Winging through the sky.....

An awesome day for flying and even better being seated on the 'All Black' ATR 72-600 with its light grey interior, dark grey trimmings and almost spotless windows - I was a proud Kiwi.

ATR 72-600, ZK-MVA was brought into service on 23 October 2012 for Air New Zealand subsidary Mount Cook Airline. Painted completely in black with a silver fern mofit covering the aft section of the fuselarge, it has a revised cabin layout and a RNP navigation to allow flights into New Zealand's more marginal weather dependant airports such as Wellington, Queenstown, Rotorua and Hamilton.

Leaving Christchurch we flew over the mighty Waimakiriri River with the Southern Alps in the distance. Being so clear I was able to see the comparison between the Waimakariri River and the smaller Ashley River, both braided with shingle beds and the small town of Rangiora on the South Bank of the Ashley River. The airfield is just above the round racecourse with white buildings being hangars just beside the river, the spot where many of my blips have been taken.

The Southern Alps were basking in sunlight as were the Marlborough Sounds but the view which really caught my eye today was of Mount Taranaki on the west coast of the North Island. An active stratovolcano the mountain is 2518m high and is one of the most symmetrical cones of the world. Because of its resemblance to Mount Fuji Taranaki provided the backdrop for the movie The Last Samurai. The last eruption was in the 1850s or 1860s. Egmont National Park surrounds the mountain.

I've been busting to get a shot of one of the six 'All Black' planes and never ever thought I would get the chance to fly in one Hubby thought this one was going to Queenstown, but no - it was taking me to Rotorua, it had to be my blip for today - it may never happen again.