AS350BA ZK-HIU arrived in the country ex Japan and was registered to P & V West Partnership of Queenstown on 28Aug08. It was transferred to Helicopters Queenstown in March this year and wears Glacier Southern Lakes Queenstown Helicopters titles.
ZK-IHW is an AS350B2 model with a long NZ history. Blue Bus may add/correct the following however from the NZ CAA website this machine started life in NZ as ZK-HRO in 1997 before becoming ZK-IPV for a couple of years and then slipping its markings again to ZK-HFV for a while. It is then shown as being exported to Australia where it became VH-ECO (its previous identity before coming to NZ in 1997) from September 2000 until January 2002 when it returned to NZ and became ZK-HXM. It worked with Helitranz for a time before again heading to VH land as VH-FRN however it crashed in the Latrobe Valley in January 2006. Back to NZ, this time with Peter Tait's Heliquip of Appleby, Nelson for a rebuild where it was registered ZK-IBO until October 2007 when it becoming ZK-IHW and took up residence with Heli-works Queenstown where it was photographed today outside their hanger. Phew! What is interesting is the livery and markings it wears "Aoraki Mount Cook Ski Planes".
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