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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 29, 2010 11:01:13 GMT 12
Waco UIC ZK-ADE, with the Wellington AC from mid-1934 until impressed into the RNZAF as NZ574 in September 1939. You can just see the 'E' and the top of the 'D' above the lower wing in your lineup photo. The NZ Military never used any Proctors in NZ. I seem to recollect that there were one (or two?) used by, I think, the British Military Attache who was based in Wellington, but that would have been late in the war or possibly postwar. The RNZAF assembled Proctor 3 R7538 at Hobsonville in January 1945 and it flew here as ZK-AHV for the Public Works Dept., but that would have been in civilian colours. The pic is certainly a Vega, either in civilian colours or after impressment in 1939. I have seen photos of the Gull Four ZK-AES (the CAA one) but never of it showing any military markings prior to becoming NZ572 in 1939 - see part of it in the background of the above photo.
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Post by DragonflyDH90 on Oct 30, 2010 19:53:29 GMT 12
The aircraft shown could well be a Gull Four as the Six or Vega exhaust pipe would generally exit the bottom (6 cylinder) of the cowl not the side (4 cylinder).
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 30, 2010 21:03:50 GMT 12
The only Gull Four here was G-ACUL/ZK-AES/NZ572 ??
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suzy
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by suzy on Aug 9, 2023 13:43:22 GMT 12
Hi, I was learning to fly at WAC back in the mid 70s. Noel Winiata was my flying instructor. If I was a really good girl with flying lessons we would do aerobatics on the was back from the training area. Last time I heard from Noel he was with Mt cook airlines and then doing ferry flights. I believe he has passed on. Would love to know what he ended up doing. His teaching set me up well. Was difficult time for female pilots-not many positions. My father requested I return home and study for a real job!! I was bent on being a flying instructor or anything with flying. A short spell due to studies and a real job which provided the funds for flying , I finally became an ultralight instructor. Second women in Australia! Achieved many firsts with distance flights, won a few navigation trophies-second in the Ansett air race against 60 general aircraft. Circumnavigated Queensland and then Australia, raising funds for red nose and flying doctors. Was with the air tourer association for many years. Aircraft I owned included a drifter, jabiru 2 seater and a four seater. Sadly all sold now-do get the itch -so have bought a drone!!! Cheers Suzy
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Post by madmax on Aug 9, 2023 14:33:26 GMT 12
I too was flying with WAC during the 1970s and did a little aerobatic time with Noel in a Victa. One incident that springs to mind is when Victa ZK-CLF suffered an engine failure while Noel was instructing and he put the aircraft down on a very rocky beach, near Baring Head I think, with little or no injury to the student or himself
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Post by Antonio on Aug 9, 2023 15:19:46 GMT 12
What Super Cubs operated with WAC during the early 60's?
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Post by madmax on Aug 9, 2023 16:02:59 GMT 12
ZK-BQN and BQO were the clubs first PA 18s which were purchased circa 1957. In 1959 BTV ex Napier AC was added and later another new PA 18 BSK joined the fleet
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Post by Antonio on Aug 10, 2023 10:35:39 GMT 12
ZK-BQN and BQO were the clubs first PA 18s which were purchased circa 1957. In 1959 BTV ex Napier AC was added and later another new PA 18 BSK joined the fleet That's great. Thanks for the info
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Post by kiwi172 on Aug 11, 2023 18:59:15 GMT 12
I flew with the Wellington Aero Club from August 1962 until about 1966. Francie Tanner gave me my introduction to effect of controls etc in Cessna 150 ZK-BWI on 02-08-1962. Other instructors that lead me astray were Bruce James in his three-piece brown suit, roll your owns and morning newspaper, Bill Coulter, Rob ? Hand part timer, Bill Sinclair, ? Jensen, and later Noel Winiata. Clarry Berryman was CAA testing officer. In the hangar was Ivan East and Frank Johnson; Keith Trillo and Bruce McAlly ? in their spare time: Keith & Bruce were both NAC pilots. I also pottered around under supervision doing 50 hour checks on Cubs. A batch of us Club members purchased the Tiger Moth BLK and Keith Trillo flew it down from Tauranga accompanied by Matt Barbers Pie Chaser BLF. The plan being to rebuild it, but member interest slipped away until Ivan East took it over and completed it. Never did get my 20 quid back. Fleet consisted of Cubs BTV, BQN and BSK with its tow hook (that was a bit of a hoot) and Cessna 150 BWI and 172 BWW. Then came the Cessna 205's CEZ and CFF, Victa 100's CLF, CMD and CMF, with CWB and CXQ later. PA28 CUE and the mighty PA28 235 DDV and the Aztec CEU and Cessna 172 CGA. Then the PA28-140's CII, CIJ and CIP. Others available were the Mooney CPP and the Beech A24 DAD, the Cessna 310 CFG with Peter Duggan-Smith, and the CAA Apaches BUA and BLO were good for a ride on the right occasions. Flights on the Cal Flight DC-3s AUJ and AXS could be arranged. Tony Glowaki and Ivan Evans also in and out. Good times.
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Post by madmax on Aug 11, 2023 22:18:55 GMT 12
If a recall correctly the green and white Mooney CPP was owned by Tom Collins. Cessna BWW was interesting in that it had a factory photographic hatch in the floor and a photographic company I worked for at the time frequently hired it using an F24 serial camera which took 5 inch wide roll film and produced 5 X 5inch negatives. Another aircraft owned by WAC was DH Chipmunk ZK-BSV which the club purchased just prior to relocating to Wgton International from Paraparaumu. Later they acquired the remains of burnt-out chipmunk ZK-BSS for spares. Another part time instructor during the early 1960s was Gil Aspin who was aviation representative for local Grumman aircraft agent Brown and Dureau Ltd and was responsible for importation of the first Agcat topdressing aircraft
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Post by thomarse on Aug 12, 2023 8:14:46 GMT 12
Rod Hand was the part-time instructor to whom kiwi172 refers.
When I started in early '67 the Victa fleet were CLF CMD and CMF but I think a couple may have come and gone before then? CGN maybe?
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Post by thomarse on Aug 12, 2023 8:15:46 GMT 12
If a recall correctly the green and white Mooney CPP was owned by Tom Collins. That was T T N Coleridge I think
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Post by madmax on Aug 12, 2023 11:29:06 GMT 12
Oops, yes Tomarse you are quite correct, Coleridge was the name, my memory not to good these days. I think the first two Victas were CGN and CLF
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Post by thomarse on Aug 12, 2023 12:46:39 GMT 12
I should have looked it up in the first place MM After checking my logbook, I find CGN CLF CMD and CMF in there, my last flight in CGN being in April '68 CDO was first and was gone before my time starting in January '67. I wonder why she didn't last long in the fleet? Maybe traded on one of the later?
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Post by madmax on Aug 12, 2023 14:16:48 GMT 12
I think CDO suffered from a poor climb rate. I recall on one flight with Bill Coulter we had difficulty reaching 3000ft during a spinning excercise, this may have been in CDO however I'm a long way from home at this time and unable to check my logbook
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munkman
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 3
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Post by munkman on Aug 31, 2023 21:18:42 GMT 12
Moving into the post-war era and Chipmunk ZK-ARL, the book "Chipmunk, the Poor Man's Spitfire" states that ARL's stripes were yellow upon it's delivery to WAC. Have advised the author that appears not to be the case, all photos suggest it bore the red and black stripes from the start. Because the stripes are different in size and shape to standard DHC scheme, and because Frank Brittain once told me that APN and ARL were expensive aircraft for WAC to buy, I have suggested that, unlike APN, ARL was shipped unpainted as a cost-saving measure? I also remember it having a non-standard cockpit green interior which suggests a NZ applied paint job. So if, during the WAC research, evidence does emerge of an initial yellow scheme for ARL, or confirmation that it was painted at Rongotai, I would appreciate learning of this. A polished metal Chippy with a yellow DHC scheme would have looked beautiful I reckon. WAC history is a great project, one helluva story to tell, hope it all goes well. Fond childhood memories of eating Ivan East's biscuits here, but that was during his Palmy North MDAC days.
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Post by madmax on Sept 1, 2023 11:50:47 GMT 12
I have an image, b&w, which shows ARL with what appears to be black line and registration letters with a very light colour, possibly yellow, on the top engine cowl. I never seen pictures of it with what could have been red
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