Grumman Widgeon - ZK AVM

There is a company in North Carolina called Antilles Seaplanes who I understand are intending to manufacture new G-21G McKinnon Goose amphibian flying-boats powered by PT6 engines. They own the Type Certificate to the G-21G Goose, which was originally a conversion of the G-21A Goose by McKinnon. I don't know how far the project has got, but there is a bit of info out there online.



• New production for the Grumman Goose? (Warbird Information Exchange)

• Antilles Seaplanes


Sea Bee Air operated a McKinnon G-21G turbine Goose in NZ way back (in the late-1970s?). According to the managing-director of Antilles Seaplanes, there were some Goose turbine conversions that were called a McKinnon G-21G Goose, but which were converted under a different type certificate. Also, not all turbine Goose conversions were powered by the PT6. Some (perhaps only one) were/was powered by Garrett 331 engines. However, it would appear the Sea Bee Air example was a genuine McKinnon conversion.

• www.airliners.net/photo/0831773

Talking about webfoot Grummans, I've had for about three years a copy of the book “Grumman Mallard — The Enduring Classic” by Fred W. Hotson & Matthew E. Rodina Jr. (published in Canada in 2006 by Robin Brass Studio Inc., ISBN 1-896941-44-3) and I have been reading up on the history of Mallard J-13 (construction number) which carried the identity of ZK-CDV while working on the Manapouri Power Project (flown by Don Nairn) during the 1960s.

This particular Mallard probably has one of the more colourful histories of all of the 59 Mallards built, with plenty of adventures and misadventures throughout its lifetime, including being taken for an unauthorised flight by a couple of pilots in Fiji who couldn't resist playing with switches on the overhead panel during the short flight (they had no idea what those switches did) with the result they managed to seize one engine, then while carrying out a single-engine landing back at Nadi, they ran off the end of the runway and into the jungle for a few hundred yards, then abandoned the Mallard where it eventually stopped and left the cockpit windows open, with the result that plants grew right through the interior. It was eventually rescued about two years later by an American (Tony Barnum) who overhauled it, then set off for the USA across the vast Pacific flying by dead-reckoning only and with only a handheld VHF radio and a handheld HF radio for communications. On the last leg from the Hawaiian Islands to San Francisco, he flew through the night in the general direction of the continental USA reasoning that it would be impossible to miss such a large target, then at some point the following day a US Navy Super Constellation formated on him and he communicated with them and asked them where exactly he was. He was rather surprised when they told him he was bang on course for San Francisco and only about 280 nautical miles out. A few years later, after passing through a few more owners' hands, the Mallard was impounded by the US Government for unpaid taxes, although reading between the lines it would appear it was involved in drug-running from South America to the USA. The history of this particular Mallard prior to its NZ life was very colourful as well. The Mallard was eventually purchased by Steve Hamilton and it underwent a major restoration over a few years; today it is one of the most pristine airworthy Mallards still in existence, it won the Grand Champion award at Oshkosh 2001 (following the restoration), and is still owned by Steve Hamilton. The photographs (both exterior and interior) in the book showing it today are simply stunning.

Fascinating stuff - any more details - when?etc.

Started my apprenticeship with Tourist Air Travel at Mechanics Bay. AVM now on long term rebuild at Ardmore, Avspecs, I had my last ride in CFA at Paihia when operated by Classic Water Wings, I think, good to think a Widgeon will fly again sometime.

The last Widgeon flight I had was from Bluff to Stewart Island, and back a few days later, about 1969.
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When I first shifted to Stewart Island in 1970 ZK-AVM was on service between Invercargill and Halfmoon Bay, as well as almost anywhere around the Fiordland and Stewart Island Coasts, and onto any inland body of water big enough. I flew in her more times than I can possibly remember. John Hassed (?) and Murray Donald were the pilots I remember, although there was one other whose name escapes me, but who I think was killed flying with a film team over the Hauraki Gulf.

AVM was the aircraft which upended herself in Halfmoon Bay with Selwyn Toogood aboard... wheels down does not work well on water. One of my recollections of her was she always leaked, and there would always be a stream of water draining out of her after takeoff. The stresses of water landings must have been very hard on the hull rivets. Apparently the early Widgeons had a disconcerting habit of very occasionally pitch poling on landing for no apparent reason. Some crafty engineer rebuilt the hull with the step one from further aft, and no further trouble. (From Fred Ladds Book  A Shower of Spray and We're Away)

Our daughters first flight was back to the Island after my wife came out of the home, but as we changed over to the Islanders when the airfield was finished 30 odd months later I doubt she remembers it. Although we did see AVM on the beach in the Bay of Islands in the '90's.

Landing in Halfmoon Bay did of course depend on wind direction, and if southerly south east, easterly or northerly then the approach was down one of the gullies leading into the bay. And those gullies where the roads went all had telephone lines with flags on them across them , which used to intrigue the visitors until it was explained to them. No power lines in those days.

I drove a scraper during the airfield construction, and at the west end was a large dead tree, quite high, maybe 15 metres. As we brought the field down to grade one of the pilots started doing approaches, and was always complaining about the tree right in the flight path. We refused to flatten it, as it did at least keep him up at a semi tolerable height.  Very disconcerting to have a wing go past you at head height (or so it seemed) when you were concentrating on your machine. Don't know if he ever had punters aboard, but if he did they would have had a thrill.

Take off in westerly winds from Halfmoon Bay was always in toward the shore, with the run staring well out beyond Leask Bay. Even with a full load the aircraft would unstick a a couple of hundred metres outside of the moored boats. There the procedure varied depending on the pilot. One used to climb steadily after unsticking, and turn away to the South West through the "gap" between the village and Golden Bay. The other pilot would unstick, and then hold the aircraft down close to the water and build up speed before hauling her up steeply just before the moored boats, and then through the "gap" often down below the level of the higher houses. I watched that same pilot take off in light easterly once. Last flight on Xmas Eve, so in a hurry to get home, and no passengers. No Taxi=ing slowly down the beach and into the water, then raising the wheels. He had a fair amount of power on, and hit the water at speed, with the wheels on the way up. He was airborne before the end of the wharf. Like I said... in a hurry. The photo below shows the scene, with the GVT vessel Matai at the wharf.

So I was delighted to see that AVM is being rebuilt, and I hope once flying again, that the new owner brings her down.  The older residents will give her a great welcome.

The pilots' names above would be John Hassett and Roger Poole, who was flying ZK-BAY when it crashed into the Waitemata Harbour on 24 December 1970. By chance, as well as being aware of those names as author of the Tourist Air Travel in my capacity as a co-author with Richard Waugh, Graeme McConnell and Bruce Gavin, in our book "Taking Off", Roger Poole was also one of my father's team members in his capacity as Senior (Flight) Operations Officer for NAC at Whenuapai in the mid 1960s. 

I can remember when Mallard CDV visited us at Dunedin airport not long after the new Rex Aviation hangar was built(1966/67), they came down the grass taxi way, and parked by the fuel pumps, then as the tanks filled, the plane slowly sank to its keel in the soft ground (perfectly OK for C-165s and Agwagons). I think we may have had a DC-3 down there without any trouble. isc