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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 11, 2013 14:58:26 GMT 12
Thanks
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Post by harrysone on Jul 11, 2013 15:22:33 GMT 12
ZK-AMA Looks like they have it in a temporary scaffold compound   |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 11, 2013 15:28:56 GMT 12
Trying to keep the WONZ paparazzi out maybe?  |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 11, 2013 15:54:34 GMT 12
Trying to keep the WONZ paparazzi out maybe? I'll be in Auckland from the middle of next week for a few days. I might have to go and have a nosey. |
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Post by harrysone on Jul 11, 2013 16:05:52 GMT 12
www.dhc-2.com/id169.htmInteresting was previously with Air Whitsunday, Reef World Airways and Seair in QLD as VH-HAQ before going to Canada for restoration
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Jul 11, 2013 19:23:35 GMT 12
Oh well it's nice to see that this seems like a serious operation - I will admit to being a bit skeptical when the website was first launched. I hope they can succeed, it will be nice to have a Beaver operating from the harbour!
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jul 11, 2013 19:48:06 GMT 12
Marvellous news.
I'll certainly be up for a flight in ZK-AMA.
However, I do wonder where their target market is?
Most of the Gulf traffic these days is done either by the Quick-Cats or by helicopters.
It was, of course the advent of the cats, that killed the Seabee operation.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 11, 2013 21:43:07 GMT 12
It was, of course the advent of the cats, that killed the Seabee operation. And it was the advent of the fast Cook Strait cats that killed off Float Air Picton's Beaver floatplane operation, including scheduled Wellington-Picton flights. Back in the mid-1990s, I flew from Wellington (Paramata on Porirua Harbour) to Picton with Float Air Picton. There were six of us on the flight, but I was the only passenger actually going to Picton. The others were heading to various holiday baches in the Marlborough Sounds. The fare from Wellington to Picton was $70, whereas it was $90 to any other location in the Sounds. However, because the other passengers were dropped off at their destinations enroute to Picton, I got the grand scenic tour of the Sounds and for a cheaper price than what the other passengers paid. I know who got the best deal out of it. I would definitely pay to go for a scenic flight around the Hauraki Gulf in ZK-AMA sometime if others were interested. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 11, 2013 21:48:52 GMT 12
I guess the market is the same type of people that use the Rotorua and Taupo floatplanes, sightseeing tourists. On a nice day a trip over the harbour in a Beaver floatplane would be awesome
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Post by harrysone on Jul 12, 2013 8:38:44 GMT 12
Maybe the environment with the fast ferry services has changed since Sea Bee Air was wound up in '90? Fullers cats for example in competition with Harry Jullian's Sea Flight ran daily services to Great Barrier through from the late 1980s till about 2000. Now Fullers only operate 1-2 services each summer & then there is the deplorable Subritzky car ferry (6-7hrs gut retching...at times trip), a whole lot of islanders that I have talked too (been out there regularly for work over the years), now feel a bit hard done by. GBA offer a good service but then there is the commute by car at either end...they may be onto something?
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Post by Kereru on Jul 12, 2013 13:40:24 GMT 12
I guess the market is the same type of people that use the Rotorua and Taupo floatplanes, sightseeing tourists. On a nice day a trip over the harbour in a Beaver floatplane would be awesome Cruise ship passengers? www.poal.co.nz/cruise_ships/cruise.asp#Aviation enthusiasts! I will be keen to try it out! Colin |
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Post by conman on Jul 12, 2013 14:13:13 GMT 12
Waiheke Island is now very much on the international tourist scene so I can imagine people with some money and short timeframes taking a seaplane option to get there with maybe a gulf scenic on the way. In Victoria on Vancouver Island the seaplane operation runs a load of turbine otters with probably half the volume being tourists taking a tour of the islands between their and the US mainland, and you can stack 8-10 in an Otter, I did the trip and had to book a time so it was fairly committed this was during winter as well. I can see a possible route to Coromandel opening up as well. having it located in a prime location in the Viaduct area will draw the tourists in, Mechanics Bay was too far away from the central city to capture the causal tourist market, will be a valuable addition to the harbour, bet some of the viaduct residents will start moaning about the sound from the big radial in no time !
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 12, 2013 14:56:57 GMT 12
When you say US mainland, was that Washington State?
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Post by conman on Jul 12, 2013 21:47:30 GMT 12
Yes Washington State, there was quite a taxi fom the harbour dock to the take off point past a whole lot of apartments, the PT6 on low rpm was pretty quiet though
Not sure how many pax you would get in a Beaver , maybe 6 max.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 12, 2013 22:50:51 GMT 12
Washington State to Vancouver Island sounds like a fantastic trip!
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jul 13, 2013 9:27:11 GMT 12
Waiheke Island is now very much on the international tourist scene so I can imagine people with some money and short timeframes taking a seaplane option to get there Judging by the constant radio calls on the city traffic frequency, many many people take the helicopter option to get to the gulf islands. I have left my email at the auckland seaplanes website. Hopefully, when they get operational, they will get back to me and we can see if we can get six or so wonz members to make up the numbers for a flight. |
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Post by ErrolC on Jul 13, 2013 10:15:23 GMT 12
I have left my email at the auckland seaplanes website. Hopefully, when they get operational, they will get back to me and we can see if we can get six or so wonz members to make up the numbers for a flight. I'm interested, drop me a line if they get back to you. |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 13, 2013 13:58:16 GMT 12
I left my email address on their website when AussieBob started this thread last month and I became aware of them.
Apart from the coming week, I'll be in Auckland again in October (15th-18th - either the 16th or 17th could be a go) and in November (1st to 3rd, with Saturday 2nd being a good date)
How about lunch somewhere on one of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf?
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jul 14, 2013 22:35:35 GMT 12
I'm interested, drop me a line if they get back to you.[/quote] Sure, will advise. |
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Post by flyinkiwi on Jul 15, 2013 8:59:29 GMT 12
Waiheke Island is now very much on the international tourist scene so I can imagine people with some money and short timeframes taking a seaplane option to get there Judging by the constant radio calls on the city traffic frequency, many many people take the helicopter option to get to the gulf islands. I have left my email at the auckland seaplanes website. Hopefully, when they get operational, they will get back to me and we can see if we can get six or so wonz members to make up the numbers for a flight. Count me in too - always wanted a flight in a Beaver, that it's a floatplane is an added bonus!  |
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