iflylo
Pilot Officer
Posts: 53
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Post by iflylo on Dec 8, 2009 15:25:42 GMT 12
I think they used that logo for a while then rolled it all under the James Logo
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 8, 2009 22:17:09 GMT 12
and one of COA or CQA im not sure, I think its COA
It is ZK-COA, ZK-CQA was a James/Fieldair AgDak
ZK-CRP was James/Aerial Farming/James, never an Advance aircraft.
Don't forget we are talking of a time when there was aerial work licensing.
James bought out other operators basically for their licenses, so there was a need to keep those companies operating although they were under James ownership, as a condition of the appropriate licence.
A quick listing of James group companies that flew aircraft with variations on the standard James colours:
Advance
Airserv (Aircraft Service)
Sherwood (Hastings)
Farmers (Farmers ATD, Invercargill)
Airfarm (Aerial Farming, Palmerston North)
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Post by thomarse on Dec 9, 2009 6:39:57 GMT 12
Certainly in some cases the logos appeared almost immediately - Sherwood being one case BHA BIF BXZ from memory) but what about all the Aerial Farming Pawnees?
Anyone got a clearer shot of a a/c wearing the "Airfarm" logo? Note that CBD in PMR about the same time is not.
A sideline to the CRP shot, it must have been doing something at the time as the loader is in the background as is the Airspares hangar around the back of the MDAC. Who else remembers that the Rural sprayplane used to live on pickets around that corner? First BUG (for ages) then 185s CCC and CFE in quick succession but did an Agwagon ever reside there?
I think a shot of BUG on those pickets emerged in the Cessna 180 thread on here
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 9, 2009 18:44:05 GMT 12
Certainly in some cases the logos appeared almost immediately - Sherwood being one case BHA BIF BXZ from memory) but what about all the Aerial Farming Pawnees? Anyone got a clearer shot of a a/c wearing the "Airfarm" logo? Note that CBD in PMR about the same time is not. Fletcher Fu-24 Mk2 ZK-CTH at Wanganui February 1967 with James 'Airfarm' logo  The ex-Aerial Farming Pawnees (and Ceres) did wear a modified James scheme - Pawnee 235 ZK-CIA at Rotokawa 25Nov1967  Back to the listing above, an example of each of the others: Advance Aviation Fu-24 ZK-CBG at Onerahi 17Mar1963  Aircraft Service Fu-24 ZK-CBC Rukuhia 26Mar1966  Sherwood Aviation Fu-24 Mk2 ZK-CTI Hastings 1967  Farmers ATD Co. Fu-24 Mk2 ZK-CKJ Wanganui 23Apr1966  |
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iflylo
Pilot Officer
Posts: 53
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Post by iflylo on Dec 9, 2009 23:03:14 GMT 12
WOW!! Peter you are a gold mine of photos, did you take them yourself or have you ended up with them on your travels,
I definitly think theres enough new material and pics floating around to do another book on fletchers, Imagine if there was a book that had every fletcher that was built and operated in Nz and show pics of that machine during its life with different operators, that would be great..
This thread is a goldmine of information.
Hey Zac I take it your an Engineer for WAW? whos the guy to talk to about your tail fin mod.
Im just trying to see what the differences are between yr Mod and PAC's one..
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Post by thomarse on Dec 10, 2009 11:34:40 GMT 12
I agree, great photos from an era gone and, sadly, never to return.
Is it only me in my nostalgia or do the sharp-beaked 300hp 2-blade Fletchers look (and sound) nicer than the 400s?
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iflylo
Pilot Officer
Posts: 53
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Post by iflylo on Dec 10, 2009 14:55:48 GMT 12
Yea I dont know about sound better, theres nothing better then a 400 with stub pipes  but I do think they look a little bit more stylee then the 400's the 400s tend to look a bit blunt.........blunt but loveable kinda like a but ugly woman with a stunning personality, you cant help but like them I'd love to have some spare money and time and try to develop a better set of cowlings.. and try to incorporate a bigger airfilter... more air more power.. the 400's only need another 50hp and that would make all the difference. |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 10, 2009 18:21:54 GMT 12
WOW!! Peter you are a gold mine of photos, did you take them yourself or have you ended up with them on your travels, Around 95% of my photos were taken by myself. I used to swap negatives with some other guys during that time - Des White, Dave Marshall, Ray Deerness and a guy Ian down the West Coast who's name I have forgotten. I did a lot of prints for Ray, as I had access to a darkroom. Of the ones above, ZK-CTI is off a negative from Ray, the rest were taken by me. I suppose I spent my time when other boys were chasing girls chasing aeroplanes. Sure I know that I have managed to get a pretty good record of aviation in the late 1960s and 70s, and that presumably does have some historic value. The really sad thing is that what I and others did then is pretty much impossible to do now. While the sixtys were the Age of Aquarius - love the man beside you for he is your brother, the naughties is the Age of Paranoia - fear the man beside you for he is at best a child molester and at worst a terrorist. Thus airfields have now sprouted fences, warning signs, locked gates, the Aviation Security Service and a suspicious attitude. My parents (who hated aviation) seemingly thought nothing of letting me disappear off for several days with some aviation-related person I had just met to travel to (in those days) far flung airfields for fly-ins and airshows. Provided you were polite, exhibited a bit of knowledge and knew where the sharp bits of the aeroplane were, you got along OK. Rape, abduction and sudden death were what happened in Chicago and Mexico, not in New Zealand. Unfortunately, in the current attitude, any visitor to a number of airfields who is not there to Spend Money is not actually welcome. If a kid goes to Hamilton, Rotorua, Paraparaumu or even North Shore, what scope is there to pat the aircraft and annoy the inhabitants? These young people are the future of aviation and GA in particular, and there is now a much reduced scope for them to become interested and involved from a tender age. Sorry to go on a bit, but I do feel quite strongly about this current adverse trend. |
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Post by hawkesbay on Dec 10, 2009 19:18:55 GMT 12
The 400 needs more than just 50hp!!! .........
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Post by thomarse on Dec 10, 2009 19:21:55 GMT 12
And I thought I was overdosed on nostalgia?
Hear, hear Peter = well said! I think I may have a year or two on you, but our thoughts are exactly parallel. BTW, so is John Anderson - did you make contact? He is a wee bit difficult to keep in touch with, but man, would I love to go through his photo collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are you watching John? Serve you right if you are!
iflylo, nuh, sorry. 88 inches x 2850 rpm does it for me! How's your physics?
Cheers
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 10, 2009 20:48:33 GMT 12
Well said Peter. I love going to places like Ardmore and Omaka because the local pilots and aviation people are so willing and keen to chat with anyone who shows an interest. So there are still a few places like that around. But my local airport, Hamilton, very much has that feeling about it of "you have no business here, sod off".
Another whole aspect of not getting the younger people interested in avaition is the demise of the model shops around NZ. I can only hope that they will find other ways to develop the interest. We have a number of younger readers on the forum here but they come and go and you never know whether they have lost interest.
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Post by thomarse on Dec 10, 2009 21:01:37 GMT 12
I'd love to think I fell into the "younger reader" category Dave, but alas...................
MS would have to fall into the "laid back" category, and long may it remain so. HS too, but it's not what it was back then when there were 10 or more ag-Tigers sitting around.
Here I go again........................
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iflylo
Pilot Officer
Posts: 53
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Post by iflylo on Dec 11, 2009 0:22:03 GMT 12
Ummm Thomarse (im not sure of your name) my knowledge of Physics is somewhat limited if I had to guess I'd be guessing that you had around 750hp? I cant seem to count past 400 |
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iflylo
Pilot Officer
Posts: 53
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Post by iflylo on Dec 11, 2009 0:41:28 GMT 12
Your right on the money Peter, and the sad thing is, is that we will prob never ever get those days back either. I can remember my days of being the pain in the but kid at the "Drome" annoying the likes of Wattie and Laurie and the Boys in the hangar, asking "whats this, what does it do. (I still do). there were plenty of things to keep you amused when you were there, there were bits of helicopters and planes to play in, I think I have probably clocked up dam near 10000hrs just sitting in CMZ making bruuuummm bruuuum noises, wearing the helmet, playing with the stick as a child and they were some of the the best times of my life. Its nice to see that it still continues in Hs, albeit to a lesser degree then days gone by. Its also really nice to see People like yourself Peter taking the time to stop and take a Picture and letting those of us that wish to see them get the chance too. Thank you for that. And James dont forget where you started I bet if you had to you'd jump back in a 400 and im betting you'd still enjoy it |
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Post by Fletcher400 on Dec 11, 2009 2:17:55 GMT 12
Well said Peter, I guess I probably fall into the younger fella category, I remember spending many hours as a kid back in the 80s hanging round Tauranga airport, infact it used to be every single weekend I would pester my dad to go over and have a look. Back then you could freely wander about, well, Im not sure how freely but no one ever stopped us. I remember was always facsinated with Dave Cohus Transavia airtruck that was parked up out on the otherside of the airfield, Dad and I got to know him and he was a nice bloke and personally showed me round his plane, I was well chuffed.
Got to know Derek Williams aswell, and this is the guy that got me hooked on Fletchers, I remember watching him from home topdressing in the tauriko area all through primary school etc and was always facsinated by the look of the plane as well as the noise it made!
I remember going to the airport back into the big old hangar around1998 as decided to do a project for 6th form photography on aircraft. Sadly I needed clearance and permission to even enter the place, I kind of got the feeling they didnt want me in there so was abit like ''oh if you have to but dont take too long'' I do agree, If your not there doing pilot training, parachuting or happen to own your own aircraft your not that welcome.
How times have changed.
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Post by hawkesbay on Dec 11, 2009 7:05:57 GMT 12
Yes I wouldnt mind going back to what i started on..GA200c nice!
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Post by woody99 on Dec 11, 2009 9:54:25 GMT 12
HI Folks - my first post.
While not wanting to stray off topic (the mighty Fletcher!) I have to agree with sentiments regarding the younger generation and their ability to spend time at the local airport and get up close and personal with aeroplanes and pilots. I grew up in Whakatane and spent most weekends hanging around the airport, often ending up miles out to sea fish-spotting in a 172 or with Pete McColl, the local James Aviation pilot in his Fletcher.
I have enjoyed watching this thread grow. There were questions asked regarding ZK-SFL, a Fletcher based at Pukekohe. It just flew past my window and I'll try and get some shots to post. It's owned and operated by John Pondes and is based at Pukekohe East. It is really his back-up aircraft as he usually flies a Fatman. SFL is a 300hp Fletcher but with cowls similar to a 400, so looks like a 400 but sounds like a couple of cylinders have stayed back in the hangar! I think (if my facts are correct) that John purchased it as the engine was the same as the Fatman, so he could interchange as required. At present, he has SFL set up with spray gear, so the Fatman is used for general topdressing, and SFL for spraying.
I have watched with hope that someone will post a photo or two of ZK-BXQ, which was Pete McColls Fletcher in Whakatane. I'm trying to get a bit of an album together of aeroplanes I rode around in as a kid, so if anyone has either BXQ or DUH, that would be great!
Cheers
Woody
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Post by furyfb11 on Dec 11, 2009 10:00:36 GMT 12
Hi Peter, yes I remember swapping negs with you all those years ago.Yours always looked better than mine.I agree the scene has changed over recent years,it was great to be able to wander into hangars and talk to the engineers who nine times out of ten would answer your questions some times even letting you sit in an aeroplane sadly we will never see those days again
Dave M.
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Post by furyfb11 on Dec 11, 2009 10:41:29 GMT 12
Getting slightly off topic but as their names have been coming up on this thread a bit lately I thought I would post this photo I took back in the late nineties.Harry Scott CFI Tauranga Aero Club had worked out that these guys had achieved 100,000 hours flying between them. From left to right they are Rod Dahlberg RNZAF and ag pilot, Dave Cohu RNZAF and ag pilot, Harry Scott instructor, Wally Bell ag pilot, and Derek Williams ag pilot.  |
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Post by thomarse on Dec 11, 2009 11:05:54 GMT 12
Hey Woody!
Funny you should bring that up as I thought exactly the same thing when the shot of BIX appeared. I spent many happy hours trundling around the sky in her with Peter McColl when they were based in Palmy North.
Last I heard of Peter he was an F.O for Air Nelson - do you know where he ended up? I guess he would be late 60s by now.
Coincidence also that you post a shot of Dave Cohu. He once told me that he'd flown Fletchers of every piston engine type used, and his favourite was the 300hp. He said a 300 with 15cwt in the can (750kg) was a far nicer animal than a 400 with a tonne. Reckoned that the Fletcher would have a far better reputation both as a pilot's a/c and for safety if the power/ hopper load ratio had been allowed to be a bit more conservative.
"Every time they chucked in a few more horses, the a/c became much nicer to fly - but then they'd expect you to chuck a few more cwt in the can"
Where are you watching SFL? I've got a son at Pukekawa who sees it regularly.
SFL the only 300hp Lycoming ever?
What motor was the one-off 310hp geared one? (BHA?)
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