Nice [slow] trip in a Tomahawk

Last weekend I had a quick trip to Whanganui for a couple of hours.

The only aircraft that was available for the timeframe I wanted it was a Piper PA38-112 Tomahawk, ZK-FML. It's a nice machine [like all the PA38's operated by Wellington Aero Club]. I have good memories of learning to fly in the Tomahawk... but... it is a bit slower than what I usually fly these days.

For a Tomahawk, it's reasonably quick at around 95knots at normal cruise power, but that's still quite a bit slower than the C172 at around 110knots, and the CJ6A at 135knots. Still, there are worse ways to travel around 😃

Another reason for taking this aircraft is that it needed to be left at Paraparaumu airport [NZPP] that evening for some planned maintenance. So, on the way back, I stopped at NZPP and left it there. I was fortunate enough to find another pilot driving back to Wellington, so I didn't even need to get the train home [not that the train is a bad way to get home either...]. All up, it was 2.3 hours of flying [instead of well under 2 hours in any of the other aircraft] and a car ride back to Wellington.

While in NZPP I got a couple of photos on my phone. First up is ZK-FML all tied up the for evening.

Piper PA38-112 Tomahawk, ZK-FML, operated by Wellington Aero Club

Next up is the resident Aviat Aircraft A-1C-180 Husky, ZK-USK. This is operated by Kapiti Districts Aero Club on behalf of the owner and is a fabulous looking aircraft. Everyone who has flown it seems to rave about it also!

The last aircraft I photographed is definitely not a usual resident. It is a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, ZK-MCL, which is operated by Milford Sounds Flights of a Queenstown address. Before you ask, I have no idea what it is doing up this way, but still a nice aircraft to see.

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, ZK-MCL, operated by Milford Sounds Flights

Anyway, that's the flying done for another day. Hopefully I have something this coming weekend. Something a bit faster and maybe across to a different island.