Saturday 2 June 2012

Baron ZK-WLV

Longtime NZ resident Beech 58 Baron ZK-WLV (TH-698) departed Auckland for Coolangatta via Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands 02 June 2012 presumably on export.

The Baron arrived in NZ as VH-WLV during early 1994 and became ZK-WLV with Associated Aviation of Parparaumu in May of that year. It moved to Air Wanganui in April 1997 then to Capital Air in April June 2005.  October 2008 saw the Baron move to New Plymouth with Taranaki Fuel and Lubricants then with the local Aero Club from July 2010.  It has been registered to Custom Fleet NZ since August 2011 and was recently listed for tender via Ardmore's Premi Air:
http://www.aviationtrader.com.au/SubsampledImages/AdInstance/04FFD3B1-1.pdf
http://www.premi-air.co.nz/Beech%20B58%20ZK-WLV/

The departure of ZK-WLV leaves NZ with just one remaining ZK Baron 58 series, ZK-OSL, with Air Force One Ltd of Tauranga however there are two US registered machines in the country, N298WA and N254F, however it is understood both are still out of the air following summer time incidents at North Shore and Raglan respectively.  Thanks to Anon, there is of course the 55 series Baron based at Hamilton, ZK-SEB.

At Nelson in December 1994, MRC photo

And at Auckland in December 2008, MRC photo

2 comments:

  1. There's also Beech B-55 Baron ZK-SEB.

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  2. In fact ZK-WLV was owned by Capt. F M Maguire on dry lease to Associated Aviation which situation under NZ Law required it to be shown on NZ Register as in the name of Associated Aviation. AA bought it off FMM in 1995. It had two owners prior to arriving in NZ: one briefly in Australia and the original owner in USA was Comedienne Carol Burnett.

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