Recently New Zealand’s warbird scene has taken another hit with the confirmed sale and departure of three iconic Auckland-based aircraft. A Curtiss P-40N has been sold to Oregon, US; the Spitfire TR IX is headed to the UK, and the P-51D Mustang ( ZK-TAF) is reportedly on its way to Australia. These aircraft were operated by Warbird Adventure Rides, which chose not to renew its PT115 Adventure Aviation certificate, leading to the cessation of its operations at the end of May.
The Spitfire TR IX, pictured at Ardmore Airport in Auckland, is en route to the UK, where it will continue to offer rides. This aircraft, registered as ZK WDQ (civilian) or MH 367 (Royal Air Force designation), was originally built at the Castle Bromwich factory in July 1943 as a Mark IX with a Merlin 61 engine. MH 367 saw combat with No. 65 Squadron RAF, with its first operational sortie on August 15, 1943, and its last on April 18, 1945. The aircraft was scrapped in 1948 but was later rebuilt in the US using parts from several aircraft, taking to the skies again in November 2006. It made its first flight in New Zealand in May 2008, adorned in the desert livery of Squadron Leader Colin Gray, New Zealand’s highest-scoring WWII ace. Previously, the Spitfire had been used for charter flights out of Ardmore Airport. Following the end of operations, Liz Needham, one of the pilots, has transitioned to flying the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair.
