sunair introduced flights from Ardmore to Great Barrier Island as well as strengthening the Whitianga flights by removing the "two passengers required" restriction. These flights continued to operate until the 8th of September 2017. 

Good Morning Whitianga

Barrier Air launched its long awaited Auckland to Whitianga service this morning. Doing the honours under the command of Daryl Williamson was Barrier Air's newest Cessna 208 Grand Caravan ZK-SDE. On board GB401, the inaugural flight, were 8 passengers.

As part of the preparation for the service Barrier Air worked with CAA for the recommissioning of the RNAV approach at Whitianga enabling an all-weather operation... and this was needed for the first flight though the weather was trying hard to cooperate. Grant Bacon, Barrier Air's CEO, said the airline will operate most of its flights IFR as it does to Great Barrier Island and Kaitaia as part of the airline's safety standards.

There was a nice crowd gathered to see the arrival of the first flight including the local fire brigade who gave a water arch salute to welcome the first scheduled IFR service. 

Grant told me the local response has been really amazing. There has been a lot of interest in the community and Coromandel FM was livestreaming the arrival. Grant is pragmatic that the service has to be price sensitive or people will get in their cars and drive... though on the return flight I noted the queued traffic on the motorways. It's not surprising there already quite a number of full flights for the summer. Even at my work office one staff member was talking about their beach house at Coromandel and how their daughters will be able to fly over to Coromandel to join their parents without the drive in and out of Auckland. 

The new IFR air service opens a new chapter in the history of air services to Whitianga and it will be certainly interesting to see how it develops. I for one want to fly it again on a fine day and see some of the spectacular scenery the route has to offer. 

 

GB 401 to Whitianga on the departure board 

Boarding...

Daryl Williamson, Barrier Air’s Flight Standards/Training Manager 

Nice to see s fuller tarmac at Auckland International

Puketutu Island

Auckland CBD in the distance as we climbed to our cruising altitude of 7000 feet

Not a lot to see

And all of a sudden there is Coromandel below us

And there's Whitianga as we go out on the RNAV approach

Clearing from the north inbound on the RNAV

Ohinau and Ohinauiti Islands

Cooks Beach

Coming up on the beach at Whitianga on finals for Runway 22

Welcome to Whitianga

Happy punters and even the sun came out

ZK-SDE at Whitianga after the arrival of the first flight