Currency and ballast

On Saturday. I realised yesterday that I had not flown for about a month. Furthermore I wasn't current on the C172. So, rather than a couple of circuits, I went for a dual ride to do some turns, stalls, a FLWOP, low flying and a rejoin. Fun times and I feel rather more current now.

Following this I got to be ballast on a type rating flight, as part of a MAUW [Maximum All Up Weight] check. Again, fun times, and it's always good to sit in the back as someone else is flying the plane! The aircraft was Wellington Aero Club's Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT.

Here are a few pictures on my ballast ride.

Next weekend should be interesting also, as I'm going to fly a Piper PA38-112. Fun times indeed!

A couple of rides on Sunday afternoon

Last Sunday afternoon I was able to go on a couple of quick flights, both times as a passenger. The first was a ride up to Paraparaumu with Vincent flying the Cessna 172N ZK-EKE.  The ride home was in a Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT, courtesy of Pete.

Both of these were fun and as always, it's great to be able to sit back and relax while someone else does the flying 😁

I've got just a couple of photos of the flight back to Wellington as we raced the daylight to get home about 15 minutes before ECT [evening civil twilight... or night time].

The KAT

Last Sunday afternoon I got to take the Nanchang CJ6A, ZK-MAO, across to Omaka aerodrome for a maintenance check. As it was going to be there for a few days, a ride was organised to bring me back [thanks Malcolm!]. That ride was a Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT, which is also operated by the Wellington Aero Club.

The ride back was a great opportunity to play with Avplan on my iPad mini, since I don't get to do this as much when I'm actually flying the aircraft. It was good fun and I learned a couple of things, particularly about how the terrain map works [short version: it's pretty good, although I sometimes had the impression the terrain was further away than in real life, not that we ever got that close!].

Anyway, here are a couple of photos from the 16 City Arrival back into Wellington. First up we are approaching the city from the west with the camera pointed south.

Here's the panel of ZK-KAT.

Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT, the panel

Here's a really nice photo looking south over Mount Victoria to Island Bay and with the Miramar Peninsula and the airport on the left.

Beechcraft Bonanza, currency and another ADSB installation

The Bonanza

Today's interesting aircraft was a Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, ZK-TRC, which is registered to a Warkworth [north Auckland area] address.

The Bonanza was designed in the 1960's, originally with a V Tail instead of the normal vertical tail seen on ZK-TRC. I've never flown a Bonanza, maybe one day, although I do have the Nanchang to get my head around, and to enjoy, first!

Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, ZK-TRC

Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, ZK-TRC

Currency

In other news, I flew a Cessna 172 for the first time in just over three months today. It was a dual checkout for currency and involved a flight to Paraparaumu, three circuits with a crosswind component of around 11-12 knots and then returned to Wellington. Fun times!

I have an instructor on board for the flight [club rules require a dual checkout if a pilot is not current] and another pilot in the back along for the ride. The aircraft was Cessna 172S, ZK-CEO.

Another ADSB Installation

The owners of Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT, which is online with Wellington Aero Club now has an ADSB transponder installed, along with some other minor updates.

Here's hoping someone gets a photo of this aircraft onto Jetphotos.com, as it is now appearing on Flightradar24.com and other similar services 😀

I hear that, weather permitting, ZK-KAT and ZK-EKE [also ADSB equipped] will be heading down and around the South Island in the next few days, so keep a look out as they come to an aerodrome near you!

A lumpy approach and a BAC 167

Just a couple of very quick videos from earlier today.

I went for a flight in Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT. It was lumpy [I cleverly found all the downdrafts in the area!]. The first video is around 30 seconds of the approach and landing.



This second video is of a very cool aircraft which taxied past me after landing. Nice!

A Kat and a Ghost

Saturday I went on a flight from Wellington to Paraparaumu in Wellington Aero Club's Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT. I dropped a couple of people off who were collecting another aircraft then headed back.

Coming back I needed to keep my speed up - turns out I was ahead of a US Navy Gulfstream IV/ C-20G, registered 16-5152. Have a look at the two photos of it - on the right-hand side there are fewer windows and a large cargo door.

Gulfstream GIV/ C20G, 16-5152, operated by the US Navy

Gulfstream GIV/ C20G, 16-5152, operated by the US Navy

Finally, my chariot for the day, Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT.

Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT, operated by Wellington Aero Club

Taming the Kat

Or perhaps that should be tamed by the Kat? There's always something to learn after all :-)

Anyway, a couple of weekends ago, I went on a solo flight in Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT. It was a chance to do some stalls, turns, a simulated FLWOP before returning to Wellington. Everything went well and I had a bit of fun. I also managed to get a little bit of video, and here it is.

The flight out was via the Pencarrow Departure and the return was via the Hutt Valley and an Eastbourne Arrival. All in all, it was a fun flight in a really nice aircraft.

Flying and passengering

Last Sunday afternoon was a day for being a pilot and for being a passenger. Both were fun flights.

First up was a flight in Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT. This was a solo flight where I went up and did a couple of turns, stalls and a simulated FLWOP.

I don't have photos from that trip, but I hope to have a small video up in the next week or so. I also had a play with some different power settings to see the effect on fuel consumption [having a fuel flow meter is awesome] and checked out the heading hold on the autopilot.

Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT, operated by Aviators Anonymous

Next up was a trip to Omaka as a passenger. A couple of people were going to pick up another aircraft and I was able to go for the ride.

The aircraft was a Piper PA28-181, ZK-FHQ. Many years ago, this aircraft was online with the club. It has had a major refurb since then!

Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Leaving Wellington behind

Approaching Omaka, runway 12

Piper PA28-181, ZK-FHQ

Douglas DC3 parked up at Omaka

Piper PA28-181, ZK-FHQ, the panel

A brief visit to Paraparaumu, with video

I had a brief visit to Paraparaumu aerodrome [NZPP] on Saturday. It was part of a dual flight in a Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT. I hadn't flown a PA28 in just over 5 years, but it mostly just came back. Fun times!

Somewhat surprisingly, the weather was nicer at NZPP than Wellington, with a fairly lumpy approach on each of my four approaches at Paraparaumu. After a brief stop for tea and coffee at the Kapiti Districts Aero Club, we headed back to Wellington. All up, it was 1.5 hours of fun flying!

First up is a picture of my takeoff from Wellington, kindly supplied by Paul Le Roy [Thanks Paul!].

Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT. Photo supplied and (c) Paul Le Roy

Next up is the video. It's one of the approaches into NZPP, starting as I turned final approach through to landing. Fun times!

A kat in the back

Just a quick couple of photos of a hanger visitor, a Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT. Apparently, this will be in the Wellington Aero Club hanger for a few days.

I was allowed a sneak peek inside and it's got a lovely panel. All of the insides look nice - it's probably one of the nicest looking PA28's of its era that I have seen.

Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT

Piper PA28-161, ZK-KAT