Great Plains photos A few pictures from Ashburton

[Bruce]

Here are a few pictures from Ashburton, I have heaps more but they all need resizing before posting (otherwise it takes forever) so this is just a selection. I also found the exposure control on the new EOS-400 was outsmarting me and a few were a bit dark and needed tweaking afterwards (still getting the hang of the new work cameras...)




The replica military aircraft were parked together - T51s, Sindlinger Hurricane, Fisher Tiger Moths, Isaacs Fury and Harris Spitfire.


5 Murphy Rebels were present, one of which (locally based) only had its first flight on the Saturday Morning of the fly - in.


Matched pair of Corby Starlet and Druine Turbulent


Jodel D9 AKR has been around for many years


Very colourful Glastar and RV


The Pientenpol Aircamper is a classic 1930s design, in Evan Belworthy's example, the original Ford model A engine has been replaced with a Cortina.


The Belworthy clan have more aeroplanes than people, this Aerosport Woody Pusher belongs to Evan's father Alan.


The SportCruiser is a brand new all metal factory built microlight. It has very impressive performance and a huge, comfortable cabin. Marketed in NZ by Zenair, it retails for $135,000 all up - pretty good value.


One of two YAK52s at Ashburton

Yak 55 JPO is locally based


SAA grand champion aircraft for 2007 is this Viking Dragonfly


Best wood and Fabric Aircraft was John Evan's Pireira GP-4


RNZAF Historic Flight Harvard NZ1015 brought guest speaker Sean Perritt and his engineer.



Currently based at Wigram, DC-3 ZK-AMY is owned by an Ashburton syndicate. It will move to Ashburton once the new Hangar at the Aviation Museum has been completed. (A 40 x 45 Meter Hanagr to house the DC3, Harrier and Vampires etc is planned, with construction to start shortly, once the Ashburton NDB beacon currently occupying the site has been removed)

[Bruce]

Long EZ LET is not remotely standard, with fully retractable undercarriage and a Turbocharged, Intercooled Mazda Rotary engine (400hp+). It is normally based at Tauranga. Although normally very smooth running, it was troubled by a misfire over the course of the weekend and spent a lot of time with the cowls off.


Canterbury is the home of classic "bushplanes" (although Auster BLW is actually from Matamata) here 2 Austers, A Maule and a Cessna 180 enjoy the sun, several other austers and Piper Cubs also dropped in.

[flyjoe180]

Looks like it was a nice day!

[Dave Homewood]

Great photos Bruce!

What's the nice looking aircraft with the Southern Cross on the tail behind the Jodel? It looks neat. Is it a kitset plane?

I like that military Auster, is it ex-RNZAF?

Nice to see ZK-AMY still flying in NZ. I thought it would go abroad. I saw it on the news and mistook it for ZK-DAK.

[Bruce]

The aircraft with the Southern Cross is a Vans RV-9A (I think) another of the very popular RV series of homebuilts.
The Military Auster is ZK-ARR, owned by Richard Royds (Part owner of Mt Cook Ski Planes). I had a flight in this aircraft on Staurday morning, up to Mesopotamia Station, a high country sheep and cattle station in the headwaters of the Rangitata River (I am just sorting out the photos of that trip...). It is not ex-RNZAF but is ex RAF, it is a genuine Lycoming engined Mark V built in 1944 (with service in Europe - a real warbird!). Its in beautiful condition, and being given the chance to actually fly the aircraft (with Richard as PIC) up to Mesopotamia was by far the highlight of the weekend. (stay tuned for pics)

[Bruce]

O.K, now the Mesopotamia photos....
On both the Saturday and Sunday, Richard Royds led a guided flight to Mesopotamia. I flew with him on Saturday in the Auster. Mesopotamia is about 30 mins flying time from Ashburton, but significantly longer by road. It is located high up the Rangitata river and is a classic high country sheep and beef station (Although a venison hunting operation is run from here) Just across the river is the famed station "Erewhon", as recorded in a famous poem by Samuel Butler. Having seen both these stations on "Country Calendar" I had to take the oportunity to see them for myself. The country is totally unlike anything in the North Island.
On Saturday 8 aircraft took the trip, 11 on Sunday.


Richard took this photo of me flying the Auster en route to the Rangitata Gorge



Just upstream from the Rangitata Gorge the valley opens out to a glacial carved plain, with the braided river an amazing colour.







The airstrip is quite difficult to find as it is tussock covered shingle. As lead aircraft, we were to mark the strip for those following - most eventually found it!




Cloud shadows


This photo is taken later in the trip, facing down river (Actually over Erewhon). Mesopotamia covers the country to the right. The airstrip and homestead is on the flats visible just in front of the Jury Strut.







On the return, most of the aircraft departed via Lake clearwater and Lake Heron and then back down the Rakaia River. We took a slightly different track, initially higher up the valley to overhead a hunting airstrip called "Growler", then back down over Lake Clearwater and down the Ashburton River.


Growler Airstrip


Lake Clearwater



The Canterbury plains is now covered in giant crop circles, albeit as a result of rotating irrigation rigs, especially on the growing number of dairy farms. As a Waikato-ite I still cant understand why anyone would do Dairying when they have to rely on artificial irrigation....

All and all an awesome flight, Special thanks to Richard. The sort of thing I look forward to doing in my own aircraft when I take it down for Great Plains 2009!

[Bruce]

BTW two of the pictures taken en route to growler have another hunting airstrip (dont know the name) in them - see if you can find it....

[Kereru]

I always wondered what those ring things on the landscape were thanks for the explanation. When we flew over Australia and even in Turkey we could see this same pattern and was puzzled as to what it could be. I will dig some photos out and upload them soon.

Colin

[corsair67]

Hi Bruce, just discovered your photos: fantastic collection of images you've put together there.

The photos of your trip to Mesopotamia are terrific. Gee there really is some beautiful country up there, isn't there?

And as for dairying on the Canterbury Plains - don't get me started! When I was home last May there was a news article about one farmer near Ashburton whose 11m deep bore for his house had suddenly dried up. He had to get the well sunk down to 80m to find water again, and surprise surprise he's in the middle of dairy irrigation farms!