A Quick Visit to AKL

A quick visit to Auckland yesterday, 7 April 2025... On the taxi as I arrived was Delta Air Lines' Airbus A350-941 N508DN

A check on Flightradar 24 revealed that Piper PA46-500TP Meridian ZK-ROW was inbound so I waited to get that. This was previously registered ZK-UTE having moved from Gisborne to Napier

In from Dunedin was the NZ Amublance Services Beech B200 Super King Air ZK-SDH. The aircraft is operated by Skyline Aviation

Qatar Airways' Airbus A350-1041 A7-ANI was off to Doha

Jetstar A320 VH-VFQ was off to Christchurch

Qantas Airways' Boeing 737-800 VH-VZP was off to Sydney as QF144

Qantas Airways' Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner VH-ZND in Balarinji livery was arriving with QF119 from Brisbane

 

A Busy Summer

 

On Friday evening I had a chat with Island Aviation's CEO Chris Sattler. The Island Aviation's three aircraft have been busy over the summer. The Waiheke Island-based operation has a three-fold focus involving the regular service from North Shore to Great Barrier Island and the regular air taxi services between Waiheke Island and  Great Barrier Island, North Shore, Coromandel and Ardmore, tourist package flights  to and from Waiheke Island and more recently marine life survey flights.

The summer started early for Island Aviation with the lease of Britten Norman Islander ZK-SFK to Stewart Island Flights while one of their Islanders was on heavy maintenance. The Islander returned to North Shore in time for the busy summer which has seen traffic build on the core North Shore-Great Barrier route and the associated Waiheke Island-Great Barrier air taxi route.

A developing component of Island Aviation's business is aerial survey of marine life. Over the summer Island Aviation has been operating 50-65km offshore flying at some 600 feet using BN Islander ZK-PIZ.

Prior to that Island Aviation was chartered by a global TV network looking for false killer whales. and another project to detect Manta Rays in the wider Hauraki Gulf. The aircraft were able to spot 18 Manta's during a single day survey.  False killer whales are a species of oceanic dolphin,black or dark grey in color, with a slender body and an elongated, tapered head without a beak. They have a sickle-shaped dorsal fin and narrow, short, pointed flippers with a distinctive bulge on the leading edge. 

More recently, in March 2025, the Island Aviation's Islander was used on a second marine-life survey as recounted on the Barrier Chitchat Facebook page...

Over the past two weeks, Island Aviation had the privilege of supporting a multi-agency, multi-national survey project focused on endangered marine species off the coasts of Aotea/Great Barrier, Coromandel, and the Bay of Plenty.

This has been an incredible experience for our pilots and crew, offering a unique opportunity to observe a vast array of marine life. Among the species spotted were Blue, Sperm, and Pilot whales, various types of Beaked whales, Manta and Devil Rays, whale sharks, and a wide range of dolphins, some of which were seen interacting with false killer whales. Additionally, there were frequent sightings of Sunfish, as well as numerous shark species and popular game fish.

Our twin-engine Britten Norman Islander aircraft, equipped with specialized "bubble windows," allowed us to observe the marine life both directly beneath the aircraft and laterally, enabling us to cover a vast area and maximize the chances of spotting and recording the animals being targeted by the survey.

Although we regularly encounter marine life during our flights to and from Great Barrier Island and Waiheke, the variety and the concentrated effort to verify and record these sightings was truly remarkable. As one of our pilots shared, "This was the best flying experience ever!"

While the mobile phone pictures attached offer a glimpse of the experience, they hardly do justice to the incredible sight from the sky.

Alderman Islands

Happy Flight Crew and survey team

Large pod of dolphins

Long-finned pilot whales

Sperm whales in formation

A whale blowing

Whale shark

White Island steaming

Over the last few weeks while Islander PIZ was being used on marine-life survey,  Island Aviation  leased additional capacity from Sunair in the form of Cessna 172 ZK-DPN. The Sunair 172 is a 150hp model as opposed to Island Aviations' 180hp model Cessna 172 ZK-RNX. ZK-DPN has only been used on flights with a couple of passengers. On the 20th of March 2025 it flew to Waiheke Island doing a Waiheke Island scenic later that day. It then positioned from Waiheke Island to North Shore operating Island Aviation's return North Shore - Great Barrier Island morning services on the 21st of March 2025. It did a final Waiheke Island-Great Barrier Island air taxi flight on the 28th of March followed by a Waiheke Island scenic on the 28th of March before returning to Tauranga on the 5th of April 2025.

Thanks to Chris for the chat and pics...

Crossing the Pond

Further to my post on the 29th of March, Ex-Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 commenced its ferry flight to Alaska yesterday, 4 April 2025, flying Ardmore-Auckland-Apia (Samoa). At present it is flying between Apia and Kiritimati, Christmas Island, which is part of Kiribati.

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV with the ZK- international prefix ready for its ferry flight to North America. Photo taken at Ardmore on 29 March 2025

Returning Home

 

Crossing the Tasman on Tuesday was Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-MCS which Milford Sound Scenic Flights had been using over the summer. ZK-MCS positioned from Queenstown to Auckland on the 1st of April before flying from Auckland to Norfolk Island and on to Coolangatta on the 2nd. Yesterday, the 3rd, it flew to Wollongong.

The Caravan had arrived into Auckland as VH-EIY on the 17th of October 2024. For a photo and more on its arrival in New Zealand see https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2024/10/cessna-208b-grand-caravan-vh-eiy.html

Splashdown by Russell Smith

I recently discovered and bought a copy of Russell Smith's book Splashdown which recounts the founding of Picton-based Float Air... a most excellent read. 

You can find my profile of Float Air here https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-flying-dolphin-float-air-picton.html

Departing the Fleet and the Country

Flying from Blenheim to Ardmore yesterday as SOUNDSAIR VICTOR was Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV which has apparently been sold and is enroute to Alaska.

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV with the ZK- international prefix ready for its ferry flight to North America. Photo taken at Ardmore on 29 March 2025

The PC12 arrived into Auckland from Sydney on the 20th of November 2016 as VH-VWO before being placed on the New Zealand register as ZK-PLV in January 2017. 

ZK-PLV flew its final Sounds Air flights on the 6th of March 2025, flying two return services from Blenheim to Christchurch as S8 643, 644, 641, and the final flight S8 642.

Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV at Wellington on 9 November 2023

Sunny Sunday Afternoon at North Shore

Nanchang CJ-6 ZK-CVI arriving into North Shore on 16 March 2025

McDonnell Douglas 500N arriving into North Shore on 16 March 2025

Cessna TR182 ZK-MAS about to depart North Shore on 16 March 2025

Barrier Air's Cessna 208 Grand Caravan ZK-SDE arriving from Great Barrier Island and about to depart North Shore on the return flight on 16 March 2025

Island Aviation's Britten Norman Islander ZK-SFK arriving from Waiheke Island and about to depart North Shore for Great Barrier Island on 16 March 2025

From the Email Inbox #2

Thanks to Tim for sending through these photos of LifeFlight's latest Beech B200C King Air at Wellington on 21 March 2025...

From the Email Inbox #1

Thanks to Aaron who captured Golden Bay Air's Gippsland Airvan ZK-ZUG at Karamea on 8 March 2025... Golden Bay Air are regular visitors to Karamea servicing the trampers doing the Heaphy Track

 

Back to the Future? Back to Tonga

 

Positioning up to Tonga from Auckland today as CVA431 was Air Chathams' Saab 340 ZK-CIZ. 

There has been a bit of media speculation recently about the viability of Tonga's Lututai Airlines and there has been a few drums beating about Air Chathams restarting in Tonga. I don't usually post on rumour but the Chathams Pacific model was a winner for everyone. It's a reminder of the importance of sustaining viable regional air services.

The Photographer Photographed

I was delighted to capture Landpro's Piper Pa31 Navajo at Whangarei on 22 March 2025.. It has a long history of operating passenger services in New Zealand before becoming an aerial photography platform

See photos of ZK-JGA's nine air service operators here : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2016/08/jgas-8th-airline.html

 

Auckland on the 3rd

Sichuan Airlines' Airbus A350-941 at Auckland on 3 March 2025 

 China Eastern Airlines' Airbus A330-243 B-5968 at Auckland on 3 March 2025

Airwork's Boeing 737-4Y0 ZK-FXM at Auckland on 3 March 2025

Korean Air's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner HL-8082 at Auckland on 3 March 2025

Atlas Air's Boeing 747-47UF, N418MC at Auckland on 3 March 2025

Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZN at Auckland on 3 March 2025

Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZQ at Auckland on 3 March 2025

Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-319ER ZK-OKM at Auckland on 3 March 2025

 

Blenheim Specials

 

Air Chathams has started flights to Auckland during March and April to fill return charter flights arriving in Blenheim. 

Chief commercial officer Duane Emeny said each year for more than five years, a business client in the US had chartered one of their planes to get its top performing salespeople on a holiday in Marlborough.

As a result, the airline needed to fly several empty legs, or re-positioning flights, so that its plane was available for regular commercial service in Auckland, or to pick up the Americans heading home.

For the first time, Air Chathams would sell seats on these re-positioning flights, for $150 per person including a checked bag, with six Wednesday 1.45pm flights to Auckland and six Thursday 9am flights back to Blenheim, between March 3 and May 1.

The flights with a checked bag between Blenheim and Auckland are on offer for a standard $150. Chief Commercial Officer Duane Emeny says the decision to open flights to the public was a “no brainer. It started with our commercial team, as we have charter flights to and from Blenheim with clients but that left us flying empty planes for one of the legs,” he says. “So, we thought why not sell some seats, make some noise in the market, and bring an opportunity for cheap Auckland travel and show off great Air Chathams service for Marlborough. Aviation is a tough industry at the best of times, so just being able to give Sounds Air and Marlborough Airport a call and set these flights up has been really encouraging. I hope it’s something we’ll be able to continue doing around this time of year into the future.”

The first flights, 3C 930 from Auckland to Woodbourne and the return 3C 931 were operated in Saab 340 ZK-CIY on 3 March 2025.

Saab 340 ZK-CIY departing Auckland and operating the first Air Chathams charter flights to Woodbourne on 3 May 2025