New Zealand Beaver Operators (Two Or More)

New Zealand Beaver Operators (Two or more)

An extract from Beaver Lodges

Fieldair/Fieldair Holdings Ltd., /Gisborne/Palmerston North, New Zealand

Fieldair was established in 1951 at Palmerston North airfield in central North Island of New Zealand to maintain and overhaul the Company’s agricultural fleet of aircraft and helicopters which eventually grew to number approx forty-five aircraft. After the decline in crop spraying with Beavers the company has continued to develop its engineering business and also now operates five Convair CV580/5800 aircraft on nightly post runs between centres in the North and South Islands. Its parent company is now Freightways who bought Fieldair in 1999 to support in house aviation engineering without resorting to external suppliers.

ZK-CZO at Napier one of several bases used by the Company

ZK-AZB 156 19/12/51 - ?, Ca ’62 - 30/3/84 -? ZK-BBX 324 24/11/52 – 26/ ZK-CPZ & 462 Ca ’66 - 18/11/80 ZK-BDI 29/9/90 - ? ZK-CLP 493 6/4/65 – 23/1/69 ZK-BFN 564 20/5/54 – 28/4/69 ZK-CKC 860 31/10/64 – 17/12/68 ZK-BMF 948 24/4/61 - ? ZK-CMW 1084 3/2/69 – 30/3/84 ZK-CCY 1512 29/2/63 – 15/5/89 ZK-CFU 1530 28/1/64 – 5/8/83 ZK-CZO 1533 3/6/69 – 6/8/73 ZK-CZL 1541 27/5/69 - ? ZK-CGW 1547 ? – ? ZK-CGX 1548 ? - ? ZK-CKD 1557 28/1/65 - ? ZK-CMU 1590 23/7/65 – 28/10/84 ZK-CTJ 1596 ? – 11/6/69 ZK-BXN 1597 ? - ? ZK-CPS 1609 1/66 – 13/4/77 ZK-CRE 1613 13/6/66 – 7/4/88 ZK-CYD 1615 ? – 11/6/69 Float Air (1981/2/4), Picton, South Island, New Zealand

Russell and Flora Smith operated a float plane service from Picton Harbour across the Cook Strait to Wellington and sight seeing flights in the Marlborough Sound area from 1975 until 1981 when large increases in aviation fuel and the general economic climate in New Zealand caused them to close down, A couple of attempts to resurrect the company were hampered particularly after the aircraft was damaged in a storm at Picton Waterfront in 1990.

ZK-FPZ 717 ? - ? ZK-CCY 1512 1/6/94 – 23/11/95 ZK-CMU 1590 6/8/90 – 23/7/97

Griffin Ag Air Ltd., Palmerston North, New Zealand/Hallett M Griffin/Kayala Holdings

An agricultural company specialising in the delivery of phosphate fertilizers from the air.

ZK-BDI 462 ? - ? ZK-AZB 156 20/5/90

James Aviation Ltd., Hamilton, New Zealand

Founder Ossie James was born in Wairoa in 1920. He was an apprentice mechanic from 1935 to 1939. During WW 2 he served as a fighter aircraft technician. He gained his pilots licence and in 1947 obtained his first aircraft a Tiger Moth. James Aviation Ltd. became a leader of the New Zealand aviation industry, particularly topdressing and other agriculture work. Ossie James saw the increased efficiency in using a larger aircraft when most topdressing was being carried out with Tiger Moths and Austers. In May 1954 he convinced the government to part with an RNZAF DC3 aircraft which was modified in Hamilton for its new role as top dresser. The first load was dropped on December 1, 1955. The concept proved so successful that other companies chartered the aircraft. James Aviation Ltd. became one of NZ's premier aviation companies. Its operation was taken over in 1980 by Commercial Helicopters Ltd, trading as Mountain Air. Ossie James passed away on 31 May 2007 aged 87.

ZK-AVL at New Plymouth in the early 1950’s

ZK-CKH 25 8/5/84 – 1/6/86 Confirmation required as should be Mountain Air by 1980 ZK-AVL 148 9/12/51 – 1/59 ZK-BDI 462 ? – 5/58 ZK-BFO 609 ? - ?

Rangitikei Air Services Ltd., Taihape, New Zealand.

A phosphate spreading company operating on New Zealand’s North Island. ZK-CGX in January 1976 ZK-CGX 1548 23/1/76 - ? ZK-BXN 1597 27/4/77 – 6/6/97

Rural Aviation, Ltd., New Plymouth, New Zealand

A phosphate spreading company

ZK-AXK 89 12/1/51 – 8/7/54 ZK-AYT 138 12/1/51 –ca ‘54 ZK-AVL 148 26/10/51 – 19/12/51

Wright, F.R. & M. K., Tauranga, New Zealand

The three Beavers listed below were rebuilt to passenger configuration by the Wrights after use as crop sprayers and then sold on.

ZK-BMF 948 ? - 13/8/92 ZK-CCY 1512 15/12/93 - ? ZK-CKD 1557 Ca ’91 – 24/7/92