|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 21, 2017 16:37:21 GMT 12
ZK-BFD was the next Cessna 180 to appear with a hopper. Unlike the previous few of the breed, this one does not appear to have had a paper US registration issued. ZK-BFD was put online with Rural Aviation in March 1954, and again was passed on to a charter operator in a non-ag role just a few years later in September 1957. After service in the Gisborne area and Nelson ZK-BFD entered back into agwork with Barr Bros. This was its undoing as it was eventually written off after a dicey landing on a strip on the Awhita Peninsular, south west of Auckland, 8Apr1965. Pilot Dave Simpson. The remains were sold on to Ray Verity of Te Awamutu but was not rebuilt. ZK-BFD showing off its hopper fitment at Bell Block airfield in December 1954 |
|
|
|
Post by delticman on Mar 21, 2017 21:41:56 GMT 12
ZK-BFD was the next Cessna 180 to appear with a hopper. Unlike the previous few of the breed, this one does not appear to have had a paper US registration issued. ZK-BFD was put online with Rural Aviation in July 1954, and again was passed on to a charter operator in a non-ag role just a few years later in mid 1957. After service in the Gisborne area and Nelson ZK-BFD entered back into agwork with Barr Bros. This was its undoing as it was eventually written off after a dicey landing on a strip on the Awhita Peninsular, south west of Auckland, 8Apr1965. Pilot Dave Simpson. The remains were sold on to Ray Verity of Te Awamutu but was not rebuilt. ZK-BFD showing off its hopper fitment at Bell Block airfield in December 1954ZK-BFD, N2967C. Ray |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 22, 2017 18:26:25 GMT 12
Thanks for that addition Ray.
I did say "not appear to . . "
But the additional info is welcome.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 22, 2017 18:43:35 GMT 12
C180 ZK-BFE, with paper as N2969C, appear to have been registered to Rural as agents in March 1954 who then installed the agricultural fittings and then handed it over in August 1954 to Wings Fertilisers Ltd. who were based at Hastings. In March the following year the ownership of ZK-BFE was transferred to Derek Turnbull's own name, but then reverted back to his company's name in September 1957. Moving back to Rural in September 1958, by November 1958 ZK-BFE was at Masterton being operated by Air Contracts Ltd. They sold the aircraft into private ownership in October 1963 and this was its final move as ZK-BFE was destroyed in hangar fire at Masterton 15May1965. ZK-BFE literally tied up, at Hastings in 1956 Cleaned up and sparkling, at Milson for the ag air show 9Nov1956 Presumably after a repaint, at some later stage |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 23, 2017 20:11:54 GMT 12
ZK-BFT started life with the factory allocation N3162C and was shipped new to NZ. Fitted out at New Plymouth it was registered to Rural Aviation in July 1954. After working for Rural for three years it moved south to Southern Scenic Air Services based at Queenstown. SSAS seems to have operated their Cessna 180s interchangeably between passenger charter and agricultural roles, and no doubt ZK-BFT undertook both tasks until it crashed while attempting a landing at Harrison Cove, Milford Sound, on 13Feb1962 while Rex Dovey was flying. The wreck was removed back to Queenstown and then eventually rebuilt for an Invercargill operator who registered it as ZK-CZW in July 1969. Just a few months later it was badly damaged when hit by a wave during an attempted take-off at Ruggedy Beach, Stewart Island, 22Dec1969. By 1982 the aircraft appeared again, still as ZK-CZW, after a rebuild that incorporated many parts from a number of other aircraft and apparently rather little from the original. Details of this rebuild have already been covered in The Forum. In 1991 the then owner reverted the registration back to ZK-BFT, but a subsequent owner changed that again to ZK-FDP/2. In April 2016 this aircraft again returned to the identity ZK-BFT and is still current. Cessna 180 ZK-BFT as operated by Rural Aviation, at Paraparaumu 8Sept1954   Just a month later, at Wanganui 30Oct1954 I don't have a photo of ZK-BFT as an ag180 with SSAS, but here she is awaiting passengers at Invercargill in early 1962 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2017 10:11:22 GMT 12
Just a month later, at Wanganui 30Oct1954 Unless it's not at the airport, that doesn't look like Wanganui to me? |
|
|
|
Post by delticman on Mar 24, 2017 10:44:02 GMT 12
Just a month later, at Wanganui 30Oct1954 Unless it's not at the airport, that doesn't look like Wanganui to me? That's Taieri but on the other side of airport where the RNZAF hangars were and now part of Dukes Road North. Ray |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 25, 2017 7:52:59 GMT 12
Thanks for the info.
A number of the images from this collection are wrongly labelled. I have picked up on the more obvious ones, but bow to local knowledge on the more subtle.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 25, 2017 8:50:44 GMT 12
C180 N3163C was imported new in early 1954 and came online with Rural Aviation in July 1954 as ZK-BFU. Sold just a few months later to McCready Aviation Ltd. It didn't have to move far, as that operator was also based at New Plymouth. McCready was transformed into McCready-Baigent Aviation in June 1957 and merged into Rural Aviation in June 1958. ZK-BFU moved to Air Contracts Ltd., Masterton in March 1959. It then passed into the ownership of Aircraft Hire Ltd. (who also had a Masterton address) in April 1963 and was leased to Associated Farmers Aerial Work Ltd. at Martinborough until October that year. Dalcom Aviation Training at Wanganui were the next operator. Beryck Dalcom had been involved in the agricultural aviation industry since June 1950, and had set up a pilot training school at Wanganui in November 1963 hiring ZK-BFU. ZK-BFU was finally sold into private hands in October 1967. After passing through a number of hands it was damaged on Waiheke Island, Hauraki Gulf, Auckland 22April1980 when ground looped into a fence while landing. Arrangements were made to lift the aircraft back to Ardmore for repair using a Llama helicopter, but it fell off the lifting hook into the Waitemata harbour during this process causing extensive further damage. There is a sighting of the wreck being used at event concerning water (safety?) down on the Manukau Harbour foreshore below Hillsborough. The sad remains of recently wrecked ZK-BFU were there daubed with pink spray can paint. Seemingly was plonked into the water to show how quickly an aircraft fills with water to illustrate the necessity to get out quickly. The remains were reported as being sold into Australia where it was rebuilt, finally reappearing as VH-BVE in May 2002. ZK-BFU under assembly in Rural's Bell Block hangar in 1954 With McCreadys, New Plymouth 15Sep1955 
At Mangere June 1956
At Masterton April 1962, showing Jim Thorne as the designated pilot ZK-BFU tailless at Rongotai, possibly while based at Martinborough With Dalcom, Wanganui February 1964 and again, 17Feb1966 |
|
|
|
Post by davidd on Mar 25, 2017 16:16:01 GMT 12
Some really great photos of the very photogenic C.180 here Peter. Many of those topdressers had pretty tough lives. Seems that bare metal ones were not very common in New Zealand, no doubt because of the type of work anticipated for them here.
David D
|
|
|
|
Post by isc on Mar 25, 2017 21:11:51 GMT 12
When we repainted them, at Rex Dunedin, particularly if they were going back to ag work, we used Epi Glass reaction lacquer, although a number of aircraft going to other operators got the same treatment.
isc
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 26, 2017 21:10:31 GMT 12
The next Cessna 180 had been assigned N3638C at the factory. It arrived in NZ in 1954, and was allotted as ZK-BGF to Rural Aviation in August. Although it was not transferred to Derek Turnbull for use in his Wings Fertiliser operation in Hawkes Bay until March 1955, I have not see any evidence that it was used operationally by Rural in the intervening months. In September 1957 ZK-BGF was registered directly to Wings Fertiliser Ltd. Less than a year later, in July 1958, ZK-BGF was withdrawn from use and shipped across to Australia where it resumed its agricultural career as VH-DMC with Muir Aviation in Darwin. The NZ registration was cancelled on 2July1958. After several more owners in Australia and adopting subsequent registrations of VH-PRX, VH-SSD and VH-CCB this C180 was finally destroyed when its undercarriage collapsed on takeoff at Gatton, Queensland, 16Oct1977. ZK-BGF parked out at Hastings in February 1957 Now with a somewhat more pleasing paint job, at Paraparaumu March 1958. Possibly while being made ready for its departure overseas. |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 27, 2017 19:27:16 GMT 12
The C180 destined to become ZK-BGG had the factory-issued allocation N3630C. Fitted out with a hopper at New Plymouth by Rural Aviation in 1954, it went to Advance Aviation Ltd. of Kaitaia in January 1955. By later in 1955 Advance had got their first Fu24 and so moved ZK-BGG on to the Manawatu ATD Company at Feilding in September of that same year. Unfortunately this was not a long-term relationship, as ZK-BGG crashed into river on a failed takeoff at Mangahao, near, Pahitatua on 1Feb1956 while being flown by Naylor Smith. The damaged aircraft was pieced together again, and reappeared in Australia as VH-BQD/2 in May 1957 under the ownership of Hazelton Air Services, based at Cudal, NSW. However fate was not to be deterred and the aircraft was finally comprehensively destroyed in a crash near Cootamundra on 15 December 1959 while once more engaged in agricultural work. ZK-BGG at Mangere in late 1954, possibly on its way north as a new aircraft
At Whenuapai in January 1955 and at Paraparaumu in June 1955 A rare, but undated, colour shot of ZK-BGG As an interesting aside, none of the NZ operators of this aircraft seemed to have been keen on actually applying their name on it. |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 28, 2017 16:30:18 GMT 12
ZK-BGI started life as N3870C at the Cessna factory in 1954. Moving to New Zealand and kitted out at New Plymouth, it came on the register with Rural Aviation on the 11th August that year. It was then taken into the aerial work section of Airwork (NZ) Ltd. based at Christchurch, who were the Piper agents at that time, on 8Nov1954. Airwork operated ZK-BGI for two years and then moved it on to Ron Graham at Tauranga who registered it in his own name as from 16Nov1956 and used it as part of his Airspread topdressing fleet. Ron returned it to Airwork in July 1963, but whether this was just a trade-in on another aircraft or if it went back online with Airwork I do not know. The Southland Development Corporation of Invercargill took ownership of ZK-BGI in October 1964, and the main user of the Cessna at that time was Bill Hewett's Hewett Aviation Ltd. However, one source mentions that Ritchie Air Services also leased the aircraft at some stage around then. Dannevirke-based Bill Easton then took ownership from March 1967 after ZK-BGI had been sold back through Rural Aviation (1963) Ltd. Bill was in the engineering business and probably used ZK-BGI in his development of the Easton hopper for aviation use. By March 1972 ZK-BGI had moved into non-ag use, and after several incidents and quite a few owners is still current, based in the Turangi area. ZK-BGI looks to be brand new here, probably at New Plymouth in 1954 Looks to be some sort of airshow, Nelson 1955 when with Airwork The spannermen are working on ZK-BGI at Tauranga, ZK-BEG in the background In need of a good wash, but the Airspread signwriting has got larger Not quite so grubby in this one ZK-BGI at Masterton 6Feb1968, when Bill Easton owned it |
|
|
|
Post by thomarse on Mar 28, 2017 18:06:01 GMT 12
Whatever the overall colour in her Airwork days, she'd have been easily identifiable!
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 29, 2017 16:40:33 GMT 12
ZK-BGL ex N3620C was the next 180 to arrive and be be fitted out at New Plymouth in 1954. On completion of this work it went immediately to Aerial Work (Marlborough) Ltd. based at Omaka, Blenheim, being registered to them in November, They operated ZK-BGL apparently uneventfully for several years until selling it to Aircraft Hire Ltd., Masterton in April 1962. They then hired this Cessna 180 to Fieldair who used it operationally in the Gisborne area. Charlie Down was the pilot when it was destroyed in a takeoff crash at the Panikau Road strip., Gisborne, 28Nov1964. Judging by the interest, ZK-BGL arriving at Omaka in November 1954 In the static park, Milson 9Nov1956 ZK-BGL posing at Paraparaumu October 1958 and at Omaka A nice showing of the Aerial Work Marlborough colours |
|
|
|
Post by The Red Baron on Mar 29, 2017 19:57:25 GMT 12
Last 4 photos it has no hopper in it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 30, 2017 17:20:46 GMT 12
Probably involved in some other aerial work tasking at that time.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 30, 2017 18:43:10 GMT 12
The next Cessna 180 to appear on the line was ZK-BGM which had been allotted N3641C . After assembly and fitout at New Plymouth in 1954 by Rural Aviation, in December 1954 it went directly to Northern Air Services Ltd. who operated out of their base at Te Kuiti airfield. Unfortunatly this aircraft did noit survive long. It crashed into a hillside at Waikawau, near Awakino, on 12Oct1956. Pilot Noel McCready was killed in the crash. The wreckage was recovered back to New Plymouth and was rebuilt, to eventually reappear as ZK-BMU.This lasted until it was terminally damaged in a storm at Kaikoura 1Aug1975 ZK-BGM at Te Kuiti December 1954 shortly after it joined the Northern Air Services fleet ZK-BGM now in full livery, I think this one shows the aircraft at Mangere |
|
|
|
Post by xbaggy on Mar 31, 2017 10:34:59 GMT 12
BMU based at Timaru in 1974 and owned by Whirlwide Helicopters, used as Compnany hack. Unfortunately BMU was overnighting at Kaikoura on the night of the big August storm in 1975 and was blown from her moorings and severely damaged. I am not sure where the remains ended up.  I have mentioned, in another thread that Timaru Hospital used to bring "Whooping Cough" patients out to the airport and the late Des Macambridge (Operations Manager) used to fly them up to altitude in BMU, where the air was thin, to relieve their congestion. I cannot recall the altitude but it must have worked as it was quite a regular occurance. |
|
