DHC-7 ZK-NEX

For a period of about two years, between 1985 and1987, Newmans Airways Ltd of Christchurch operated two De Havilland DHC-7 (Dash 7) aircraft. I gather that these were purchased mainly to operate into the Glentanner airstrip at the head of Lake Pukaki in opposition to the Mount Cook Airlines service which used their private strip further up the valley toward the Hermitage.These two aircraft were registered as ZK-NEW (c/n 101) and ZK-NEX (c/n 103).
ZK-NEX arrived in NZ on 25-01-1985 and was listed to Newmans on 25-01-1985. Both aircraft were relisted to Billmans Management Ltd of Nelson on 28-01-1987 and then to The De Havilland Aircraft Co of Canada on 30-01-1987. Both had been sold to Eurocity Express Ltd (part of British Midlands) and were painted in their new Eurocity schemes before leaving Christchurch.  ZK-NEW had a simple history post NZ; becoming G-BNDC with Eurocity Express and the went to Greenlandair as OY-CTC in 1988 and is still current there.
ZK-NEX however has had a much more convoluted history. Suffice to say that after being G-BNGF with Eurocity Express it had numerous operators; moving to the States in 1988 as N773BE and N703MG before moving briefly to Canada in 2005 as C-FEDO; and then to Conviasa Air as YV-1003 in late 2005.
Below are a few shot of ZK-NEX whilst it was in NZ

About to board at Christchurch on 13-06-1986.

Above. At Christchurch on 07-11-1986

 Two views of her outside the Newmans hangar on 29-01-1987.

 Below. Having been withdrawn from Newmans service it is in an intermediate colour scheme at Christchurch on 04-03-1987.

 On 16-03-1987 it was in its full Eurocity Express decals.

It departed Christchurch on 20-03-1987 for Auckland and Norfolk Island on its ferry flight to the UK.
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Not long after moving to South America it had an undercarriage incident which Bob Kerr of Timaru has kindly supplied us with a link to view the event..

http://www.rescate.com/conviasa.html

. - The day Thursday 15 of December of 2005, 12:15 HLV (16: 15 UTC). Porlamar - Venezuela. - A commercial airship of Venezuelan flag matriculation YV-1003, DASH-7, flight 2600 of company CONVIASA, is at the moment orbiting on the Airport the General International “MARINE SANTIAGO” (SVMG), Porlamar, State New Sparta, Venezuela, in procedure to consume motivated fuel to that it realised forced landing by technical fault in the train of right of the airship.


. - To 14:25 HLV (18: 25 UTC) the airship lands without more misfortunes. The P.O.V of the firemen active.


. - In the airship 40 people traveled (36 passengers and four crew) who were unharmed in the forced landing.

The DHC-7 obviously survived the event as there is a recent photograph of it at the following link.

http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6897420&nseq=0

Also, check out Steve Lowe's blog post of February 2010 :
http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2010/02/newmans-air-it-began-25-years-ago-this.html