VH-ATO N22

[fencehopper]

Surprised when i saw a Nomad over fly our dropzone at Elderslie in the Hunter Valley last Sunday. Turns out it is ATO doing geo survey work out of Cessnock. Any others left flying in OZ? Last one i saw flying before that was SMJ with Midstate in Mackayback in 2002. Anyone know what happened to this one?
Thanks
FH

[VH-XXX]

ATO has been one very busy little aircraft since leaving Commando Skydivers.

It's been spotted in NZ, PNG and all over Australia.

http://www.gippsaero.com/articles/files/Nomad_40_Years_Young__3_.pdf



In Australia there is one operational Nomad,an N22C VH-ATO, with
another four in New Zealand.

One of these, a N24A ZK-NMC, has now been purchased by GippsAero
and following its return to

Australia, will become the developmental aircraftfor the GippsAero GA18.

[startingout]

ATO runs survey for a Brisbane based Mapping company, it can be seen from Tonga to as far as HK at times, not sure how much PNG work it has done. As the gipps aero site says they brought in one of Air Safari's N24's late last year to convert for the GA18.

[AussieO2]

SMJ went to the Indo Navy in late 2004.

[fencehopper]

Yes i read that ATO gets around a fair bit. No shortage of parts for it i would think.
I worked on SNX, BRP and WRT when Sydney Skydivers had them. Really maintainence heavy as they were treated pretty rough. WRT was already a mess when it came from QLD.

I wonder what Gippsland have in store. There would be a fair bit of redesign and maybe more power for it. I wonder if they are considering the T Tail?
Personally i'd start with the gear and work up from there. Any word on what is happening to it?
A 16 place twin will be hard to compete with aircraft like the Caravan, Kodiak etc. i've crawled all thru the Kodiak and it is one well built aircraft.
FH

[VH-XXX]

Sounds right. It's got red and blue on it (ATO).

I know of a couple of static airframes - one at Broken Hill airport entrance (VH-MSF the rego from the Flying Doctors series) and one in the Pima Air and Space museum in Tucson Arizona. Noteably the ONLY aircraft that the commentator missed talking about on the guided tour.

[startingout]

ATO has no red left... it was repainted last year

[startingout]

Also it is not AOT's aircraft it was sold to the survey company.