Sky farmers

The Labour Day weekend fly-in by numerous agricultural and other aircraft centred on the restoration of DHC-2 Beaver ZK-AZB to the New Zealand register. ZK-AZB became the first Fieldair Beaver to spread superphosphate in New Zealand. Its first operational topdressing flight was carried out by Gerry Oman off Gisborne aerodrome in March 1952. Re-acquired from Australia (ex VH-WOZ) by Hallett Griffin of Palmerston North, AZB has been repainted in 1960s Fieldair colours on the left side and East Coast Air Services on the right hand side, as a tribute to all the men and women of the New Zealand aerial agriculture industry.

The aircraft present represented a window to the past as well as a picture of the future of topdressing in New Zealand. First aerial topdressing by Fieldair was carried out by a Tiger Moth out of Gisborne and Tiger Moths ZK-BAL and ZK-BEN were present and flying at the meet.

A real highlight of the meet was the presence not only of Beaver ZK-AZB but, additionally, the remaining airworthy New Zealand Beavers, ZK‑BBX, ZK-CKH and ZK-FPZ. ZK-BBX continues to earn its living as a topdresser, operated out of Havelock North by Jim and Barbara Frogley.

In the Gisborne Aviation Preservation Society hangar at Gisborne was ex Fieldair Lockheed L-18-56 Lodestar ZK-BUV, the last Lodestar to topdress in New Zealand.

Alongside BUV was DC-3 ZK-BYF, which also spent many years as a topdresser.

The gate guardian at Gisborne aerodrome is Fletcher ZK-BWV, painted up in Fieldair colours.

The modern topdressing brigade was ably represented by Air Tractor AT-402B ZK‑PCC, recently acquired by John and Penny Bargh, while Andy Stevenson of Farmers Air brought Cresco ZK-JOF to the meet and Andrew Hogarth of Farmers Air introduced the Falco 3000XL ZK‑XLA to the many attendees.

ZK-XLA is the latest evolution of the Fletcher and Cresco topdressers. Known as the Falco 3000XL, the aircraft is an evolution of the standard Pacific Aerospace P-750 XSTOL, carrying a lightweight hopper that has a 3000lt capacity, the biggest in New Zealand. The Falco delivers a 2000kg payload at 145kt with a four hour fuel endurance.

The aircraft has been funded, developed and trialled by Andy Stevenson and Andrew Hogarth of Farmers Air, Gisborne, to provide a replacement for the Farmers Air Cresco fleet.

The project has full factory support and is in the process of having an STC approved.

The meet encapsulated the evolution of aerial topdressing in New Zealand, from the Tiger Moth and Beaver to the Cresco, Air Tractor and the Falco 3000XL, under cloudless blue skies, a fitting celebration of six decades of topdressing in New Zealand.