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Post by thomarse on Jul 25, 2016 14:06:48 GMT 12
Hi all
Yesterday I noticed a Cessna 206 floatplane looking out of an open-fronted hangar at Invercargill. Due to precipitation I decided not to swim over to look more closely but upon enquiring I was told that no one can remember the last time it came out of its hangar.
Anyone know the rego or the circumstances?
Cheers
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 25, 2016 14:10:36 GMT 12
When I was at Te Anau back in March, the week before Warbirds Over Wanaka, there was a Cessna 206 floatplane operating off the lake.
Presumably it wasn't this one at Invercargill?
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Post by Brett on Jul 25, 2016 14:57:34 GMT 12
Could the Invercargill Cessna be ZK-DWM, the former Southland Air Services plane?
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Post by nzjet on Jul 25, 2016 17:45:00 GMT 12
Corroded, wont pass a SIDS, scrap metal....
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Post by thomarse on Jul 25, 2016 18:43:38 GMT 12
So it's DWM?
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Post by nzjet on Jul 25, 2016 19:10:55 GMT 12
Yes, well that's what I was told a few months ago.  |
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Post by craig on Jul 26, 2016 6:23:06 GMT 12
Great old girl. I flew it for about 2 years between 98 and 99. Based out of either Oreti river, Riverton harbour or the Waiau Lagoon. All could be pretty challenging at times. Servicing Stewart Island and Southern west coast. Unfortunately never really had enough work to make it viable and the choppers hard to compete with. Still some of the best flying I have ever experienced with lots of WOW moments. Shame to see it laid up but would dread to think how bad the corrosion will be as mostly operated in salt water environments.
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Post by craig on Jul 26, 2016 12:08:50 GMT 12
 DWM in better times. From memory this photo was taken in Port Pegasus (southern end Stewart Island) in one of the few beaching sites available. Very tight to get into there and definitely not ideal in windy conditions. Think that may be Hunter Hamilton holding the tail. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 26, 2016 12:46:11 GMT 12
Great photo Craig.
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Post by thomarse on Jul 26, 2016 22:07:06 GMT 12
How long has it been out of the air Craig?
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Post by baronbeeza on Jul 27, 2016 0:19:22 GMT 12
I am thinking of one of the 206's I was involved with down there. I certainly worked on this floatplane when Phil Kean was flying it but that would have been more than 10 years ago now.
My memory of one of them was that it had a log entry for dispensation for a major portion of the fuselage replacement, I think the donor came out of Canada.
Some of these machine had a lot of work done on them over the years but I think DWM was always struggling for utilisation.
Glad to see Craig did some time in it.
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Post by craig on Jul 27, 2016 7:17:22 GMT 12
Kevin I think the 206 you refer to may have been Keiths other one, which was on wheels. He imported a donor fuse (from North America some where) which had hail damage to the wings, to rebuild one he had already purchased with fuse damage but good wings. I never flew this and can't remember the rego (KMH? or was that his 182) it was based in Q town most of the time.
Neil Robinson took over from me for a while, then Phil Kean had a good go at making it work and he was prob the last to fly it commercially. Not exactly sure when that would have been.
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Post by hamfists on Jul 28, 2016 22:50:15 GMT 12
Are those fiberglass floats I read about for cessnas any good..? Should make a difference in weight..there's plenty of 206's flying about with new wings, new tail, new fuse, new motor..like grandads axe
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