|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 14, 2007 10:50:50 GMT 12
I've never heard of Air West Coast before, but they must be a serious deal as apparently they fly at least one 19-seater commercial jet according to Teletext. Does anyone know what they fly?
Anyway, they'e had an incident, reported on Teletext thus (can't find anything on the net about it).
Plane Grounded After Fumes Incident
Noxious fumes in the cockpit of an Air West Coast aircraft could explain why two pilots became partially incapacitated during a training flight.
The 19-seater commercial jet has been grounded for two weeks, after the pilots complained of feeling unwell during a flight from Greymouth to Wellington.
The captain was able to land the aircraft without incident. The TAIC is looking for the source of the fumes.
Source: Newstalk ZB
|
|
|
|
Post by flyjoe180 on Apr 14, 2007 16:10:10 GMT 12
Air West Coast operates a Dornier 228 turboprop.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 14, 2007 18:10:47 GMT 12
Cheers Joe.So not a 'jet' then. Is that their only aircraft?
|
|
|
|
Post by beagle on Apr 14, 2007 20:12:47 GMT 12
I saw it at CHC last week
never seen a D228 in NZ before.
I do like the 328 jet though.
|
|
|
|
Post by Radialicious on Apr 14, 2007 21:01:25 GMT 12
They also operate a Navajo Chieftain based in Greymouth and run a Greymouth-Wellington-Westport daily route. I havent yet seen the Dornier operating on the West Coast but have seen it in and out of CHCH a lot. Air West Coast is owned and operated by a religous group that live inland of Greymouth. It must be the only twin turbine gig offered in GA at the moment. Their pilots will be loving it! IFR in a light piston twin on the West Coast is character building at the best of times..... A turbine STOL-ship with de-ice gear must be quite comforting to them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Apr 14, 2007 21:21:29 GMT 12
The Greymouth Religous group would be the "Cooperites" who featured on a TV doco a few weeks ago. They have been heavily involved in a number of aviation enterprises in Canterbury and the West Coast for many years. They apparently arent as whacky as first impressions, and there are a lot of ex Air Force people involved.
Dornier 228s have been in service in NZ before, 3 aircraft (1x series 100 and 2x 200 series) were used by Ansett "Tranzlink" franchise holder Adastra Aviation (no relation to the historical Aussie company). The aircraft were to be used on the Northern feeder routes of the Ansett network, however the operation lasted only a few weeks as Adastra was severely undercapitalised (sounds familiar!) The aircraft sat at Ardmore for about a month before being sold overseas.
the Dorniers are Ugly looking beasties, but with a square cabin section they are quite roomy and comfortable. being unpressured, they're not good for long haul, but for short feeder runs from smaller airstrips they are ideal.
|
|
|
|
Post by Radialicious on Apr 14, 2007 22:48:44 GMT 12
A mate of mine flew for them briefly 3 years ago. He got off to a bad start on his first day when, after being introduced to many people with interesting 'descriptive' biblical names, he suggested they call him 'Grateful Pilot'. Apparently that went down like a cup of warm sick. He ended up back on the outside with a Chieftain rating and is now about to convert onto the Dash 8 Q300 for an airline that isn't too upset that he has 'a tainted heart'.
I saw the doco on those people. It seemed that the arranged marriage was well chosen. Not many newly-weds have a 20 minute pash inside the church before leaving for their honeymoon in the flash dorm at the end of the barracks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Apr 15, 2007 19:31:45 GMT 12
he suggested they call him 'Grateful Pilot'. I like that! Neville B Cooper - aka Hopeful Christian - has owned operated several aircraft during his years in NZ. He's moved around, from Feilding, Rangiora and Cust before moving to the Wet Coast. He's listed as having owned, at various times, Auster Autocrat ZK-AUO, Autocars BAE and CXA, Cessna 150 CTE, 180 BGO, 172 CAA, 206 DNG, Agwaggons CSL and DPX, and the Percival Prentice ZK-DJC that is now at Rhode's Wanaka museum. The Navajo EBT has recently come to grief! (they still have ZK-VIP and C.210 COY). The Dornier:  |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 15, 2007 20:26:26 GMT 12
I like the colour scheme on that with the Keruru.
Where is Cust?
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Apr 15, 2007 20:44:11 GMT 12
"Cust is an attractive township on the Inland Scenic Route 72, half-way between Oxford and Rangiora. Route 72 is a popular travelling road between Geraldine and Amberley, which provides wonderful views of the Southern Alps and pastoral Canterbury.
The town has panoramic views across the billiard-table-flat rural landscape to the rolling hills and towering flanks of Mounts Thomas, Richardson and Oxford.
Cust was originally known as Moeraki Downs, then as Middleton-on-the-Cust, being the middle town between Oxford and Rangiora. The current name comes from Sir Edward Cust, a member of the Canterbury Association, which organised the immigrant ships and early settlement of Canterbury in 1850."
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 15, 2007 20:53:12 GMT 12
Thanks Peter. I like that name, Middleton-on-the-Cust. Very British
|
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Apr 15, 2007 21:34:32 GMT 12
The bird is a Kotuku, White Heron, a Kereru is a wood pigeon.... The west coast lagoon of Okarito is the soul Habitat for the Kotuku, so it is an appropriate emblem for the airline. The Dornier doesnt seem as boxy in that scheme - looks good. My Hopeful Christian has good taste in aircraft by the looks of that listing!
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 15, 2007 22:01:41 GMT 12
Ah yes, Kotuku, that's what I meant. I saw one many km's away from Okarito when i was down the west coast in 2004. It flew alongside our van for a bit. We had just been discussing the enormous expense the 'keepers' of the area charge to see them and whether it was worth it. We saw one for free so carried on satisfied.
|
|
