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Post by woody99 on Dec 30, 2009 13:50:53 GMT 12
I think there were mods in the cockpit to allow single pilot ops. Exactly what, I'm not sure but I understand a lengthened gear handle was one.
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Post by furyfb11 on Dec 30, 2009 13:54:27 GMT 12
A couple more photos BKD at Gisborne 14/2/82 BBJ doing a display at an airshow in Gisborne March 1986
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Post by furyfb11 on Dec 30, 2009 13:59:30 GMT 12
Several controls had to be modified including the undercarriage levers,flaps,and controls to feather the starboard propeller in the event of engine failure.
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Post by studentpilot on Dec 30, 2009 14:53:46 GMT 12
What sort of load did they carry? A Bristol freighter was trialed in this country for a while but it's load was only 3 ton I think?
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Post by furyfb11 on Dec 30, 2009 15:31:38 GMT 12
normaly 5 ton
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Post by Dave.K on Dec 30, 2009 16:10:04 GMT 12
AZA getting airborne at Taieri
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Dec 30, 2009 16:26:42 GMT 12
Yes,Iceland. If you look closely you can see the hopper outlets under the centre section.
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Post by oj on Dec 30, 2009 19:52:16 GMT 12
More amazing stuff! Absolutely spiffing. With regard to the photo taken from the NZAIL Cafeteria window; if Woody 99 wants to know who owned the cars in the photo, I can provide most of the owners names! The paint scheme on DAH was the result of an NZAIL staff competition. The scheme chosen by the judges was not that generally favoured by the staff, so we called it Yukky Dah! This was because it was more like pink puke than puce! OJ
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Post by Bruce on Dec 30, 2009 21:07:08 GMT 12
Ex ag-Dak ZK-APK at Mangaweka has recently had a change of colour scheme - losing the chocolate chip pattern it has worn for several years. The new schem of blue and cream looks really smart, and someone has paid attention to detail. The signage on the tail describes it as a Skyliner, which is correct as it has the large NAC cabin windows. The new "owners" of the business have branded it as Mangaweka Adventure company, and if you look closely you will see the old NAC insignia on the side, cleverly ammended to MAC! I took this photo on my way down to Wellies on Sunday (Sorry it was a bit cloudy by then...) It still has the hopper openings in the belly...
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Post by ErrolC on Dec 30, 2009 21:32:39 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 30, 2009 22:17:30 GMT 12
Here's the Mangaweka aircraft in a past life, early 1980's And in July 2009 I noticed the new scheme on the way to Masterton in November. To be honest I think it looks ugly now, but at least they are looking after it.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Dec 31, 2009 0:23:13 GMT 12
Last ride in an ag-Dak was with Bruce Thompson in GS in BBJ not long before her final flight as a topdresser. Great days!! Snap.....my first LANDING in an ag-Dak was also with Bruce Thompson in BBJ a couple of weeks before her last topdressing flight. He was spreading super up the Waimata Valley when I went for a ride with him (three loads). However, a few years earlier, I jumped out a Fieldair ag-Dak, but I cannot recall which one it was. It wasn't Bruce Thompson flying it and the name of the pilot escapes me at the moment.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Dec 31, 2009 0:42:32 GMT 12
BKD at Gisborne 14/2/82 BKD is back at Gisborne on top of a wine bar (Smash Palace) in an industrial subdivision. Smash Palace was originally created and owned by Phil Parker who had a winery on the site. BKD ended up with someone in Rotorua and was stored on someone else's property, but eventually the owner was told to remove it. He couldn't find a home for it and the DC-3 was in danger of being scrapped. I heard about it and mentioned to Phil Parker (who was into collecting all sorts of wonderful stuff for his Smash Palace bar) that I knew of a Dakota that was in danger of being scrapped and told him where it was. A few weeks later, I went to Smash Palace for a few drinks one weekend, and there was BKD parked up (minus wings, which were stacked next to it) on an adjacent vacant property. Phil told me he made a few enquiries after I told him about the DC-3 and tracked down the owner. I'm not sure if any money changed hands, but I have an idea the aeroplane may have been given away on condition it was removed from the property it was on within a short period of time. Apparently they moved it by road in the dead of night, all the way from Rotorua to Gisborne, including through the Waioeka Gorge. I understand a couple of Fieldair engineers from Gisborne removed the wings for Phil and the DC-3 was towed tail-first with the tailwheel secured to the deck of a truck. The wings were carted on a separate truck. I also understand it was done on the quiet with no big-load permit obtained from the MOT (as it was at the time). Eventually, foundations were laid and the DC-3 was hoisted up on poles and the wings were re-attached. Phil had plans to try and obtain a pair of time-expired P&W R-1830 engines as well as a couple of time-expired propellors, but he never got around to it and eventually he sold the business and moved to Central Otago. I haven't been to Smash Palace in Gisborne for a few years, so I don't know what sort of condition the aeroplane is in these days. At the 75th Airline Anniversary Celebrations at Haast recently, I was chatting to the late Harry Wigley's daughter and she was surprised to learn that Mount Cook Airlines' first DC-3 was still in existence, up in the air above the roof of a wine bar in Gisborne.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 31, 2009 11:23:02 GMT 12
That's a lovely photo of ZK-BKD. I'd really like to see a photo of it on top of the wine bar too.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Dec 31, 2009 13:53:20 GMT 12
There's a photograph of ZK-BKD above the winebar here. Another photo of BKD loading up with superphosphate at Gisborne in 1980 is here. Those photos (along with a large number of other interesting photographs) can be found on this webpage.
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Post by kiwibeavers on Jan 2, 2010 5:34:26 GMT 12
Country Calendar have a couple of DVD's on the Ag Dak, e-mail Saffron here saffron.solley@tvnz.co.nzOne of Bob Cranston in CHV at Masterton 1976 and Bruce Thompson in BKD 1982 plus other topdressing ones. One of Beaver AZB with Tiri Manahi at Dannevirke 1975. My DC3 page has some good shots of them all [a href="http://www.kiwibeavers.com/DC3.html["]http://www.kiwibeavers.com/DC3.html[[/a] All the best for 2010 guys Graeme
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Post by furyfb11 on Jan 2, 2010 9:25:05 GMT 12
BKD at Parker Winery Gisborne 5/4/93
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Post by paddy on Jan 2, 2010 10:31:29 GMT 12
Last ride in an ag-Dak was with Bruce Thompson in GS in BBJ not long before her final flight as a topdresser. Great days!! Snap.....my first LANDING in an ag-Dak was also with Bruce Thompson in BBJ a couple of weeks before her last topdressing flight. He was spreading super up the Waimata Valley when I went for a ride with him (three loads). However, a few years earlier, I jumped out a Fieldair ag-Dak, but I cannot recall which one it was. It wasn't Bruce Thompson flying it and the name of the pilot escapes me at the moment. Bruce, Those jumps out of the Fieldair Dak weren't at Dannevirke Airfield by any chance were they? Paddy
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Post by kiwibeavers on Jan 3, 2010 13:59:34 GMT 12
I Know Neville Worsley used APB in Dannevirke for skydiving around 1980.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jan 3, 2010 20:25:49 GMT 12
Bruce, Those jumps out of the Fieldair Dak weren't at Dannevirke Airfield by any chance were they? Paddy They were done at Gisborne. It was technically an illegal jump as far as I was concerned, because I had been out of the jump scene (officially) for a couple of years, but had done the occasional jump outside the sanction of an approved club. My skydiving A licence was no longer current. Things could be fairly lax back then compared with now; there was a Club Safety Officer present, but he looked the other way.
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