Pacific Aerospace P-750 XSTOL!

After hanging around the Aero Club for a while today, I got a huge surprise when a Pacific Aerospace P-750 XSTOL [rebranded some time ago from the 750XL], ZK-KBK, registered to the manufacturer, landed and taxied in to park outside of the Aero Club!

Now this is one awesome aircraft! The aircraft was designed and is manufactured in Hamilton and sold all over the world. the P-750 XSTOL is the latest in a line of successful aircraft designed and built by Pacific Aerospace and appears to be popular in the skydiving community, but was also designed for passenger, freight and more. 

Anyway, the pilot [who wished to remain anon] allowed me to jump up into the cockpit and of course I got a few photos from around the outside also. All I can say is that it was comfortable to sit in and I'd certainly like to have a go in this one day... just a pity that my PPL and budget would probably say "no" :-( I can dream!

Here are the photos. First up the outside and then the cockpit and passenger cabin. Last up is the take-off. The website suggests a take off distance of 244 meters [800 feet] - very very believable from what I saw!

Anyway, enough of my rambling... on to the pictures!

Lighter aircraft at Wellington today

What follows are three of the lighter aircraft to grace the skies and surface at Wellington today [I do have a fifth one, but that is up next with its own post]. First up is the Piper PA24-260 Commanche, ZK-DAA. This is registered to a Manukau addresss.

Next is a Cessna 208B, ZK-MYH, registered to Air2there.com, an operator based at Paraparaumu.

Last up is a Kawasaki BK117 B-2, ZK-IBK, registered to Skyline Aviation at a Napier address and operated as a rescue helicopter.

Here's one for the observant and pedantic :-)

Here's an image I found of an aircraft compass card. See if you can see anything odd with it.

Portuguese Air Force CASA C295-MPA at Wellington

Further to my last post about the fog at Wellington, I was pleasantly surprised to see this Portuguese Air Force CASA C295-MPA Persuader, registration 16712, parked up on the RNZAF apron!

As far as I can tell, prior to New Zealand, this aircraft has been at the recent Singapore Air Show. As for why it is here? Who knows, but it would not surprise me to find the RNZAF looking at options for new airlift capability [though I wouldn't have though the C295 a replacement for the mighty C130 Hercules]. Probably not true, but if it does happen, you heard it here first! :-) ha ha

For more photos [ie: without the fog!], see this post on the MRC Aviation blog.

Fog in Wellington causes delays and cancellations

The past two days have seen a lot of fog in Wellington, with fog rolling in yesterday afternoon/ evening, lasting much of the morning and returning [though not as thick] this evening.

Needless to say there were many cancellations and delays, although when I visited the airport this evening, I saw most of the usual aircraft types operating, from British Aerospace J32, DHC8, ATR72, B737 and A320.

After seeing the fog this evening, I'm starting to wonder what it would take to actually close the airport :-)

Anyway, top to bottom we have:

General Dynamics Allison Convair 440/580, ZK-CIE, registered to Air Chathams
Airbus A320-232, ZK-OJH, registered to Air New Zealand
Boeing 737, rego unknown [for obvious reasons!] registered to Air New Zealand
ZK-OJH taking off
British Aerospace Jetstream Series 3200, ZK-LFW, registered to Vincent Aviation
ATR-GIE ATR72-212A, ZK-MCO, registered to Mount Cook Airline
View across to the Airport terminal

Cessna 172N

Today's visitor was this Cessna 172N, ZK-JHC, which is registered to a Palmerston North address.

A Cessna P210N Centurion

What follows is a new one for me... an American-registered Cessna P210N pressurised Centurion.

This aircraft, registration N526CH, has what appears to be a turbine engine, including a "JET A-1" decal on the right hand ride just in front of the registration. The FAA website states that this aircraft has a reciprocating engine... I had thought there was a conversion of the 210P model that had the turbine, maybe there are other conversions also? Does anyone have any more information?

Convair, Boeing, Airbus

Today's post is of three quite different aircraft. First up is a frequent visitor, an Air Chathams General Dynamics Convair 440/ 580, ZK-CIE. 

Next up are two photos of Air NZ's new Airbus A320-232, ZK-OXC, in their flash new livery.

Last up are both RNZAF Boeing 757-2K2 aircraft, NZ7571 and NZ7572. Not great photos of these two, but it's what I managed. I'm not sure what the purpose of these visits was, but maybe something to do with the Waitangi Day celebrations?

Chinese registered Falcon 7X

Arriving at Wellington airport today I saw this Chinese registered Dassault Falcon 7X, B-8205.

I don't have many details on this aircraft with my usual sources drawing a blank. It does appear that it originally had a French registration back in 2012, so perhaps it's a recent convert to the Chinese register.

In any case, it's an awesome livery!

Rescue Helicopter at Wellington

Today's photo is a Kawasaki BK117 B-2, ZK-IMN, registered to Garden City Helicopters of Christchurch, but which appears to be based at Nelson.

Nice livery - much more interesting than most aircraft that come in here.