ZK-BJT       Cessna 170B                (c/n  26671)

                                          

                                               This photograph was taken, not in New Zealand, but at Moorabbin Airport, Melbourne,
                                               in 1956.  Dave Irons, in New Zealand advises the reason for this:  It was, in fact, a Rural
                                               Aviation demonstration aircraft, and they decided to do a tour of Australia even though,
                                               at that time, import licences for US aircraft were not yet being given   They were, soon
                                               afterwards however, and began a glut of "Wichita Spam Cans" in Oz, but that's another
                                               story.  Dave indicates that he disassembled ZK-BJT at Rogotai Airport (now Wgtn) and
                                               put it on the steamship "Wanganella" as deck cargo.  After its tour of Australia it was
                                               shipped back across the Tasman and he was tasked with reassembling it in Auckland.
                                               From there it was flown back to New Plymouth, and was sold to the Hawera Aero Club.
                                               This aircraft is still flying in New Zealand, owned by the Lucas and Smith syndicate from
                                               Mt White station in Canterbury.