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| Welcome to the Kiwi Beavers Website. This site is dedicated to the De Havilland Beaver aircraft that were registered in New Zealand. Most of them were used in the Topdressing role, there now remains just one still active Topdressing. The site seems to have expanded with other aircraft types involved in topdressing added. You will find each individual Beaver here. There are photos of other aircraft also used for Topdressing here and here. You can also use the buttons above to navigate the site. I would welcome any information and images of any sort to add to the collection. If you would like to contribute to this site in any way, please contact me. Click on the links above to navigate the site. The Others page shows some random images of the PAC Cresco and other aircraft in topdressing roles. The Beaver page has each individual aircraft's registration which will take you to photos of that particular aircraft. 08/10/06 - I have just returned from Walcha having seen ex ZK-AZB, now VH-WOZ. Barry took me for a ten minute jaunt around the local area which was absolutely amazing. Many thanks to Barry and his family for their hospitality. There are some new photos on AZB's page. Special thanks go to the following people and organisations who have supplied images and information: Neville Worsley, Rotorua, NZ for lots of photos, information and phone calls! Neville flew Beavers and DC3's and has flown just about everything! Ernie "Spud" Tait, Gisborne, NZ for his early Beaver pics. Bill Luther, Auckland, NZ. Bill flew Beavers, Fletchers, Crescos and DC3's Lenn Bayliss, Toowoomba, Queensland for his amazing shots. Bob Cranston, Masterton, NZ. Bob also flew Beavers and DC3's, now retired I believe. Doug Sklenars, Rosedale, Queensland. Doug flew Beavers in the 60's and 70's. Owen Martin, Leeton, NSW. Owen flew Beavers for a while. Airliners.net and Colin Hunter. Phil Lightband, Northland, NZ. Phil flew Beavers way back in the 50's, one of the first! Harley Cadwallader, Napier, NZ another ex Beaver and Dak driver. Air Force Museum, Christchurch, NZ for the image of NZ6001 in 1957. Janic Geelen, who published the Topdressers books, for information. Warwick Bigsworth of Seawing Airways, Sydney. This is the home of ex ZK-CKD. A.J.Jackson Museum in England for more early shots of the first Beavers imported by Rural and James Aviation. Phil Goodwin, Gisborne, NZ. Phil drove loaders for Cookson's a year or two back. Eddie Coates who has a huge gallery and info on all types of aircraft. Ruud Leeuw and John Pratt for the image of DC3 ZK-BBJ abandoned in Kenya. Ruud also has a massive site of aircraft from all over the planet! Barry Christie of Walcha Aerial Services for taking me for a ride in ex ZK-AZB and his hospitality. Thanks Barry and Trish. Sean O'Sullivan from the Wairoa Aero Club for the photo of AZB upside down in the swamp, 1968. Martin Hornlimann, VIC, Australia for the slide of CKD. Peter Brown from Dalby, Queensland for info and pics of ex AZB. Peter Ritter from Marton NZ who has connections with Wanganui Aero Work. Craig Powell sent some very welcome photos of COV working on his Father's farm at Waimate in the early 70's. A great shot of NZ6001/6010 from that man Neville Worsley, where does he find them??? A big "cheers" to Neil Aird in Canada for inspiration. Please check out Neil's amazing Beaver site. "King Beaver" works extremely hard at maintaining it and has detailed info on over 1,000 of the 1,692 Beavers built. Good on ya, mate!! Disclaimer: (All content copyright Graeme Mills) I have undertaken to ensure that the information on this website is accurate. The reader acknowledges that kiwibeavers.com and/or any of the contributors to these pages cannot be considered liable for any action resulting from any information published on the kiwibeavers website. When you use any information obtained from this website, you do so at your own risk. (You may use any images on this site for your own personal use. For any commercial use or reproduction, please contact the author.) |
Kiwi Beavers
| Received a wonderful book from Lou Forhecz celebrating 50 years of the Fletcher. He also sent some lovely Beaver photos as well. Thanks Lou. Some photos today from Lance Harding up in Warwick. Lance's father, John has been in the industry for over 50 years. 2 photos from Pete Gordon working in the Taupo area with Jet Ranger HIX and Iriquois HSX on baiting work. Nice coloured overalls too!! 30th January 2008. Some fantastic negatives from Mark Pothan in Fielding of Dick Beattie in CGX and CMU back in the 1960's. Thanks very much Mark. 10th January 2008. Had a fantastic experience at Rose Bay, Sydney with Steve Krug on a scenic flight around Sydney in ex ZK-CKD. Highly recommended. Thanks Steve, Jenny & Warwick for an unforgettable time. At long last, images from 1968 of ZK-CTJ and ZK-CYD at Rongotai 1968. Many, many thanks to George Thompson for sending these to me I have been searching and waiting, hoping somebody out there had pics of these 2 Beavers that left for Australia shortly after this. George is farming in Otorohanga with his son. Some new images from Derek Erskine in Wellington of ZK-BFO in Cheviot in 1956, ZK-CKD loading and a photo of Derek with Harley, Bob & Neville!! Thanks for your effort Derek. Chris Rudge has sent me some photos of his restoration of DC-3 ZK-AWO's nose section. Chris runs the Warbirds site . He has made a fantastic job of this project. Check out the photos here. Derek Lewis has sent some photos of AZB, BXN, CPZ & CZL from the 70's & 80's while he was working at Fieldair as an engineer in Gisborne. Thanks Derek. Darby Dunstan, a Fieldair engineer for many years, sent me some old images of BFN post-dropping in 1955 with Bob Allen, as well as one of AZB in the 80's. Some fresh new images after a trip to N.Z. Many thanks, again, to Neville Worsley for allowing me to bring his pic's home to process. And for the hospitality too! And to Jim Frogley, Andy Stevenson and the Warbirds crew at Ardmore for letting me photograph their respective aircraft. The DC3 page has changed so check it out for some great shots of the topdressing era. |
Click on the Icon above
for a short video of Bruce
Thompson starting DC3
ZK-BBJ
for a short video of Bruce
Thompson starting DC3
ZK-BBJ
Visitors so far
New Zealand Aviation News
The best magazine around for
all things aviation in the land of
the long white cloud!!
The best magazine around for
all things aviation in the land of
the long white cloud!!
Put together by:
Graeme Mills
Rutherford NSW
Australia
e-mail
Graeme Mills
Rutherford NSW
Australia
Had a fantastic day with ex ZK-CKD at Rose
Bay, Sydney.
Thanks to Steve Krug for an unforgettable
scenic flight up to Palm Beach and return.
More photos on CKD's page.
www.sydneybyseaplane.com
Bay, Sydney.
Thanks to Steve Krug for an unforgettable
scenic flight up to Palm Beach and return.
More photos on CKD's page.
www.sydneybyseaplane.com
2 unknown Beavers crossing.
Possibly an Airshow at Napier
mid 60's?
© Mark Pothan
Possibly an Airshow at Napier
mid 60's?
© Mark Pothan
Just received this book from
Lou Forhecz in Pahiatua, 50
Years of the Fletcher. A fantastic
read and glorious photos. He
has a few copies left for sale.
You can contact Lou here
Lou Forhecz in Pahiatua, 50
Years of the Fletcher. A fantastic
read and glorious photos. He
has a few copies left for sale.
You can contact Lou here
Lou Forhecz also sent me some
photos from years gone by.
Please visit the Updates page to
view them.
photos from years gone by.
Please visit the Updates page to
view them.
| 13th August 2008 Please check out the Updates page with more Photos from Lou Forhecz. |
| The Gisborne Aviation Preservation Society is forming a syndicate to purchase ex ZK-AZB. This Beaver was the second *Flagship* for Lawson Field. It is currently at Armidale, NSW, Australia registered as VH-WOZ Contact Paul Corrin from the GAPS here or me here for more details It would be nice to see this aeroplane stay down under, them Canucks have enough Beavers up there !! |
| AZB above back in 1972 at Dannevirke and below at Armidale, NSW late 2007 |
2 beaut photos of CMV &
CZL kindly given by Rich
Hulina, Master Photographer
www.richhulina.com
CZL kindly given by Rich
Hulina, Master Photographer
www.richhulina.com
