Trip to Kaikoura!

I've been doing a fair amount of flying recently. There was the BFR a week ago, a bit of additional forced landing training yesterday and, today, I had a trip to Kaikoura [NZKI] with Iain and Poochie [sorry Peter!]. Aircraft for the day was the Club operated Cessna 172S, ZK-CEO. This is a really really nice machine, with 180Hp, GPS, autopilot, various nav instruments and airbags in the front seatbelts. Oh yeah, it goes reasonably fast also.

Cessna 172S, ZK-CEO, operated by Wellington Aero Club

Kaikoura is a lovely place, although that might be something to do with only going there on nice days!

Anyway, I got to fly down and pax back up. The weather in Wellington was "interesting" with the wind gusting from about 20 up to 30 knots and the direction variable. It was particularly lumpy downwind... just a pity I didn't have a video camera operating at the time!

South of Wellington it all smoothed out and was lovely all the way down. Obviously the weather coming back was the exact opposite which made for a lot of work for Peter during the arrival then landing.

Here are a few pictures at and around Kaikoura on the way home.

First up are the scenic photos from around Kaikoura. Take a look at the second and third of these and notice all of the extra land that rose up out of the sea in the big earthquake!

Looking to the west from mid-downwind for runway 05 at Kaikoura

Eastern tip of the Kaikoura peninsula

Kaikoura peninsula looking west

This photo from at the Clarence River Mouth, north of Kaikoura.

I'm not quite sure where this is, but you can clearly see the road and rail. The rail is open., and it is hoped the road to Kaikoura from Blenheim will be reopened by Christmas.

Last up, we are back to Kaikoura with a couple of helicopters.First up is a Eurocoper AS350 BA, ZK-HNX. This helicopter is operated by Kaikoura Helicopters.

Eurocopter AS350 BA, ZK-HNX, operated by Kaikoura Helicopters

Next up is a Hughes 369E, ZK-HMO, operated by Combined Helicopter Services of a Christchurch address.

Hughes 369E, ZK-HMO, operated by Combined Helicopter Services