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Post by delticman on Sept 8, 2018 6:00:35 GMT 12
ZK-BUV was the third of five Lodestars to arrive for Gisborne-based Fieldair. This aircraft had an interesting and rather convoluted previous history, which included service with the RAF and then some years in Spain. After conversion to topdressing duties it arrived in NZ in 1958, and was part of Fieldair's contribution to the Airland (NZ) Ltd. consortium from 1960. It is said to have carried the name "Makutonga", but that is not evident in this photo. ZK-BUV made its last flight on 8Jan1973, and has been resident at Gisborne airport ever since. Looking at the background of this photo, I would say Mangere in its pre-international days.  The photo is newer than you think. It's painted as Airland NZ Ltd and is probably outside the Feildar hangar at Gisborne. |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 9, 2018 18:16:08 GMT 12
At the conclusion of its active service, ZK-BUV was cleaned up and mounted on poles at the entrance to Gisborne airport. It sat there, deteriorating slowly from the elements, until removed indoors in 1998.  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 10, 2018 23:22:37 GMT 12
Another Lodestar out of the box. This one looks to be a 'wingless wonder' with the engines running. No registration visible. My guess would be that this is Lockheed 18-56 Lodestar ZK-BVE during its early days at MoTAT. This would fit with the busy road - Great North Road? - visible behind the fence. I know that back in the harmless happy pre-OSH days it was a frequent practice for some of the aircraft on display at MoTAT to have their engines run up to delight the paying punters.
ZK-BVE started life in the USA as NC25630 with United Airlines before joining the military and then eventually arriving in NZ in August 1958. It worked for Fieldair and Airland until being damaged in a in wheels-up landing at Milson 17Dec1969. Flown Milson-Whenuapai 8Nov1970, thence to MoTAT, Auckland.
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Post by camtech on Sept 11, 2018 8:06:52 GMT 12
You're right with that one, Peter.
Back in those days, we use to run those aircraft that were able. The Lancaster was a popular runner, with all four engines running. Offhand, can't recall what else was tunable, but those two certainly were.
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Post by TS on Sept 11, 2018 8:56:07 GMT 12
You're right with that one, Peter. Back in those days, we use to run those aircraft that were able. The Lancaster was a popular runner, with all four engines running. Offhand, can't recall what else was tunable, but those two certainly were. Yeah I know the negative response that will follow... But if only they would still do that!!$$$...  |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 11, 2018 21:57:36 GMT 12
Moving forward into the jet age, this is National Airways first Boeing 737-219, ZK-NAC.
Said to have carried the name 'Piripiri', but this is not evident here.
ZK-NAC arrived on 18Sep1968 and served with NAC until that airline was merged into Air New Zealand in December 1978. It finally departed these shores on 24Mar1986.
Taken before the advent of airbridges, the self-loading freight are set to depart from an airport I cannot recognise.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 11, 2018 22:48:53 GMT 12
Air bridges? Only a handful of airports have them even now.
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Post by delticman on Sept 12, 2018 8:57:09 GMT 12
Moving forward into the jet age, this is National Airways first Boeing 737-219, ZK-NAC.
Said to have carried the name 'Piripiri', but this is not evident here.
ZK-NAC arrived on 18Sep1968 and served with NAC until that airline was merged into Air New Zealand in December 1978. It finally departed these shores on 24Mar1986.
Taken before the advent of airbridges, the self-loading freight are set to depart from an airport I cannot recognise.
Is Mamona, aka Dunedin airport. Hills are east of the aiport and also there is SIMT & SH1. R |
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Post by tbf25o4 on Sept 12, 2018 9:43:59 GMT 12
I remember when ZK-BVE arrived at Whenuapai, prior to being moved to MOTAT. I came complete with a bird's nest in the tail of the fuselage complete with chirping baby birds, and the main gear locked
down with bits of 4x2 timber to ensure it didn't collapse. It was ferried to Whenuapai with the gear locked down
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 12, 2018 17:50:18 GMT 12
Another view of NZNAC 737 ZK-NAC, this time its obviously Rongotai  |
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Post by planewriting on Sept 12, 2018 21:13:21 GMT 12
NAC was merged into Air New Zealand on 1 April 1978; not December 1968. I think the Boeing 737 fleet only got names after that merger.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 12, 2018 21:51:47 GMT 12
Yes, 1978 not 1968 - my typo.
The CAA register shows the change of ownership from NZNAC to ANZ took place on 1st December.
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Post by pjw4118 on Sept 13, 2018 15:02:41 GMT 12
Peter , I have a pair of DC7 photos at Whenuapai , very similar to yours but taken with the trusty old 620, remember those ?. Then you must be as old as me!! The date on my negatives is 8.10.61 , and I was just a boy.
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pvsjetstar
Flight Lieutenant
email: rassie6@optusnet.com.au
Posts: 97
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Post by pvsjetstar on Nov 2, 2018 10:21:48 GMT 12
There's also a couple of pictures of the Pan American DC7 at Whenuapai on the National Library Website taken on 11 November 1960 - very similar shots
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Post by walter1877 on Aug 12, 2019 10:20:42 GMT 12
Another Lodestar out of the box. This one looks to be a 'wingless wonder' with the engines running. No registration visible. My guess would be that this is Lockheed 18-56 Lodestar ZK-BVE during its early days at MoTAT. This would fit with the busy road - Great North Road? - visible behind the fence. I know that back in the harmless happy pre-OSH days it was a frequent practice for some of the aircraft on display at MoTAT to have their engines run up to delight the paying punters.
ZK-BVE started life in the USA as NC25630 with United Airlines before joining the military and then eventually arriving in NZ in August 1958. It worked for Fieldair and Airland until being damaged in a in wheels-up landing at Milson 17Dec1969. Flown Milson-Whenuapai 8Nov1970, thence to MoTAT, Auckland.
There are some very detailed articles written about this Lodestar: 'ZK-BVE, a Long-Lived Lodestar' by J.W. Best in the AHSNZ Journal of June 1998, and 'ZK-BVE Follow-Up' in December 1998. Then three by Peter J. Marson as 'New Zealand's Famous Lodestar ZK-BVE' in Aerolegacy December 2008 - Part 1 - the BOAC Years, Sep 41-Mar 44; June 2009 - Part 2, Apr 44-Nov 45; and December 2009 - Part 3, Dec 45-Nov 47. Huge detail gleaned from the British Airways Archive and Museum, and the Croydon Airport Society archives. J.P. Juptner said "...the Lodestar was no doubt the fastest and best performing airliner in the world, bar none..." She was 'City of Fresno' for the United Airlines 'Speedline' route on the west coast of America in 1940, in a beautiful livery. My father's photo of her as G-AGCN 'Lake Victoria' in post-war livery at Lideta aerodrome, Addis Ababa, on the 11th July 1945, shows her having carried the first Ethiopian Prime Minister, Mekonnen Endelkachew, on the last leg home after his leading of the Ethiopian Delegation to the founding of the United Nations in San Francisco. She also trailblazed new routes for BOAC, such as the Cairo-Ankara Service. She had also been on the shuttle flights carrying drums of petrol to Desert Air Force advanced airfields in the Western Desert from Almaza at the end of 1942 and beginning of 1943. The list of her destinations is amazing. I can see that she has flown, at least, for 12,230 hours and 52 minutes - but probably quite a lot more. Fantastic that she has survived, and at last is being restored. Not a bad history for a flying tractor! Perhaps MOTAT could make more of her stunning service record! |
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Post by planewriting on Jul 21, 2020 11:18:50 GMT 12
Looking at the picture on page 2, making reference to the NAC Skyliner partially in the picture, I believe I have sleuthed its identity. If you look carefully at the livery above the windows it appears to be larger than the standard applied to the NZNAC wording. I believe it is the large wording on the NAC DC-3 freighter fleet. If that is the case, then the DC-3 in the photo is freighter ZK-AQP which attended the air show. The letters NAC (were in red) followed by stylised Freightair (in blue).
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