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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 29, 2010 19:03:18 GMT 12
I remember the red, white and blue tourism ones owned by The Helicopter Line (?) used to appear on TV a lot on nature shows, tourism shows, etc, and they always looked like great adventure flying over mountain tops and down river valleys. From memory Tim Wallis flew one for an award winning documentary, or something like that, and I was told he also flew the one that did the awesome helicopter-boat chase in The Race For The Yankee Zephyr.
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Post by oj on Oct 29, 2010 20:33:37 GMT 12
In Hamilton, James Aviation had ZK-HLU ("LULU") from new for many years.
It did some ag work locally, was a development platform for many JAL modifications and accessories, and did quite a lot of HT powerline stringing between many of those pylons you see from the Auckland motorway.
It also served as one of the early air ambulances in Auckland (from a JAL base at Ardmore), did several seasons as the Piha Rescue helicopter and serviced the batteries on many of the off-shore unmanned lighthouses, including right up at the Three Kings Islands.
I did quite a bit of work on HLU including electrical mods and a couple of field trips to get it mobile after suffering electrical component failures (one at Piha and one at Cape Reinga). Not due to our mods I hasten to add!
I do not remember what became of it after JAL ownership.
On another note, good to see bobgod is still extant, but God knows why he chooses to live down there!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 29, 2010 21:01:10 GMT 12
Owen do you recall a helicopter company at Tamahere in the early 1980's, in a property sort of the Hamilton side of Eventide Resthome, near the Motel? I think they may have had a Jet Ranger for a bit, and then went to a Squirrel, and if the info I was told at the time is right one of these two helo's was the first Hamilton rescue chopper, but it also did contract work around the Waikato too, and sometimes had to drop a job and go do rescue work. Is my memory right on this? Sometimes you'd see the helicopter in their paddock when on the way to Hamiton.
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Bruce
Air Commodore
Avian Adventurer ZK-CKE
Posts: 4,403
Karma:
Exalt | Smite
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Post by Bruce on Oct 29, 2010 22:30:11 GMT 12
Yep, Range Helicopters were located in Cherry Rd, theres a load of houses on the site now.
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Post by lumpy on Oct 29, 2010 22:59:45 GMT 12
*one-upmanship time* My mum had a WAW Ranger as her wedding "car". Was news in the local paper at the time ! Yep , thats pretty much what we did Zac , awesome feeling watching " the girls " Limo pull in (because us boys in the wedding party were having too much much fun over the hills - so we were a touch late ( cheers Owen ). Awesome ! |
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Post by bell407 on Nov 7, 2010 20:14:34 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 7, 2010 20:47:33 GMT 12
Great photos, there are some nice looking choppers there, and it's impressive to see four in the hangar like that.
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Post by bell407 on Nov 7, 2010 22:26:43 GMT 12
Thanks, there are usually five in that hangar, but HMJ was away. The two on the left are 206 Jetranger and the two on the right are 206L Longrangers.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Nov 8, 2010 16:23:21 GMT 12
What is the difference between a Longranger and a Jetranger?
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Post by Deane B on Nov 8, 2010 16:38:05 GMT 12
What is the difference between a Longranger and a Jetranger? The long ranger is 25" longer in the cabin and features two additional rearward facing seats. If you look at the pictures above of ZK-HMA (Long ranger) vs WR below it (Jet ranger) you can see the difference. Main identifying features are the longer cabin and extra window. Most long rangers appear to have fins or end plates on the horizontal stabiliser as well. |
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Nov 8, 2010 18:55:07 GMT 12
Recent shot of a Helisika 206 at Ardmore:  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 8, 2010 20:10:57 GMT 12
A very appropriate registration on that one, ZK-HOP.
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Post by Deane B on Nov 9, 2010 7:57:44 GMT 12
Love what looks like a towel stuffed up against the windscreen. Hope its wedged in tight. Having that fall off and get tangled in your pedals or controls would provide some excitement, especially if you were low level spraying!
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Post by ZacYates on Nov 17, 2010 10:41:01 GMT 12
I'd love to see any more photos forum members may have, especially older shots and also of ag 'Rangers at work. About 500m from my house is New Plymouth's port, and a company called Heliview has a 206L based there which may be heard coming to and fro on nice days - of which we have had many lately.   |
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Post by xbaggy on Dec 30, 2010 20:17:32 GMT 12
My son Lindsay loading Sandy Jamieson, (South Canty Helicopters), at Pleasant Point on Boxing day. They were spraying spuds.   Myself loading John Mcdonald at Timaru airport 1985 also spraying spuds  |
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