Fletcher

[thomarse]

Firstly Peter, wow! again - brilliant shots of CQB!

Secondly, I concede about c/n 7 - not sure where I got that from, but I didn't dream it. The source was probably AHSNZ info in the mid-60s.

Pool Guy's correct about CCT, but a question - was she built dual? I certainly saw her at Fenton Street as a two-seater in either 1963 or '64 but she doesn't officially show as a FU24A.

Similar was Adastra's CLM - she was a "bitzer" and was definitely dual when I saw her at Taupo Christmas '67/'68. Dave Wise shows her as being converted to a FU24A-950M but to me she was an "A" from the start. Unlike other more recent "A" models, she had centre-mounted Cessna push-pull engine and prop controls as opposed to quadrant type. Perhaps coincidentally, she was closely followed by CLO which (correct me if I'm wrong) was a genuine "A" from Day #1 until very recently when I see her WFU - anyone know any more about this? I saw her not that long ago at Taieri.

[fletcherfu24]

CCT was listed as a Fu 24 Mk 11,I wonder if the FU24A was a later designation applied to dual control Fletchers?.Small snippet from PAC's website........"Fletcher Aircraft Corporation actually only ever assembled 4 complete Aircraft: the prototype s/n 001, s/n 007, s/n 089 and the first FU-24A dual s/n 102 (although this was first built as a FU-24 single control)." So CCT was a single seater converted to dual control.
CLM was originally listed as a FU24A Mk 11.
CLO was originally BOJ,and was in Aussie until 1965,you would have to think it was only a single seater at that stage,it may have become a FU24A in the mid '80s when the designation was changed.
Sometimes you also see Fletcher Fu-24A given to the Australian 400hp conversions,just to add a bit more confusion.

[thomarse]

A fair percentage of ag pilots in NZ today will show CLO in their logbooks; she's done a lot of training in the last few years.

[fletcherfu24]

Further to CCT,although it is serial number 102,it was infact one of the first built Fletchers(1955) as Fletcher reserved the first 100 serial sequence for export to NZ.

[iflylo]

I thought CLO Had been written off, because we put a tender in for the wreckage a few years back.. did they rebuild it

[thomarse]

Oh no, am I talking s**t again?

Don't think so; deregistered this time 08/08 by Southair. However was previously deregistered by King Country Air Services 09/88 and reregistered by PAC 10/89.

Come in,mstokes.................

Only a couple of years ago she was in the Wairarapa doing ag-ratings, I'm pretty sure. Likewise think I saw her in one piece at Taieri sometime this year together with DYX, although I last saw DYX at Gore.

That reminds me, didn't someone on this thread ask what a/c were still in the full James scheme? DYX is from memory.

[hawkesbay]

I did my ag rating in CLO at Matarinbourgh back in 01/02.

[iflylo]

I could be wrong Thomararse, I just remember the wreckage up for tender and we wanted it to take the duals out of it and put them in SAJ, Im currently figuring out the costings of converting SAJ to dual controls however she wont be SAJ for much longer and I want to re-register her as RIX
so if DYX is still in her James Livery then that must make 2 fletcher in James Markings in NZ DYX and CMZ..SAJ doesn't have the James logo on the tail but is in the James Markings

[thomarse]

Yeah, I thought as much James, and it's been back up with Barghy and also Air Services (when they were) again several times since then. Sorry to see it deregistered again.

01/02? Where's the time going?

[mstokes]

Hi Thomarse,

CLO was operated from Te Kuiti for quite a few years after the demise of James Aviation, still in the James scheme. Murray McFarlane and John Rika both flew it out of Te Kuiti for a while until it was involved in an accident in late 1988. It was nice to still see a James scheme around for a while. Te kuiti aerodrome had quite a few fletchers based there in the late 80's in differnet schemes, even in the downturn they often seemed to be working hard and I can remember a few jobs where Rural operated a fletcher and agwagon together.

After PAC fixed it, it went to the South Island where it operated with Central and the Beck Aviation and then on lease from SouthAir. Crashed at Heriot 2005, withdrawn September 2008.

Speaking of Southair, I need their logo for my model fletcher propeller from the late 70's, wold anyone have one they could message through to me?

[hughes500]

hey there,on the topic of CLO,i was talking to graeme at super air the other day and it has been rebuilt and is flying in malaysia

[Deleted]

Hi all,
Still on the prowl for photos of s/n87 ZK-CBG.

Nice to hear CLO is back up and running....it seems every pilot I talk to has flown some time in her!

[Fletcher400]

Speaking of CLO....

Here she is when was with Central Airspread Along with BHK and a filthy DMO early 1990's (sorry photos have aged alot)

[Dave.K]

DMO was probably sowing carrots, they do make a mess, but the green dye with the 1080 is harder to scrub off. The carrots used were sometimes better than from the super-market, we used to bag them up and take them home. I will hunt out a photo of the carrot cutter. Used to have a lot of fun loading carrots, took about 15 minutes to sow so it was my job to keep the fire going with the cook-up on it for the pest guys.

[mstokes]

Have a picture of JAA at Tauranga shot yesterday.

Found a lot more pictures of fletchers to scan now that I am back home in NZ that I hope to get up in the new year

[mstokes]

I have started on the scanning of some images I have found. The first lot were all shot at Wairoa when Cookson Airspread were still big players in town. Wairoa aerodrome is a lot quieter now, but it has some great history attached to it. I often like looking at where the DC-3 loader was, and the hangar occupied by Cookson Airspread and the company airline is still there today. In it's hey day it had quite a few movements as the big ones lumbered off to the hills and the agwagons and fletchers rumbled off all over Hawkes Bay.







Fieldair also based a fletcher here.



More from Te Kuiti, WAW fletcher stalwart CMK, from a couple of years ago



And lastly, myself in company colours against BOF and our Ford Loader from 1985/1986. This was our base on Harcourt Rawlings strip on Mangawhero road in Otorohanga. This strip was closed in 1996, however we had ceased operations well before then. These were difficult times for the business, however these memories are some of my happiest, there was nothing better than a picnic on a back King Country airstrip with a couple of hours of fletcher rides to look forward to! This shot shows BOF with her spray gear on.

[mstokes]

Actually, looking at the WAW picture, I have noted the rego incorrectly, Zac do you know which one this one is?

[Dave.K]

Keep them coming Mike, any pictures are great, first fletcher I saw spraying was CMM flown by Ron Tippet at Balclutha, I couldn't believe how much wheat stalks were jammed around the brake caliper.
Another time the hopper had a crack in it unbeknown to all , as the fletcher was working it got a bit tail heavy and as it sank while being filled the tail sat on the ground, on inveatigation the rear fuse had a lot of spray in it, good thing it never got airborne.

[weheka]

Great photos Mike, likewise keep them coming. The Fletcher has so much history, and hopefully so much future.

[Fletcher400]

Some nice shots Mike, noticed a few fletchers around have different style tailcones retro fitted (JAA).
As Weheka said, lets hope they stay around alot longer, this aircraft has given so much to NZ over the years, more so than any aircraft in NZ - and I may get stung here but yes, I think more than the NZ Airforce. Yet is still very under appreciated. Not to mention has been the key in the original start up of aircraft production within NZ =$$$$ Staying in NZ, and creating employement, and is great to see PAC progress and continue to what it is today, all steming from this aircraft.