These specific model range threads are great... Always great pics and discussion

If you have the time to post then we appreciate that

Thanks Simon :ok:

Go Nuts :ok:

parking at a premium, TeAwaite- Wairarapa
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/1904/heli37001.jpg

Pararaki Hut, Aorangis
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9882/heli24001.jpg

Jeff Sayer, Pararaki Hut riverbed, 1983
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/7177/heli11001.jpg

Jason Diedrichs, Tararuas

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1862/heli5001.jpg

Amalgamated HQ
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/157/heli20001.jpg

ZK-INZ leaving a trail of blood
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/1828/amal2.jpg

Jason Diedrichs, Tararuas
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4718/amal1.jpg

HeliNZee, thanks for all the great photos. Do you know if Doug Maxwell is still flying?

500 Fan.

I think Doug still is, living around Alexandra. Last time I heard of him he had an R22 and was over doing some mustering around Minaret Station, but that was a while ago.

Obviously the guys down south will know more.

Ned (or any other Kiwi),

Can you explain to us the significance of the letter within a red circle that is apparent on so many of the NZ 500's?

Thanks

Thanks Ned. He featured in South Coast Production's DVD on the R22 from a few years back so I guess he is still flying those. One of NZ's legendary pilots! Was that him flying HMB in the opening scene for "The Race for The Yankee Zephyr"?



He fairly let that 500 know who was boss!

500 Fan.

Doug lives somewhere near Roxburgh, Central Otago. As far as I know he owns an R22 and does work like cherry drying, frost protection, mustering and alot of pest control work, esp rabbits. They are EVERYWHERE in that area and farmers around there think that the only good rabbit is a dead one.

The New Zealand Forest Service (now Department of Conservation) made all operators involved in deer recovery plaster those letters on the side, when poaching was rife in the industry. I think it was required from the very early 80's until the mid 90's. Of course alot of the dodgy operators just covered it over when they were breaking the law, one operator even stashed a spare set of 'clam shell doors' in the bush near his base. They would land shortly after take off and just swap them before poaching deer on farms and other places they were not meant to be.

Joe Keehley was a great one with the clamshells, he used to have the letter V allocated to him and I saw it as the Fingers (giving you the bird) one time and then it was the ears of the Playboy bunny another. I know of another operator who used to stick a cardboard letter over his letter so if anyone saw him they reported the wrong letter :ok:

I know who u are talking about with the clamshell door spares sitting in the bush, even was in the back of the machine when he did that ;)

500Fan - Not sure if thats Doug flying HMB. Judging by the paint scheme its one of the old Alpine machines and could have been him or Dick Deaker or Hannibal Hayes. Some of the other kiwis on here might know for sure.

Ned

It was Doug Maxwell flying and Kevin Hallet was the shooter.

here's one of them here Ned
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/370/heli7001.jpg

here's one that popped in yesterday, privately own by a wellington guy. I wonder how many C models there are left in NZ? And check out the rear doors??? Must be a fairly old machine to still have nav lights on the steps, or which model had them there? I seen a few with and without.

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/7817/p5150190.jpg

I wonder if its a 369HS model.

Well the data plate is evidently. Maybe the early KHI machines were built in the US with a Hughes number and later a KHI number.

JA9047

Hughes 369HS 119-0214S 11/69 build date.
Kawasaki-Hughes 369HS 6609

Nice old picture of PG Tips!

About 32!

Didn't realise there would be 32 left?? thats alot!
Yeah saw it was a 369HS, have never seen the doors before, it did a few years in Guam so maybe its a mod they did?
heres some more anyway...

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3663/heli42001.jpg

Tarn Ridge Hut, Tararuas
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/5862/heli41001.jpg

HOM in its AMP rescue scheme, Alec Forysth
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5792/heli40001.jpg

HYO, Tony Nightingale 1991. Anyone know where this is these days?
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/9246/heli39001.jpg

I think the machine went north and the rego ended up on an AS350 that Tony got.

HYO->IDP->ILO->HCD?

I'll get my coat!

well well well, there it is, down in Christchurch. Wonder how many of the old ones in my photos are still intact?

Some from up north...
 

The 500 was my second turbine type rating and has always been one of my favorite machines to fly.

SE-JBV was sold to, I beleive, The Philipines. Here parked close to my home:

http://dl.frejvall.se/se-jbv5.jpg

SE-JDI ended up in the US. Here on Christmas Eve 2000...

http://dl.frejvall.se/se-jdi2.jpg

SE-JBF was only in Sweden for a short while before being sold to Finland. Brand new at the time (1995):

http://dl.frejvall.se/sc17.jpg

An then one from the US, N268ST from Chin in Carlsbad, CA. Extremely well maintained and super quiet with the four--bladed tail. I've heard it is no more...

http://dl.frejvall.se/n268st2.jpg

Finally, one from the factory in Mesa. I visited in the summer of '99 (yikes, time flies!)

http://dl.frejvall.se/md1.jpg