September 1975
ONE of the more unusual looking types of aircraft to come from the ranks of homebuilders in this country is the Woody Pusher, only one of which, ZK-DUA, has so far been built here. Built by Alan Belworthy of Master-ton, it made its first flight in October last year, and at the Amateur Aircraft Constructors' Association fly-in earlier this year it won the award for the best two seat aircraft.
THERE can be few people with an interest in New Zealand aviation who have not come across an agricultural aeroplane bearing the red and black insignia of James Aviation Ltd. This company, formed more than 25 years ago with three Tiger Moths and a lot of hope, now boasts the largest fleet of commercial aircraft in Australasia, and its 53 aircraft, 13 helicopters and more than 200 ground support vehicles
account for some 30 per cent of all the fertiliser and lime spread from the air in New Zealand.
NOWADAYS, the only place to find a reasonable corps of display pilots is the RNZAF, whose performances are generally the highlight of any air show. Perhaps one of the best-known members of this group in recent years was Squadron Leader Trevor Bland, who performed solo, low-level aerobatics in Harvard, Vampire, and, more recently, A-4K Skyhawk aircraft.
THE television advertisement shows the NAC Boeing 737 scudding across the Marlborough Sounds at low altitude against a background of puffy white clouds and the setting sun. It is a majestic portrayal of flight. But if you were looking from the Boeing, the view would be of a cameraman leaning out into the cold air from a Lama helicopter, being wary of the effects of wake turbulence. Behind the lens for all the aerial sequences of the recent NAC commercials was a man who has been making a name for himself as an aerial filming specialist — Wellingtonian, Steve Locker-Lampson.