NZ Government's VIP Piper Navajo

[Dave Homewood]

I am not sure if this aeroplane has been mentioned on the WONZ Forum before. If it has, let me know where and I'll move this. Does anyone have photos or memories of this aircraft? This is from The Press, 21 February 1970:

Plane Bought For Ministerial Use

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 18.

A light aircraft capable of taking the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and other V.I.P.S on urgent Government business has been bought by the Ministry of Transport for about $lOO,OOO.

The plane, an American built Piper Navajo, is about 12 months old. It was bought from an Auckland firm, Tasman Air Services, and was paid for in New Zealand currency. It has executive-type accommodation for six passengers, plus pilot and co pilot, and cruises at 195 miles an hour.

The aircraft will be stationed at Paraparaumu, where it is at present being checked by ministry staff. It may be used for the first time to fly Ministers to Auckland during the Royal tour. The Navajo is the only plane of its type in New Zealand, though the Civil Aviation Division has several Piper Apaches as well as the DC-3s which are used for calibration flights.

It is fully instrumented, and is capable of being used at maximum takeoff and landing weights at nearly all airports and airfields in New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands.

[Naki.]

nzcivair.blogspot.com/2017/01/piper-navajo-zk-cam-at-ardmore-7-1-2016.html?m=1

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks, interesting.

[oj]

See my little story about this aircraft here:

rnzaf.proboards.com/user/824/recent?q=Navajo

[thomarse]

I can add a little story of my own about this bird...

On 22 February 1970 (i.e. just after DCA got her) there was an airshow at the Wallaceville strip, Upper Hutt, then home to the Upper Valley Gliding Club. It was very well-run, and attended - AFAIK there was never a repeat of the occasion.

One of the highlights was to be a fly-by of this aircraft, but in a spirited flash of enthusiasm by the (nameless) pilot, a very well-known DCA figure at the time, this turned into a touch-and-go landing. Being mid-Summer and very dry - plus the strip surface was rather uneven to say the least - dry grass and dust flew in every direction - it was quite memorable!

Although I didn't see it, I seem to recall that a Wellington Aero Club Instructor performed a roll on climb-out in a Victa and the two events drew some attention from DCA

[Peter Lewis]

Piper PA31 Navajo ex ZK-CUF of Tasman Air Services Ltd., Auckland.
With Civil Aviation Division, Ministry of Transport, Wellington, January 1970 to September 1979 as ZK-DCE.
After several more owners became ZK-CAM/2 in April 1987.
Still current.

At Wanganui, 1972