A Tow Plane and Gliders

I made a visit to the Whenuapai Gliding Club recently at the RNZAF Base at Whenuapai, and managed to catch a little bit of Gliding activities for the day and speak to some of the very friendly and informative club members. It was great to learn a bit more about gliding than I all ready knew and get up close while the gliders were being prepared for flight and the co-ordination required with the tow plane, from the hook up on the ground to the takeoff and the release from the tow plane in the air.

The Tow plane for the day was ZK-RDW, FK 9 Mk IV.

For more information about the Whenuapai Gliding Club, see their website HERE

ZK-RDW
And Club Terminal, Communications Centre

ZK-RDW

ZK-RDW

ZK-RDW

ZK-RDW

Take-Off Roll

ZK-GVF
PZL Swidnik "World Class" PW5 Smyk

ZK-GMP
Grob G102 Standard Astir |||

China Airlines Cargo, B-18706

Just as I was about to leave Imperial Hill for the day in Los Angeles, this China Airlines B747-400F,B-18706 landed on 25L. My first shot of a China Airlines B744.

B-18706

Fedex N607FE

Late afternoon on a somewhat gloomy day in Auckland day, FX75, N607FE from HNL arrives over the fence for 23L.

N607FE

N607FE

N607FE

N607FE

Falcon 7X, N163FJ

Visiting New Zealand on a demonstration tour is the latest Dassault Falcon 7X

N163FJ seen here arriving back into Auckland yesterday from Nelson.

N163FJ
Falcon 7X

Thai Airways, HS-TJV

Thai Airways scheduled AKL-BKK flight, TG492 departs Auckland for the long haul back to Thailand. Seen here HS-TJV is a regular on the Auckland - Bangkok - Auckland run.

HS-TVJ
Push back from Gate 8

HS-TVJ
Taxi down 05L

HS-TVJ
Rotate

HS-TVJ
Have a good flight...

Air New Zealand, ZK-OKP, pre Hobbit

ZK-OKP now wears the Hobbit themed livery, and prior to that this is what she looked like...

ZK-OKP
Arriving Gate 6 at Auckland

ZK-OKP

Cathay Pacific, B-HXD

Dark gloomy skies in the background as CX197, B-HXD taxis out to 23L.

B-HXD

B-HXD

Rarotonga, ZK-OKF

On the ground in Rarotonga as NZ46, ZK-OKF, from Auckland gets unloaded and and cleaned ready for NZ45 back to Auckland.

Service Time in Rarotonga
ZK-OKF

A shot of the Rarotonga Tower from door 2L, and in the background a sneak view of the Pacific Ocean.

ZK-OKF

Toll, ZK-TLE

A quick shot of Toll's B737-300F, ZK-TLE returning to Auckland after a training flight.

ZK-TLE

Ardmore Flying School, Twin IFR Trainer, ZK-EZX

The Ardmore Flying School is one of Ardmore's largest flying schools based at the airfield.
Seen here landing is one of their Beech 76 Duchess, IFR Twin Trainers, ZK-EZX

For more information on the Ardmore Flying School see their website HERE

ZK-EZX

ZK-EZX

ZK-EZX

First Sharklet A320 in Service, ZK-OXA

The very first Sharklet A320A-232 to operate in New Zealand has commenced service.
Air New Zealand's ZK-OXA is the first out of 10 ordered by Air NZ to enter active service with the airline, after its delivery flight from France arriving into Auckland on the 21st Jun.

ZK-OXA operated its first revenue flight from Auckland - Wellington as NZ451 on Friday the 28th June.

ZK-OXA

ZK-OXA

Avro Anson, ZK-RRA

This World War 2 Avro Anson, ZK-RRA has been restored to its full glory, which was undertaken in Nelson, New Zealand and took 10 years to complete. ZK-RRA first flew in July this year after the restoration project.
This is the only photo I have of the Anson, which I took at Ardmore Airport, for a special event airshow.

Avro Anson MK1
ZK-RRA

North Shore Aero Club, ZK-TZK

A pilot/student, accompanied by an instructor off for another flight lesson in ZK-TZK.

ZK-TZK is operated by the North Shore Aero Club, which is located in the Dairy Flat area about 15 minutes north of downtown Auckland. For more information on the Aero Club click  HERE

ZK-TZK

ZK-TZK

ZK-TZK

Atlas Air, N419MC

Atlas Air B747-400F, N419MC departing Los Angeles.

N419MC

Air New Zealand, ZK-SUJ

Going back in time a bit here and the days when LAX used to be serviced by Air New Zealand with the good old, and my favorite the B747-400.

I got these photos of ZK-SUJ taxing off runway 25L after arriving from Auckland as NZ2.

ZK-SUJ

The good old days, in the bottom photo you can see 3 other B747-400 tails in the background
Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa & China Airlines.

ZK-SUJ

USA Air Force C-17A Globemaster ||| 05-5147

Seen here on display, USAF C-17A Globemaster 05-5157, which is Hawaii based with the
USAF 154th Airlift Wing / Hawaii Air National Guard.

USAF C-17A Globemaster 05-5147

05-5147

05-5147

05-5147
Ohakea RNZAF Base

Some Chinese Airlines - Coming and Going

Just a quick shot of the two Chinese Airlines that operate to Auckland in the one photo.

China Airlines CI52, AKL-SYD taxing out to runway 05R, while China Southern CZ305
non-stop from Guangzhou is landing.

CI and CZ together in Auckland

Over the Waikato

A few shots I took out of the window flying from Auckland - Hamilton (HLZ), flight NZ2211
on board ZK-EAB. Plenty of sun up top, but a cold winters day in the Waikato under the blanket of cloud. Today's flight time was 19 minutes...

Climbing out of Auckland

In the Cruise....

The Town of Cambridge in the Distance

On the ground in Hamilton, looking south, and
about to back taxi down runway.