Those two Cessna 182's ZK-DFQ & ZK-DCJ

This photo was sent to me by westland831 (check out his great blog at http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/). It shows a Cessna 182 marked as ZK-DFQ. But what you see is not what you get. (it is actually ZK-DCJ cunningly disguised).

I will now try and sort out the tale of these two Cessna 182's ZK-DCJ and ZK-DFQ.

ZK-DCJ is Cessna 182Q Skylane 11 , c/n 182Q-65963 , which came to NZ as N759FR on 28-09-1977 to be registered as DCJ on 06-10-1977 to the Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Division. (The registration block from ZK-DCA to ZK-DCR were all allocated to the MOT, DCA , CAA, CAD, Secretary for Transport - Call then what you will.)

DCJ carried out its official duties until 27-07-1987 when it over ran the strip at Lake Ferry. Its registration was cancelled on 26-11-1987, with its engine going to ZK-DCR. However this was not the end of it. Pic above shows ZK-DCJ with its MOT decal on the tail, lurking in the CAA hangar at Paraparaumu (Now Helipro's). Its remains went to Drake Aviation at Christchurch.
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Now then ZK-DFQ was a Cessna 182N Skylane , c/n 182N-60360 , which arrived in NZ from Australia and Norfolk Island as VH-RLV on 10-09-1971 for Dennis Thompson Aviation Ltd for registration to Alpine Helicopters on 12-10-1971.
Pic below shows it at Taieri on30-03-1972. It went through a series of owners including Dalhoff & King Aviation Ltd of Ardmore on 05-10-1978; to Airwork (NZ) Ltd Christchurch on 04-04-79; to A B Robinson of Rotherham (North Canterbury) from 14-12-1979; then to Drake Aviation of Christchurch on 15-09-1983. It then went to D S Latter initially of Cheviot from 08-05-1984 and then at Christchurch from 24-11-1986.

Now the damaged airframe of ZK-DCJ was repainted to represent ZK-DFQ to be used in a movie (the name of which I have long forgotten) which involved crashing the aircraft into the bush.

I recall seeing the movie and the crash scene clearly showed the ZK-DFQ registration.
This view of ZK-DFQ was shot at Christchurch on 13-06-1986 with its new paint job.

Behold, two ZK-DFQ's as spied at Christchurch on 04-03-1988 although I had seen them both on 26-02-88. The one on the right is the real DFQ with DCJ on the trailer - note its bent prop.
The real ZK-DFQ continued aviating and was sold on to Mike Thomas of Killermont Station (at the northern end of the Lindis Pass) on 28-10-1994 and then on to Mike Manion at Christchurch on 13-05-1996. Its demise came with an over run and overturn on the Waitomo airstrip on 29-12-1996. Its registration was revoked on 27-06-2001 - end of story for DFQ to date.

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After the movie the remains of ZK-DCJ went back to Drake Aviation and it was rebuilt using parts from another damaged Cessna 182P. This was c/n 182P-62799. Unfortunately I failed to record its previous identity at the time, but a bit of homework reveals that it was actually the remains of Peter Elworthy's Cessna 182P Skylane ZK-DOW which had over run through a fence and some small trees on 17-01-1982 at Double Hill Station (Upper Rakaia River).
Below is the damaged fuselage of ZK-DOW about to be cut and pasted into ZK-DCJ which was re-registered on 07-06-1990 to Bruce and Rae Drake.

And ZK-DCJ as spotted at Omarama on 06-01-1992.