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Post by Gary. on Jul 3, 2012 19:26:55 GMT 12
Yeah Dave i think they can pick up metal on the ground, from what I've heard they scan the area they are after then delete the stuff from ground and record the readings from different levels under ground. Gavin is looking into building his own Magnatometer to hang under his marada super 14 but they are a really expensive bit of kit. We have found that the navy have a synthetic aperture radar on their Seasprite helicopter that may be able to do it, Wonder if they will lend it to me for a day? ;D
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Post by Gary. on Jul 2, 2012 20:13:00 GMT 12
Hello Chaps I was driving through Te pohue on sunday so stopped and grabbed a shot of the old AG DAK loading boom now over the lake. yep it makes a pretty good bridge, good to see it still has a use for something. ;D
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Post by Gary. on Jul 2, 2012 19:37:23 GMT 12
Apparantly many years ago someone found Moa bones in this valley and someone else found gold, I'm not surprised its like the land of the lost down there. The whole area is soaked in Maori folklore and many parts of this valley seem to have never been trod by european feet. maybe somewhere in here there also hides a Tiger moth and its unfortunate pilot.
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Post by Gary. on Jul 2, 2012 19:05:04 GMT 12
You may have noticed in the photo of John sitting in Tiger ZK-AIX the HB aero club-clubrooms in the back ground, the club rooms are still there to this day although they could do with a new coat of paint and a wee bit of TLC
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Post by Gary. on Jul 2, 2012 18:55:52 GMT 12
As you will notice the Mohaka valley is a pretty ruggard place, we used our hand held GPS units and Two way radios to make sure we covered the hill pretty well. It was a long and steep tramp through here but we can at least now rule this spot out.
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Post by Gary. on Jul 2, 2012 18:48:04 GMT 12
These photos are of a ground search we contucted this weekend in the Mohaka valley. we have been hearing some rumours of a possible wreck being found many years ago in this valley, we have been using google earth and flight sims to identify possible dangerous areas in this valley
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Post by Gary. on Jul 2, 2012 18:38:05 GMT 12
Afternoon Chaps Gavin and I have completed our research into the recently unearthed files on Tiger ZK-AJV and we can now offer a presentation PDF download free on Gavins web site www.findlostaircraft.co.nz for all those who are interested feel free to go ahead and check out the new info we have discovered. Those two rocks on the right side of the river are about the size of a house, its easy to see how an aircraft could be lost in here and never come out.....
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Post by Gary. on Jun 23, 2012 19:39:11 GMT 12
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Post by Gary. on Jun 21, 2012 19:10:16 GMT 12
Can i say thankyou to you Guys for all your help with this stuff its been a great help not to mention aviation history is just so bloody interesting. I think it is Mort in the photos, I'm just trying to get an idea on the relationship between John Tacon and Mort as i have found through reading the recently unearthed files on the mystery of ZK-AJV that Mort was in charge of the search effort. He liased with the police and the RNZAF. He stationed himself in Taupo and co-ordinated the search from there. But i have found that Mort went to huge lengths to find John driving all over the place out into the remote farms and settlements to interview people who may have seen a Tiger Moth. It seems that he must have been up for 20 plus hours a day running the search, sometimes not getting back to Taupo till 4am. I think that Mort was Fond of John and it seems he did all he could to find him. Cheers Gazza.
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Post by Gary. on Jun 21, 2012 18:47:09 GMT 12
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Post by Gary. on Jun 20, 2012 22:07:09 GMT 12
Cool photos Johnnyfalcon My dad told me that Loafers paradise was the best camp ground in Taupo back in the day. Pitty as all that remains down there now is blackberry, but if you look closely you can still see the odd caravan power point pole sticking up out of the srub
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Post by Gary. on Jun 20, 2012 21:24:22 GMT 12
Thanks Guys I've also found this Photo of Mort but what do you chaps think is it him holding the chocks in the first photo? I don't know to be sure
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Post by Gary. on Jun 17, 2012 21:44:40 GMT 12
Yes you're on to it DragonflyDH60 John was only 4ft 11 tall we have talked about how being that short and flying a blind forward aircraft like a Tiger moth may have been difficult for john to see where he was heading.
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Post by Gary. on Jun 17, 2012 17:29:54 GMT 12
OK Chaps John Tacons loverly sister Pamela has lent us this photo its rare, as far as we know this has not been seen in the cyber world ever so enjoy. John is seen sitting in Tiger ZK-AIX at the Bridge Pa aero drome Hastings, not sure on the date but obviously before 7 June 47 what we really would love to know is can any of you out there identify the tall guy holding the wheel chocks? we think it maybe club instructor MR M. Vanderpump. but we just are not sure so any help would be great. cheers Gazza
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Post by Gary. on Jun 13, 2012 19:45:34 GMT 12
Thanks Peter another really interesting thread
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Post by Gary. on Jun 11, 2012 19:03:59 GMT 12
Hey thanks Macfire it seems the rate of attrition was pretty high for Tiger moths back in the old days. Is this why they are so expensive today?
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Post by Gary. on Jun 10, 2012 19:51:03 GMT 12
Very cool photos check out the old Fuel truck in the top photo with some guy just wondering around on top of the wing. Qwick phone OSH.
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Post by Gary. on Jun 10, 2012 19:45:06 GMT 12
Thanks Chaps It seems the HB aero club had a bad couple of years in the late 1940s ZK-AJV lost till this day. Replaced with ZK-ANV which then crashed. And before that ZK-AIJ was also lost but I'm not sure how? replaced by ZK AQI Do you have any details on these last two? Flying is thankfully a bit safer these days.
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Post by Gary. on Jun 9, 2012 19:19:53 GMT 12
G/day Chaps Does anyone have any history info on Tiger ZK-ANV? Is it still around today? I,ve found that this Moth was the Insurance replacement for Tiger ZK-AJV which was lost Between Napier and Taupo in june 1947 Pilot John Tacon.... Cheers.
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Post by Gary. on Jun 9, 2012 18:29:50 GMT 12
WE'VE STRUCK GOLD ;D Well not quite but maybe silver. After 65 years who would have thought that hidden away in a dark corner of the Auditors office for Hawkes Bay and East coast Aero Club. Gavin found a dusty old Box containing over 200 pages of files on ZK-AJV. Fantastic..... Police files, Search reports, witness statements and even the original copy of the flight plan filed for the flight possibly the last thing John Tacon ever wrote.. It will take us weeks to make sense of it all. as far as we can work out no one has looked at these files since 1949. Stay tuned
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