Tourist air travel

[jankees]

jk9939 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

jk9930 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

jk9933 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

https://flightsim.to/file/23084/grumman ... air-travel

[Splitpin]

Great shots JK , LOVE #2

[aerofoto]

"NICE" ....

ZK-BPX's operational history, in NZ, was short .... but .... interesting.

It became "a WIDGEON fit for royalty" .... being chartered to fly HRH Prince Philip from Nelson, to Anakiwa, and Blenheim on February 13th 1963 .... during the royal tour of NZ of that year.

Due to its short operational career, it was the only one of NZ's 6 DRUMMAN WIDGEON's (ZK-AVM, -BAY, -BGQ, -BPX, -CFA, and -CHG) that never made the conversion from 200 HP RANGER engines to 260 HP CONTINENTAL power and "SUPER WIDGEON" status through its having been WO during 1964.

The following are a couple of extracts from a 2-part article I wrote about the history of the GRUMMAN amphibian operations in NZ and within which -BPX features ....

During its 12 year operational history NZ TOURIST AIR TRAVEL earned the distinction of transporting numerous famous personalities/VIP celebrities throughout New Zealand, but, the event which became the airlines very finest hour occurred with the 1963 royal tour of New Zealand by HM Queen Elizabeth 2nd and HRH Prince Phillip/The Duke Of Edinburgh. Organizers of the royal tour paid the airline a tremendous honor when it was selected to become the official transport for HRH Prince Phillip, on the Nelson, Anakiwa, and Blenheim sector of this royal tour. In anticipation of this regal service .... GRUMMAN WIDGEON ZK-BPX in company with ZK-BGQ as a standby aircraft .... were lavishly reupholstered and overhauled at government expense. This royal flight was flown by Captain LADD on February 13th 1963 .... and which also became the Duke Of Edinburgh's first ever flight on an amphibious aircraft. Further honor was bestowed upon captain LADD during 1963 when he was nominated for, and then awarded, the MBE for his services to New Zealand and Pacific aviation .... and which was presented to him, by HRH Queen Elizabeth 2nd, on February 12th 1963, at a Wellington based ceremony, during this same royal tour.

On January 15th 1964 GRUMMAN WIDGEON ZK-BPX was damaged as the result of a non-fatal gear-down water-landing accident at Port Pegasus, Stewart Island. Though this aircraft was deemed repairable, it was eventually written-off during the subsequent recovery effort and through the mishandling of the operation by the salvage company concerned. Its remains were stored at the MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT AND TECHNOLOGY, in Auckland, for a time, but, over time, these were also progressively cannibalized of most useful parts by NZ TOURIST AIR TRAVEL, MOUNT COOK AIRLINES, and SEA BEE AIR. Whatever now remains of ZK-BPX is still believed to be held in storage somewhere within the Auckland area. This particular aircraft was also the only member of the New Zealand operated GRUMMAN WIDGEON fleet that never made conversion to Continental IO-470-D engines and "SUPER WIDGEON" status .... retaining its original Ranger engines throughout its entire, short, New Zealand service.

The full version of this 2-part article can be read "HERE" ....


"ECHOES OF AN ERA" (PART 1) .... and .... "ECHOES OF AN ERA" (PART 2)
https://tonymadgehjg.proboards.com/thre ... s-research


ZK-BPX was also "an aircraft with a problem" .... until Fred LADD learned the cause of difficulties NZTAT experienced with it, along with ZK-BGQ also, and which briefly related as follows (also from my above-linked article) ....

During this period 2 aircraft were also discovered to require urgent keel modifications in light of their intermittent and distressing water-looping habit .... which had resulted in a number of previous incidents/accidents and subsequent aircraft damage. All GRUMMAN WIDGEON aircraft in existence .... and well before the period of their entry to New Zealand service .... were supposed to have undergone a mandatory keel modification. This US aviation directive was the result of several water-looping accidents (a loss of directional control/stability) overseas and required the removal of some 6 inches of keel/step from the lower hull of each individual aircraft. Completely undetected by the NEW ZEALAND CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY at the time of their acquisition .... NZ TOURIST AIR TRAVEL, had, unwittingly, and quite coincidentally, acquired 2 GRUMMAN WIDGEON's that were prone to water-loop when landing on flat calm sea conditions for their lack of having been modified .... and which turned out to be the completely unmodified ZK-BGQ .... along with the only partially modified ZK-BPX. Following the chance discovery of this major discrepancy (during captain LADD's May/June 1961 tour of the USA whilst in search of a suitable GRUMMAN WIDGEON replacement) and their subsequent modification, both of these aircraft then performed flawlessly throughout the remainder of their New Zealand service.

In the case of ZK-BGQ (ex F-OAGX) .... in particular .... it was this aircraft's previous history of water-looping (the cause of which was not detected by French aviation authorities either) that had resulted in its being involved in numerous incidents/accidents throughout the islands of French Polynesia (which was also directly attributable to NZ TOURIST AIR TRAVEL's own, occasional, difficulties with this same WIDGEON) and had prompted RAI, of Tahiti, to withdraw it from service, and then "gladly" sell/"get rid of" the aircraft during 1954 .... having already replaced it with a GRUMMAN MALLARD (F-OAII) during 1953.

Interestingly -BPX wasn't modified until "after" the 1963 royal charter .... as incredible as this may seem given the aircraft's known tendencies. It may be considered "even more incredible" though that NZTAT should have "just happened to" acquire 2 WIDGEON's, with the very same problem, and from 2 entirely different parts of the world.


KNOWN HISTORY OF G44-A WIDGEON ZK-BPX

Built as a civil G44-A WIDGEON, 1946, NC86606.
Sold to SOUTH AMERICAN TRADING CORP NY, January 12th 1946.
Sold to Alberto.A DODERO, Corientes, Argentina, July 12th 1946, LV-NCG
Sold to LA UNIVERSAL CIA DE SEGUROS, Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 10th 1958, LV-NCG
Sold to AYER LEASING PLAN INC, Linden, New Jersey, USA, July 1958, N4262A
Sold to NZ TOURIST AIR TRAVEL, Auckland, New Zealand, January 6th 1960, ZK-BPX
WRITTEN OFF PORT PORT PEGASUS, STEWART ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND, JANUARY 15TH 1964 (capsized and damaged due to gear down water landing .... then W/O during subsequent salvage attempt


Mark C
AKL/NZ

[cooldad]

Wow that brings back many childhood memories with the great Fred Ladd!

Thanks Jankees

[aerofoto]

For me too .... considering I did my "FIRST EVER" flight on an NZTAT WIDGEON (a "Magic Carpet Flight" over AKL city and which was a B/day present) during 1967.

It's what got me interested in the NZ WIDGEON's .... and later the GOOSE too .... encourage further by friendships I later formed with SEA BEA AIR staff .... and which ultimately resulted in my researching, and writing, the above linked history .... and which I still tinker around with occasionally upon learning additional facts.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[cooldad]

keep up your great work Mark, I really enjoy it

[hasegawa]

Flying boats and float planes have something of dinosaurs, but they are so useful...

[K5054NZ]

More beautiful work Jan! I've never seen a Widgeon fly but I have seen a couple under restoration. Hopefully it won't be long before we see them flying Kiwi skies again.

Related: perhaps you might like to look into the rich and colourful history of ZK-AVM? I'm unsure if she ever had Rangers here though. AVM (in the foreground is the seat for Jerry Yagen's Curtiss Hawk 75), shot at Avspecs in February 2020:
Untitled by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[jankees]

jk5656

I painted AVM a while ago

[aerofoto]

ZK-AVM was not only the youngest WIDGEON to enter service in NZ, but also, the WIDGEON with the longest NZ service record, having been the first of the type to be imported and to enter service in NZ.

Throughout it's career career .... both pre and post NZ operations .... it was involved in "a number of incidents/accidents" and sustained varying degrees of damage .... and which I think, according to what I last heard, was posing a few issues in regard to its current refurbishment/restoration in AKL.

ANYWAY .... for what it's worth .... the following is -AVM's ownership history ....

G44-A WIDGEON C/N # 1466 ZK-AVM - KNOWN HISTORY

Built as a civil G44-A WIDGEON, 1946, NC86640 (registration allocated but not used).
Sold to AUSTRALASIAN PETROLEUM CORPORATION/VACUUM OIL, October 8th ber 1946, VH-AZO.
Sold to AMPHIBIAN AIRWAYS, Invercargill, New Zealand, October 1950, ZK-AVM .... first GRUMMAN WIDGEON to be imported to and operated in NZ.
Inherited by NZ TOURIST AIR TRAVEL, Auckland New Zealand, August 4th 1961, ZK-AVM .... NZTAT acquisition of AMPHIBIAN AIRWAYS.
Converted to SUPER WIDGEON (260 HP Continental IO-470-D engines) during 1962.
Transferred to MOUNT COOK AIRLINES, Auckland New Zealand, December 31st 1967, ZK-AVM .... MCA acquisition of NZTAT.
Leased to STEWART ISLAND AIRWAYS, Invercargill, New Zealand, May 1st 1976, ZK-AVM.
Transferred to STEWART ISLAND AIRWAYS, Invercargill, New Zealand, September 3rd 1976, ZK-AVM.
Transferred to SEA BEE AIR and leased to STEWART ISLAND AIRWAYS, Invercargill, New Zealand, October 22nd 1976, ZK-AVM .... SEA BEE AIR acquisition of MCA amphibian operation.
Returned to SEA BEE AIR, Auckland, New Zealand, November 1976, ZK-AVM.
Sold to Peter WALKER, Sydeney, Australia, July 1979, ZK-AVM .... registered in Australia as a power boat AT373N.
Loaned (not leased) to SEA BEE AIR/FIJI AIR, Suva, Fiji, August 1979, ZK-AVM/AT373N.
Returned to SEA BEE AIR/Peter WALKER, Auckland, New Zealand, July 1981, ZK-AVM/AT373N.
Withdrawn from service and stored, Auckland, New Zealand, July 1981, ZK-AVM.
Sold to CORAL WINGS, Cairns, Australia, July 7th 1987, VH-WET.
Sold to HASSIM EXPEDITIONS & ADVENTURES, Papua , New Guinea, April 22nd 1994, P2-WET.
Sold to Owen HARNISH/AQUATIC & VINTAGE AIRWAYS (named "Snafu"), Auckland, New Zealand, July 1st, 1996, ZK-AVM.
Leased to SALT AIR, Paihia, Bay Of Islands, New Zealand, 1999, ZK-AVM.
Withdrawn from service and stored at Auckland, New Zealand, January 25th 20001, ZK-AVM.
Sold to Warren DENHOLM/AVSPECS LTD, Auckland, New Zealand, May 2012, ZK-AVM.
CURRENTLY STORED AT ARDMORE AERODROME, SOUTH AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND .... restoration pending.

Mark C
AKL/NZ