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Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 30, 2008 21:04:07 GMT 12
There is a seaplane ramp on the waterfront at Paihia. This was established by TAT, and later used by SeaBee and Salt Air.
I understand that use was eventually discontinued after an accident between a water-borne Widgeon and some other watercraft. This would seem to have been around the year 2000.
Anyone know any details of this incident?
I do remember reading about it, but an internet search now finds no trace.
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Post by Bruce on Mar 30, 2008 22:01:54 GMT 12
According to John kings Book "NZ Tragedies - Aviation" The accident you refer to occurred in April 1979 when See Bee Air Widgeon ZK-BCQ collided with A small runabout when taxiing on the step from Paihia to Russel early one morning. Both occupants in the runabout were struck by the LH propeller and killed instantly. Factors in the accident were the aircraft and boat being on courses which presented no relative movement to one another, The low sun and salt spray on the windscreens. BCQ received only minor damage. This obviously did not cause amphib operations to cease in the Bay, as See Bee continued until the Mid 1980s and Salt Air until approx 2000.
I dont beleive there was a later accident that lead to Salt Air suspending operations - this appears to be more related to both the Salt Air Widgeons requiring substantial rebuilds due corrosion, which are currently in (rather drawn out) progress. It seems that Salt air has ceased operations for the time being. One of the Widgeons was at Ardmore until recently, the other at the Harnish Family Airstrip near Clevedon.
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Post by Martin Wienert on Mar 31, 2008 7:32:35 GMT 12
Thought it was ZK-BGQ.
Wasn't ZK-BCQ an Auster reg?
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Post by Bruce on Mar 31, 2008 8:00:00 GMT 12
Probably A typo on either My part or the book - I dont have it to hand right now, but quite likely...  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 31, 2008 17:15:05 GMT 12
Thanks for the response Bruce. Would have been BGQ. I have no doubt you are correct about that accident. However, I do have a nagging memory related to reading the details of a similar accident - possibly involving a jetski? - which ended with some comment like "this lead to the cessation of floatplane activity in the area". I do know that Widgeons were active in Paihia until 1999 or so, so if this memory is correct the accident referred to would be later than the one you describe. From my observations over Easter, Salt Air is still very active, with helicopter flights off this same waterfront allotment using Jetranger ZK-HFE and R44 ZK-HGM, and also heavily promoting a day air/land scenic from the Bay of Islands to Cape Reinga/90 Mile Beach. The Salt Air aircraft operations now seem to be based at Kerikeri with quite a large hangar there in use by them. The Haruru Falls strip these days seems to be used solely by the Bay of Islands Skydive Centre who operate 172 ZK-NCA.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 31, 2008 17:22:17 GMT 12
As an aside while discussing Widgeons, I note that Classic Airframes say they are to release a Widgeon in their range this year. I assume it's 1/48 like all their kits. Might be some nice Kiwi subjects for paint schemes. www.classicairframes.com/newproducts.htm |
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Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 31, 2008 20:58:05 GMT 12
Continuing the aside, a Sea Bee scheme would be nice to see.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 31, 2008 21:11:13 GMT 12
A 'shower of spray' diorama would be cool!
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Post by Peter Lewis on Apr 1, 2008 19:32:06 GMT 12
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Post by agalbraith on Apr 1, 2008 21:27:47 GMT 12
Thanks for that guys
The Widgeon is definately one of my favourite planes. Does anyone know where the Widgeons are stored? I believe Grant Harnish's father(?) has them stored somewhere in the upper nth Is. I was thinking about seeing if I could track them down and get some photos on one of my business trips.
I cant wait for the Classic Airframes 1/48 Widgeon. I will be up for at least 2!
Cheers
Anthony
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Post by stu on May 14, 2008 20:43:38 GMT 12
From my observations over Easter, Salt Air is still very active Still very active if the office that's sprung up next to the North Shore Aero Club is anything to go by. It wasn't there last time I went flying almost 3 weeks ago. An interesting background here ..... www.saltair.co.nz/profile.html |
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Post by nzompilot on May 15, 2008 15:23:07 GMT 12
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 13, 2008 19:27:00 GMT 12
The Salt Air scheduled service Kerikeri - North Shore (and then a shuttle bus into Auckland City) is all go. Three return flights each weekday by Cessna Caravan ZK-MJL, seen here at North Shore today. (Does anyone know why the rego is MJL? - it has to mean something to someone).  |
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Jun 13, 2008 19:59:24 GMT 12
Wannabe Widgeon ....Lake DQM making for the ramp at Pahia around 1980.  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jun 13, 2008 20:55:08 GMT 12
Widgeon that shrunk in the wash!
(Would have been during it's Sea Bee Air ownership I guess, 1980 to 1983).
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Post by flyinkiwi on Jun 16, 2008 12:08:09 GMT 12
...One of the Widgeons was at Ardmore until recently, the other at the Harnish Family Airstrip near Clevedon. I have a photo of ZK-AVM sitting at Ardmore taken September 25, 2005 with a For Sale sign in the hatch window. As Bruce said it has since been moved elsewhere, but a quick scan of the CAA registration database says AVM is still registered to the Harnish Family. When I went on a scenic flight with Salt Air sometime in 2004 I asked them about the Widgeons, and they told me that they were having difficulty maintaining them to Part 135 as parts were increasingly hard to come by. Considering we have no reports of Widgeon activity since then, I'm am coming around to the probability that we may never see AVM or CFA flying again.  |
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Post by shorty on Jun 16, 2008 12:48:17 GMT 12
That's one aircraft type I would give my first born for!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 13, 2008 2:57:17 GMT 12
There's a photo in the July 1991 issue of NZ Wings of ZK-AVM nose down over a bank at the slipway at Mechanics Bay. After publication of the photo and the query of how it happened, the pilot instructor Bruce Packer wrote in and his letter is in the October 1991 issue about how the 24th of October 1963 incident occurred. Quite interesting.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jul 13, 2008 11:35:48 GMT 12
I recall AVM was stored for some time at Aerotech (Greg Ryan's company) and work on the engines and props were completed at Flightline, Ardmore. One summer afternoon (must have been late 2005/early2006) it did a few taxi runs and engine run ups before departing, much to the surprise of everyone watching. An engineer told me at the time it had flown to a new home in Whitford near the estuary, but obvioulsy it hasn't flown since.
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