Centurion ZK-DCA

The following is thanks to Bluebus:

The Cessna model 210 has been around since the first one, which was a development of the Cessna 182 with a swept tail, retracting undercarriage and the 260hp Continental IO-470E engine, flew in February of 1957. Increases in weights and engine powered followed. In 1966 came the turbocharged T210F and with the model 210G a major change was the cantilever wing (no wing struts). The pressurized version became available from 1978 (P210N). The first 210 in NZ was the T210L ZK-DPB in 1974. The twenty third Cessna 210 on our register is ZK-DCA₂ for Dreamcraft Aviation Ltd of Whangarei registered 9 July 2010. This is actually a first of type, being the first “G” model in Country. 285hp Continental IO-520 powered it became N5895F in August of 1967. At some stage in its career it had a gear up landing and during the repairs it had the Uvalde main gear door modifications incorporated. This King IFR equipped Centurion was last operated by Bockman Ltd of Milford, Iowa and comes to NZ with about 3650 flying hours. The first allocation of the ZK-DCA letters went to the “Department of Civil Aviation” who had reserved the ZK-DCA to ZK-DCR block. By the time the new Fokker F27 Friendship arrived in NZ in April of 1971 they were the Ministry of Transport Civil Aviation Division. This Friendship which did the occasional lease to Mt Cook Airlines in the early 1990’s was withdrawn in February 1992, went into storage and overhaul in the UK before ending up with the Pakistan Navy in 1994.

It has been listed for sale with Trademe since December:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/aircraft/aircraft/auction-340093768.htm

Ardmore 01 September 2011, M Condon photo