NZ Auster Autocrat

[panther]

Ha , Just found page 2. Good to see Willy posting here too. He is worried about his house in Christchurch now. I will email you shortly Mit and would appreciate any pics you may have. I actually built a scale model, Radio Controlled of AWH just as a sport model but could only find one photo and it's not real good. But it flew well, lol.
Cheers
Doug

[bantam]

I have a reasonably clear B&W photo of ZK-ALW taken by my Dad probably at Harewood around 1950 if its of any interest. He worked at Airwork then.

[Peter Lewis]

In 1950 ZK-ALW would have been owned by the Rotorua & Bay of Plenty AC.

It would be good to see your photo posted here.

[madmax]

Hi eieio, I have a colour transparency taken at Rotorua's Fenton St aerodrome around xmas 1957 it depicts a line up of Cessna 180 ZK-BUF and BVG, C172 ZK-BUK, Auster ZK-AYQ in red, black and silver and Miles Magister ZK-AYW

[zkdex]

Found this thread while doing some Google searching! I have an interest in the forest fire patrol Austers, including those operated by James Aviation Ltd. Here are my notes gathered from a number of sources - RNZAF Serials, Ed Coates, Flying The Thermal Skies etc.

ZK-AVY, Auster J/5 (2801) loaned from the RNZAF, ex NZ1704, 13 Feb to 5 Jun 1952. Returned to RNZAF.
ZK-AZT, Auster J/1B (2751), operated Sep 1952 to ?
ZK-AVF, Taylorcraft Auster 5 (1516), operated ? to 3 Jan 1960. Crashed at Homewood, near Ngaumu State Forest, Wairarapa. (Details on Aviation Safety Network, Wikibase)

One more Rotorua based aircraft, quite possibly used for fire patrols.
ZK-AYQ, Auster J/5B (2944), operated ? to Sep 1963. DBF at Turangi.

[baronbeeza]

AZT in a paddock at Karamea.

Jim Pannel ran a home furnishings shop in Nelson.

In 1962 Jim Pannel was delivering a carpet to our farm - but didn't tell Dad.. There was a fence at the end of the strip which got Jim a bit perplexed.. He consequently wiped out his undercarriage but he was OK. The aircraft was later repaired on the strip and flown off.

I have seen a pic of the repair crew standing in front of the job. I will post when it shows up again.


photonews.org.nz/nelson/issue/NPN20_19620623/t1-body-d45.html



Nelson Photo News No 20 : June 23 1962

[AussieBob]

Auster Autocrat ZK-AQE
A local community historical Facebook page (based on Auckland’s North Shore) recently had some information around ZK-AQE, an Auster J1 Autocrat.
I thought this might be the appropriate thread to post the information for those who have an interest.

It appears that Russ Hilder, the pilot, landed it on a property at Birkdale, closer to home, instead of landing at Mangere and wasting time travelling from Mangere to Birkdale home.
I have summarised the comments by the various posters with the relevant information;

Photo of light plane that emergency landed on Mervyn Morrison's farm in Birkdale probably mid 1950's

ZK-AQE by Bob Looker, on Flickr

ch by Bob Looker, on Flickr


One of the posters did some background digging on ZK-AQE

ZK-AQE was an Auster J1 Autocrat, registered in 1947. Aviation Safety Network lists it as having been substantially damaged in forced landing 30/4/1950 at unknown location, Barrowclough was the pilot. Damaged at Waharoa in 3/54. Repaired and registration restored:. Crashed at Coroglen near Whitianga 4/11/57. Registration ZK-AQE cancelled 30/6/60. aviation-safety.net/wikibase/64462.

A comment by his daughter;
I rebuilt ZK AQE - an Auster J1 Autocrat after it was damaged in a Whirlwind at Waharoa in 3/54. On 9th December 1956 I landed it at Birkdale, which was close to where my parents lived at Beachaven, so I could visit them. I believe some of the wreackage is still on the farm at Coroglen where a friend of mine crashed it in bad weather on 4th November 1957. Russ Hilder.