Topdressing Super Cubs

[Peter Lewis]

On 19Sep1958 Airwork registered PA18A Super Cub 150 c/n 18-6380 as ZK-BPM.

In February 1959 this Cub also went north to Hawkes Bay, this time into the ownership of J W R Frogley, Havelock North, replacing his previous Tiger Moth ZK-BAS.  Jim Frogley worked with ZK-BPM for seven years before selling out his business - and the Cub - to Chris Pask in June 1966. 

After just over a year operating as Pask Air Service Ltd. Chris Pask traded the Cub in for a new Pawnee and ZK-BPM returned to Airwork in September 1967.

Airwork then sold this aircraft into private hands in 1968, and it became famous in the early 1970s as the 'Eta' Cub, advertising that brand of snack foods. ZK-BPM is still active, having returned to Hawkes Bay ownership some years ago.

ZK-BPM somewhere in the 'Bay

[nobody]

Dec 27, 2020 16:35:09 GMT 12 Peter Lewis said:

On 19Sep1958 Airwork registered PA18A Super Cub 150 c/n 18-6380 as ZK-BPM.

ZK-BPM somewhere in the 'Bay

Peter,

That photo of BPM; it is parked outside the Airwork hangar at Ardmore. The line of that fence under the cowl of BPM is familiar but more obvious are the original wartime buildings also visible under the cowl. As it slowly sinks in, the skyline is Ardmore; the ridge to the southeast. Cross reference it with some of your other photos.

Thanks again for the continuing great pictures.

[Peter Lewis]

PA18A Super Cub 150 c/n 18-6694 became ZK-BPN with Airwork on 24Nov1958.

This one also went to the Christchurch-based hire firm Air Rentals, becoming theirs on 10Apr1959. It may have been hired to some other operators, but Aerial Work (Marlborough) Ltd, seems to have been the final hirer. They then proceeded to take ownership of ZK-BPN in March 1961.

On 25Feb1962 Robin Price was flying ZK-BPN off a farm strip at Okaramio in the Kaituna Valley, Marlborough, when the aircraft stalled and spun into the ground. Price was killed and the aircraft was destroyed, with the registration being cancelled on 5May1962.
Apparently another victim of pilot inexperience - Price had only entered the agricultural aviation industry the previous month.

ZK-BPN at Harewood May 1960



and outside the hangar at Omaka

[errolmartyn]

Dec 29, 2020 16:53:33 GMT 12 Peter Lewis said:

On 25Feb1962 Robin Price was flying ZK-BPN off a farm strip at Okaramio in the Kaituna Valley, Marlborough, when the aircraft stalled and spun into the ground. Price was killed and the aircraft was destroyed, with the registration being cancelled on 5May1962.
Apparently another victim of pilot inexperience - Price had only entered the agricultural aviation industry the previous month.

Robin Stanfield PRICE, aged 20

Errol

[Peter Lewis]

The next batch of Cub registrations were non-ag versions, so we how move on to ZK-BRN.

This PA18A Super Cub 150 c/n 18-5515 was registered to Airwork on 18Feb1957.

Meanwhile, up north, pilot Chas Chambers had scouted around local farmers and formed the Aero Farms Syndicate in 1955. As this group only carried out aerial work for owner-shareholders they could avoid having to apply for an Aerial Services licence. By 1957 that syndicate had split into two groups, the southern group reforming as the Glen Murray Topdressing Syndicate.

This syndicate initially operated Tiger Moth ZK-BFY but after that was lost in an accident in March 1957 they bought ZK-BRN the following month as a replacement.

In 1960 the syndicate was formalised into the Glen Murray Topdressing Co. Ltd. based at Pukekohe, and the ownership of the Cub was transferred to that company on 4Aug1960. An Air Services licence was obtained in 1962.

Chambers had an incident with ZK-BRN near the Manukau Harbour on 7Aug1958, but continued to fly with the syndicate until 1959. His replacement, Eric Adam, also experienced an incident with ZK-BRN at Glen Murray on 28Mar1960.

On 5Apr1966 Bruce Chegwidden crashed the Cub at Mercer. 

This seems to have been the end of Glen Murray's operations. The Cub, or what remained of it, was sold to L W Sutherland and the operating licence went to the Thames Aerial Topdressing company, who continued to work in the Pukekohe area.

Although I believe that ZK-BRN was not rebuilt after the April 1966 crash, I have no quotable evidence either way on that

The registration of the aircraft was cancelled on 8Oct1968.

ZK-BRN at Mangere in the days when it was a grass field



and again, this time at the opening of Mangere as an international airport 30Jan1966

[nobody]

Dec 30, 2020 22:01:51 GMT 12 Peter Lewis said:

On 5Apr1966 Bruce Chegwidden crashed the Cub at Mercer. 

This seems to have been the end of Glen Murray's operations. The Cub, or what remained of it, was sold to L W Sutherland and the operating licence went to the Thames Aerial Topdressing company, who continued to work in the Pukekohe area.

Although I believe that ZK-BRN was not rebuilt after the April 1966 crash, I have no quotable evidence either way on that

The registration of the aircraft was cancelled on 8Oct1968.

I know Les Sutherland and the logbooks/remains of BRN were in my possession for a while. I can confirm BRN was not rebuilt. My recollection is a bit hazy, but I think it went off the side of the strip and into a steep gully and was pretty badly rolled up in a ball.

[The Red Baron]

Glen Murrays airstrip on Helvetia Rd at Pukekohe.One of the Cubs outside the hangar.

[nobody]

Dec 31, 2020 6:33:37 GMT 12 The Red Baron said:

Glen Murrays airstrip on Helvetia Rd at Pukekohe.One of the Cubs outside the hangar.

Bit of a stretch, I know, but I reckon from that photo, the old strip is at this location:
-37.19102037803784, 174.88394258449992
Copy and paste into google maps.

I think that's a Tiger visible in that photo with the swept wings and the tailplane and elevators look more Tigerish than Cubish. Also because the lower wing is set well back on the Tiger, the short distance between the wings and the tail is apparent. The Cub appears more slender in plan view in that respect.  A bit hard to be certain though.

[starr]

I remember seeing BRN many times when both Chas Chambers and "Scotty" Adams were flying it.

[The Red Baron]

Helvetia Rd today...no doubt soon to be houses.

[Peter Lewis]

I know Les Sutherland and the logbooks/remains of BRN were in my possession for a while. I can confirm BRN was not rebuilt. My recollection is a bit hazy, but I think it went off the side of the strip and into a steep gully and was pretty badly rolled up in a ball.

I see that Sutherland was involved with quite a number of wrecks, rebuilds and restorations.
Was he an airframe engineer, or just a keen fixer-upper?

[davidd]

I agree with nobody in his recognition exercise.
David D

[gtw]

The Tiger Moth was in the hangar and BTC was outside when I was there Aug 1963. I flew BRN and BTC from Aug 1963 to Dec 5 1963. There was not much work at Glen Murray.
I did a lot of flying at Ardmore for the flying school. And parchute drops.

[johnnyfalcon]

Jan 1, 2021 13:28:58 GMT 12 gtw said:

The Tiger Moth was in the hangar and BTC was outside when I was there Aug 1963. I flew BRM and BTC from Aug 1963 to Dec 5 1963. There was not much work at Glen Murray.
I did a lot of flying at Ardmore for the flying school. And parchute drops.

You wouldn't get many parachutists in a Cub...

[gtw]

I think you are right, but you can get 4 or 5 in a c182. I did a drop at Hamilton and the step let go at the drop site, It was a very fast bailout, and a quick return to the ground by me. Quite scary for a few mins.

[Peter Lewis]

Airwork registered Cub 150 c/n 18-5530 as ZK-BRO on 18Feb1957.

The Wanganui Aero Club had entered the aerial agriculture business in 1952 by fitting a spray rig into their Tiger Moth ZK-AJK. This venture proved to be popular and profitable, so in mid-1957 they replaced the Tiger with ZK-BRO. The Cub was registered into the club's name on 17Jun1957.

Only employed in the spray role, the Cub experienced a reported incident at Nukumaru, north-west of Wanganui on 11Nov1962 with Bill Startup flying.

By the later 1960s this business was declining, and eventually the agricultural operations by the Wanganui aero club ceased in 1967. ZK-BRO was then converted into a two-person club aircraft and eventually sold to the Southern Districts Aero Club in April 1971.

Following a major rebuild after being badly damaged in a forced landing in 2009, ZK-BRO lives on in private ownership in Hawkes Bay.

ZK-BRO at Paraparaumu 1957



at Wanganui May 1961



and refueling at Wanganui mid-1960s

[nobody]

Jan 1, 2021 8:49:13 GMT 12 Peter Lewis said:

I know Les Sutherland and the logbooks/remains of BRN were in my possession for a while. I can confirm BRN was not rebuilt. My recollection is a bit hazy, but I think it went off the side of the strip and into a steep gully and was pretty badly rolled up in a ball.

I see that Sutherland was involved with quite a number of wrecks, rebuilds and restorations.
Was he an airframe engineer, or just a keen fixer-upper?

I believe Les held an LAME and he did a stint as a flight engineer with Air New Zealand. However he contracted out much of the actual rebuild work. Famous for carting aeroplane parts around the country with his Hillman Hunters, the components often seemed to become part of the trailer structure. Wheeler-dealer is the term that would best fit his activities and I mean that fondly. He is in his 80's now, so a lot of the people that created our aviation history in the 60's and 70's are getting on in years.

[nobody]

Jan 1, 2021 17:06:38 GMT 12 Peter Lewis said:

Airwork registered Cub 150 c/n 18-5530 as ZK-BRO on 18Feb1957.

The Wanganui Aero Club had entered the aerial agriculture business in 1952 by fitting a spray rig into their Tiger Moth ZK-AJK. This venture proved to be popular and profitable, so in mid-1957 they replaced the Tiger with ZK-BRO. The Cub was registered into the club's name on 17Jun1957.

Only employed in the spray role, the Cub experienced a reported incident at Nukumaru, north-west of Wanganui on 11Nov1962 with Bill Startup flying.

I have a picture of BRO with clam-shells fitted and no spray booms and it looks a lot more "used" than in the Paraparaumu picture. The owner of the picture tells me it was based at Waikari in North Canterbury at the time.

I'm guessing the Wanganui Aero Club made a buck by leasing it out for the topdressing season.

[Peter Lewis]

Makes sense.

[Peter Lewis]

ZK-BRP c/n 18-5539 was the next Cub 150 out of the box, being registered to Airwork on 18Feb1957.

By May it had moved to the far north, being registered to  Advance Aviation Ltd., Kaitaia. Quite what Advance used ZK-BRP for is a bit unknown, as they had already started to move from Tiger Moths into Fletchers by that time.

In March 1960 this Cub was badly damaged in a landing accident at Kaitaia, and was taken into the TEAL workshops for repair. On completion it may not have then returned north, as on 23Sep1960 Aerial Farming (Holdings) at Palmerston North had taken ownership.

It then worked in the Manawatu for several years until being sold off to R D Holmwood of Masterton in August 1967.

After several more private owners, including a spell working in the venison recovery trade on the West Coast, ZK-BRP was bought by Peter Rowley in January 1985. Registered to  Rowley Aviation Ltd, Amberley, and carrying the name "Lil Penny" it worked as a spray aircraft alongside ZK-BNY, ZK-BVJ and ZK-COG until July 1988 when it was again sold into private ownership.

This Cub is still operational, currently towing with the Upper Valley Gliding Club.

ZK-BRP at Paraparaumu in July 1958 - a long way from Kaitaia!



With Aerial Farming, at Milson 12Sep1964



In 'the gully' at Wanganui 9Feb1967





and at home base, Milson



Rowley's "Lil Penny" at Rangiora 28Apr1985 (Steve Lowe photo)