osrphotography
Ásbjrna R Photography
Photographer and occasional writer. SFW blog 364 days a year. 21, she/they
242 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
Text
FACH s/n 985 [Boeing 767-300ER] arriving into Auckland as FACH985. May 1, 2020.
This was its second visit to Auckland during the early stages of the pandemic. A few days prior, it had come in from Santiago for a tech stop and a refuel before continuing to Beijing. It returned on May 1 with much needed vaccines* for Chile.
I'd be lying if I said that seeing FACH985 didn't bring strong emotions at the time. For all intents and purposes, when I last went to Chile, I'd said I'd come back in about 2 years. It's been 6 years and counting.
Note also the 90th anniversary decal on the tail (1930-2020).
*this is what I was told, dunno how true it is. May have just been picking up masks and ventilators
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Aéronavale s/n NX665 "WU-13" [Avro Lancaster B.VII] masquerading as an RAF Bomber Command Mk. III s/n NE181 "JN-M" at MoTaT.
Built too late for the war, the various Mk. VIIs were put into reserve and eventually refurbished to meet RAF reconnaissance standards. The intent of which was to support the fledgling Westen Union/Brussels Treaty Organisation* and as a result, NX665 was sold to the French Government and impressed into the Fleet Air Arm (Aéronavale).
As an Aéronavale aircraft, it was deployed in Morroco, Vietnam, and Nouvelle Calédonie. It was one of two Lancasters operating out of Nouvelle Calédonie in the late 1950s.
By the 60s Aéronavale was replacing their Lancasters with Douglas C-54 Skymasters and after an inquiry from one of MoTaT's founders NX665 was flown to Auckland on 15/04/64 alongside NX611 "WU-15" which was to ferry the crew back home.
Its final flight was on 16/04/64 over Northland with just 2348.3 hours on log. In preservation, it was modified to appear as a Mk. III with turrets sourced from Argentina and Canada. After spending time as both ND752 "AA-O" and PB457 "SP-V", it was repainted as NE181 "JN-M" of 75 (NZ) Sqaudron RAF.
*Eventually became the EU and NATO.
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
ZK-SAR [Cessna 182T Skylane] departing Ardmore.
Owned by the Royal New Zealand Coastguard/Tautiaki Moana (RNZCG) since 2011, it is the 2nd Skylane to be operated by the RNZCG.
As the RNZCG is a charitable organisation and an NGO, they have limited resources. However, despite that, they have managed to maintain 100 boats and two aircraft. The organisation currently consists of a couple thousand volunteer members.
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
British Chinese Port - Morning Departures, by Montague Dawson (1890–1973)
157 notes
·
View notes
Text
The last (unrefurbished) "Ganz" EMU at Thorndon. (2021)
A very lucky spot from my last trip to Wellington. New to New Zealand Railways Corporation in 1982, the EM/ET EMUs were introduced to replace the aging English Electric DM/D Class multiple units on suburban services in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
Owing to the name of their builder, Ganz-MÁVAG, the EM/ET EMUs were often referred to as "Ganz units."
From 1996-2002, the entire fleet was refurbished by TranzRail, and in 2010, Te Pane Matua Taiao/GWRC refurbished EM 1373/ET 3373 again as part of a proposal to further modernise the Ganz units. This fell through and colloquially EM 1373/ET 3373 is known as the "Super Ganz"
In 2016, the FP/FT EMUs were introduced to replace the aging EM/ET EMUs, and most of the fleet was sold to a South African buyer for conversion to un-powered trailer cars. As of 2024, nothing has been done with them, and they are slowly rusting away in South Africa.
The "Super Ganz" was sold to the Cantebury Railway Society, who have been on/off working to restore it. EM 1505/ET 3505 was sold for $1 to the Wellington Multiple Unit Hertiage Trust (WMUHT). Unfortunately, 1505 was never taken to Maymorn, where the group has a DM/D unit, and it is now at Hutt Workshops with an uncertain future.
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
Rob Fry's Yak-52 at Tauranga after completing a 5 ship formation display with the Pauanui based display team. Taken at 1/25, ƒ/16, ISO 80.
msn 867002 was taken on strength/charge with the DOSAAF as s/n 113 / yellow 113. It ended up in Lituhania as a civil aircraft with the c/r LY-ALK at some point, probably after the fall of the USSR.
It was sold to Jurgis Kairys, who re-registered it as LY-BJK (purportedly meaning Bravo Jurgis Kayris) and formed his own aerobatics team the Air Bandits.
The team displayed in Eruope and Asia, and as it so happened Rob was living in Japan while the team was displaying.
He joined the team and, in 2022, imported BJK to Aotearoa, giving it the c/r ZK-BJK.
It now lives at Dairy Flat alongside ZK-DSJ, RUS, and YAX.
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
NZR Dᴱ Class [English Electric 1745/1951] №507 seen on Glenbrook's exchange road earlier this year.
New to NZR in 1951, Dᴱ 507 served with them until 1988 when it was sold to the Railway Enthusiasts Society/Glenbrook Vintage Railway.
It was repainted into its original livery and given the identity of GVR №8 early on.
It was later returned to its original identity of Dᴱ 507.
With DBRs 1295 and 1254 and Wᵂ 480 in running conditions, the Dᴱ rarely makes appearances on passenger trains but does make semi-frequent appearances on work trains.
13 notes
·
View notes
Text
i don’t want a star trek musical episode where they sing half assed pop songs i want the weyouns doing cell block tango from chicago
2K notes
·
View notes
Text
ZK-LFT [BAe Jetstream 32] parked up at Air Center One. (2020)
Normally based in Wellington, Life Flight operates a small fleet of BAe Jetstreams, a BK-117, and a King Air.
Like this photo? You can purchase a copy now! Just click here
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
DL 9233 running through Papatoetoe just after 9am one morning.
I can't remember what train it was on, but it was probably one of the MPs from Tauranga.
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
N500MK [Beech D18S] seen at Ardmore. 2005.
This particular Beech has always been something of a mystery. msn A-216 was constructed new for ??? in either 1930 or 1946.
It was sold to Aerial Surveys Inc of Condord, MA by ??? This, however, meant nothing as it had been living in Tonga for quite some time. It was being used by the Tongan Air Defence Wing for the purposes of transporting the royal family. Alongside two other D18S c/r A3-01 and 02.
It has flown to Ardmore for maintenance twice, but by 2017, its CofA was cancelled. I believe it is currently derliect at Fuaʻamoto International Airport, 20km from the capital.
Sister airframes A3-01 and 02 are possibly still airworthy.
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
DC 4594 and 4467 running light loco through Puhinui. (2022)
The days of DC Class/Clyde-EMD G22AR are sadly numbered. With a host of them awaiting export to South Africa in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
Of course, this is the result of an ongoing modernisation program and the eventual arrival of the new Stadler built DM Class. Of these, a small number will be equipped with European Train Control System (ETCS) meaning that they will be able to run on the suburban network in Tāmaki Makaurau. But I will miss seeing them on the regular.
34 notes
·
View notes
Text
USAAF 43-49219 / ZK-DAK masquerading as NZ3546, making a low(ish) pass over Dairy Flat.
msn 26480 was constructed as a C-47B-10-DK c. 1942 and was taken on charge by the USAAF as 43-49219 c. 1943.
By April 1959, it had been demobilised and sold to Philippines Airlines and given the c/r PI-C486. It flew with them until April 1970 when it was sold to Papuan Air Transport as VH-PNM. It was sold to Anssett Airlines of Papua New Guinea in July that year.
After bouncing around Queensland for a few years it was exported to Aotearoa with the c/r ZK-DAK in 1987.
Seen in D-Day colours. 6/07/04. It wore these colours from 1986-c. 2006.
In plain white livery. 1/12/06. By 2007 it was in RNZAF colours.
The real 3546 was briefly ZK-AWQ before becoming D6-CAG in the Comoros. It was sold to the RSAF becoming s/n 6863 and converted to a C-47TP by WonderAir c. 1980s(?). It became N81907 in 1998 and in 2001 became ZS-OJL. It was last seen in 2006 at Wonderboom National Aiport (PRY/FAWB) sans engines, wings and rudder.
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
Sealink's Clipper IV arrives into the downtown ferry terminal with RNZN Devonport behind it.
6 notes
·
View notes
Text
NZ2308/ZK-PWL [de Havilland Australia DH.98 Mosquito T.43] taxiing back to AvSpecs 1/04/24.
New to the RAAF as an FB.40, it was given the s/n A52-20. Like MoTaT's Mossie, it was changed midway through production to a T.43 and re-serialled to A52-1054.
It was sold to the RNZAF in 1947 for a cost of £3000 and after just 479:35 airframe hours, it was deemed surplus in 1955.
It was recovered by MoTaT and presented to Olwyn Fenner as payment for his work on sister airframe NZ2305.
Olwyn began the restoration process, and at some point during the project, Glyn Powell joined the team. He would eventually take over the project and formed Mosquito Restorations Ltd.
Unfortunately, Glyn passed away before he got the chance to see his masterpiece finished, and as a result, AvSpecs took over the work.
In late March, after 15 years of restoration, NZ2308 took to the skies as ZK-PWL (in honour of Glyn) and debuted at Warbirds over Wānaka '24 (29/03-31/03).
It will now be packed into a container and sent to the United States.
46 notes
·
View notes
Text
M/V Straitsman alongside at Wellington (2018).
While digging around for my old .JPEG shots of Bell P-39F 41-7215 and Mosquito FB.VI PZ474/NZ2328 I discovered that I actually did do a little bit of ferry spotting while I was down in Wellington 6 years ago.
By a little, I mean I only got Straitsman, but I am very glad I did.
New to Bornholmstrafikken as M/S Dueodde she operated for them from 2005-10.
In 2010, she was sold to StraitNZ and was renamed Straitsman in honour of their first ro-ro ferry from 1972.
In 2023, she was sold to Condor Ferries in the UK, becoming Condor Islander and as of writing, she has proven to be more of a hassle than a useful ship.
5 notes
·
View notes