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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 2, 2009 20:15:18 GMT 12
We rebuilt BFT at Gulf Aeronautics in the early 1990s for Jim Pavitt. However its identity is not all that straight forward at this point! BFT was damaged in an accident at some stage in its past, and was rebuilt as CZW. CZW came to grief somewhere down south, Stewart Island I think, in the 1970s. This 1990s rebuild is actually using the BFT / CZW data plate, but a substantial portion of an early C182 Airframe (I dont know the rego) from an aircraft that was damaged beyond repair at Ardmore at some stage. Significant new components were also added, as were A188 bits (They are all the same part numbers!) to produce this aircraft which is somewhat of a hybrid! Thanks for those details Bruce. Filling in some of those details in a complex history for this 180: N3162C Cessna Aircraft Co., Wichita, KS S.Abd as ZK-BFT1/9/1954 Rural Aviation Ltd., New Plymouth Agents 2/9/1957 Southern Scenic Air Services Ltd., Queenstown NZ Tourist Air Travel Ltd., Queenstown Cr Milford Sound 13Feb62 10/7/1969 Aviation Contracts Ltd., Invercargill Rebuilt as ZK-CZW4/9/1969 Skeggs Fisheries Ltd., Dunedin Hit by wave Ruggedy Beach, Stewart Island, 22Dec69. Reg canc 23Jan70. 12/11/1982 J M & B N Coulter, Auckland Rebuilt 10/6/1991 Academy Aviation Ltd., Auckland Re-reg'd ZK-BFT, reg canc 13Nov91 13/11/1991 Academy Aviation Ltd., Auckland 18/8/2000 Meringa Farms Ltd., Taumarunui re-reg'd as ZK-FDP/2, reg canc 18Aug00 18/8/2000 Meringa Farms Ltd. current |
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Oct 2, 2009 21:10:21 GMT 12
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Post by thomarse on Oct 3, 2009 7:43:15 GMT 12
Looks like theory's not going to work in theis exercise....
According to my Cessna Master Serial Number Listing, the 1953 models are 30000 - 30639. That makes BFD the first 1954 model to hit NZ.
However, in Miles King's "The Sky My Canvas" (opp p65) there's BDE in a derivation of the '54 scheme. Opp p81 in the same book is "our first 180 BDD" sans hopper and in the '53 scheme, which may answer the question about where the hopper was developed.
I've emailed Phil Lightband; hope he comes back to me.
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Post by martymonsta on Oct 3, 2009 18:24:50 GMT 12
Peter. Colour shot of BUQ is at Invercargill airport; there's a group of hangars that were built there early 80's at the back of the airport. Note also H500c HMU. Could help date pic, ....crashed mid 80's. [ on a light light house re-supply?] Thanks for posting more great pics!!
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Post by Bruce on Oct 3, 2009 20:51:37 GMT 12
I think there may be a typo on the date of the coloured shot of BGI at masterton. It certainly isnt 1968! Behind the aircraft is a C172M or N - which would be a 1976 model at the eraliest. In fact I reckon the date would be after 1992 as I suspect the C172 is actually WFS, which I helped paint into the charcoal and red scheme (which is quite distinctive) when I was at Gulf Aeronautics...  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 3, 2009 21:20:45 GMT 12
Yes you are quite right Bruce, that one of ZK-BGI was taken at Wanaka 2004 when owned by A D Neville, Taupo. Details corrected. I was just checking to see if anyone was awake and actually looking at this stuff (ahem!). Truth be told, I was deciding which one of the BGI photos to scan and upload. Generally I was choosing earlier rather than later photos, but in this case I decided that a later colour photo would be better than an earlier B&W pic, however I failed to change the date. Ah well, at least I know that someone is looking. If you are interested, here is Cessna 180 ZK-BGI at Masterton 6Feb1968, the aircraft had been operated by Hewett Aviation Ltd., Mossburn but had moved north into the ownership of W B Easton, Dannevirke who was involved in aircraft hopper design at the time.  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 3, 2009 21:25:36 GMT 12
Peter. Colour shot of BUQ is at Invercargill airport; there's a group of hangars that were built there early 80's at the back of the airport. Note also H500c HMU. Could help date pic, ....crashed mid 80's. [ on a light light house re-supply?] Thanks for posting more great pics!! Thanks for the info regarding Invercargill. Hughes 369HS 500C ZK-HMU reg 24/1/1979 A A McGregor, Ohai, Southland (hire to Southern Aviation, Gore), Cr into sea near Dog Island Apr80; rebuilt at Taieri, reg 5/11/1980 Alpine Helicopters Ltd., Queenstown, S.Abd, reg canc 10Aug88. |
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Oct 4, 2009 20:25:45 GMT 12
Not Matamata,theres no Kaimai Ranges in the background.
Looks like Dargaville Airfeild itself,the TATco strip was out the other side of town on the road to Whangarei and has more rolling hills around it.
Any idea who owned ZK-BJU Matamata 28Jan1967,W Vallis?.
Excellent photos yet again,thanks very much.
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Post by kiwi172 on Oct 4, 2009 20:45:38 GMT 12
Some grist for the mill chaps.
I suspect that ZK-BFT first flew under the Cessna test registration of N11B.
It was registered here on 05/07/1954 and first flew 0n 01/09/1954.
A 180 was damaged by a runaway loader at Te Kupi sometime in 1955. I suspect BFT was the victim.
The Harrison Cove, Milford Sound, crash took place during the search for the missing Dragonfly ZK-AFB.
As ZK-CZW it had to have had one of the most revolting colour schemes possible for any aircraft..
Is it not a fact that the model year [& therefore colour scheme] for US aircraft starts mid year. ie the 1954 model comes out between mid 1953 to mid 1954 !
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Post by martymonsta on Oct 5, 2009 12:38:13 GMT 12
Without subverting this thread [much!!] tail in background of BEL colour shot shows Southland Aeroclub C206 DRV... which ditched off... Dog island! What is it about that place?? [ apart from being onetime home of lighthouse keeper Warren Russell, author of RNZAF colour schemes, corsair special... and eagerly awaited RNZAF Catalina book....] Back to those C180s...
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weheka
Squadron Leader
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Post by weheka on Oct 5, 2009 16:26:36 GMT 12
kiwi172, it seems possible then, that the mystery "first " 180 topdressing could be just that. Does the model change the same as the auto industry, as Eddie Coates suggests?
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Post by thomarse on Oct 5, 2009 21:09:08 GMT 12
Motor vehicle model year changes on September 1 in the US,so fair to guess that aircraft model year does too?
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Post by aussieo2 on Oct 7, 2009 10:07:07 GMT 12
I was led to understand that the US aircraft production runs, are in year commencing July and ending in June, ie our Financial Year, hence 1954 models being produced actually in the last half of 1953 and first half of 1954...
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Post by chinapilot on Oct 10, 2009 9:01:03 GMT 12
Here's a couple of C185s on the Franz Josef Glacier early one morning in 1969... Not a great shot...Polariod copied with a digital camera... Attachments:
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weheka
Squadron Leader
Posts: 105
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Post by weheka on Oct 10, 2009 9:34:58 GMT 12
The good old days for Mt Cook. Conditions must be fairly firm, haven't even got their skis down. Good photo.
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Post by chinapilot on Oct 10, 2009 20:59:56 GMT 12
Yeah - it was very early in the morning and a rundown made it obvious that it was hard ice so after a bit of chit chat we landed on wheels. Worked fine from memory... CHJ on the Tasman with typical load of climbers with hardware to take to the Tasman Saddle Hut...1969 Attachments:
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Post by thomarse on Oct 20, 2009 12:57:48 GMT 12
Here we go folks:
Hi Tom,
Sorry for the delay in reply as I have been away quite a bit.
To answer some of your questions I was the Chief Pilot and Operations manager for Rural in 1952. I started top dressing with them in 1950 on Tiger moths. As the distributor for Cessnas we imported the first Cessna aircraft for top dressing in 1953 a Cessna 170. We never imported a 190 into NZ. I did the Test flying in May 1953 and started Top dressing with the 170 on July 14 1953 at Waverley carrying 6 cwt of fertilizer. I flew 165 hours top dressing on this type but found it was too light and under powered for the job.
At this time the 180 became available and the first 3 we imported were ZK BDD, BDE, & BDF. The first one to be assembled and tested was BDF and I tested this in Oct 1953, I took it topdressing on Oct 6th and stayed with it until 1954. The other two 180's were shortly behind, BDE which we operated with Pilot Barry Sait a well known pilot who much later died in a crash. BDD we sold to Bill Hewitt of Mosburne.
As a matter of interest although 84 years old I still hold a current advanced microlight licence and fly regularly at the Kaitaia aero club. I went solo in 1939 and have been now flying for 70 years.
Regards Phil Lightband
So................BDF?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2009 17:28:40 GMT 12
Loved Phil Lightbands book Early Bird. Hopefully find another copy soon
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 20, 2009 18:23:54 GMT 12
So if the caption on the back of the print is correct, we have identified it as ZK-BDF?
That must be getting close to some sort of record - 70 years from first solo and still an active pilot.Well done.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2009 20:19:09 GMT 12
Nice to see all these photos, and to hear from Phil Lightband - top effort!
Any photos of CAS and CAT floating around?
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