Hello from the sunny north of New Zealand.

I'm a 68yr old male, just retired from my running own electronics service business for 30 odd years. Learned to fly in a Bantam, then swapped it for a Savannah with VG upgrade which was built on the Gold Coast in Australia.

Ive done 40hrs solo so far, and am enjoying learning the technical stuff as much as the flying. I'm particularly interested in learning about the maintenance of the engine and airframe, which is how I stumbled across this forum.

I see there are a few people in Queensland who own or are building Savannahs. My wife and I are driving from Brisbane to Cairns over a couple of weeks in Aug-Sept 2019 and I'd like to see one partly contructed I'd love to talk to any owners in the area who have time for a chat.

Hey there, Savvypilot.

There are quite a few builds that I know of underway in NZ too:

Roger in Raglan, rumours of one in Hastings(?), myself, Fallowdeer and 80knots here in the Wairarapa.

Fallowdeer also owns and has been flying a VG for a number of years.

And Perry, also in ther Wairarapa, completed his build about a year ago.

There are also a number under way in the S Island, I don't have any details on them, but no doubt the Savannah agent, Philip Seale at Westwind aviation, would have the complete picture.

Look forward to seeing you out there, some day!

Hi savvypilot,

Welcome to the forum.

I am one of the builders that Bob wrote about. If ever you are this way, feel free to see us. Perry and Bob have finished their build and almost finished their build respectively. I am only at the beginning of my project and, if work did not get in the way, I would have been more advanced.

Did you import your Savannah from Australia yourself or was there an in-between New Zealand owner?

Kind regards,

Hank

Mmmm, Ruakaka, a place where my wife holiday-ed every summer while she was growing up and told me about fantastic memories of endless summers. As a result we camped there there for two summers in a row but both times we were heavily rained upon. The second time, most tents had to be dismantled or were destroyed by massive winds and people had to shelter in the community hall.

Hopefully, when you are flying in your area, the winds are not so crazy.

My wife and I are driving from Brisbane to Cairns over a couple of weeks in Aug-Sept 2019

G`Day savvypilot, If you do get up to Cairns you and your wife are welcome to come in and have a chat!

Franco.

I am in Brisbane and have built a VG XL 7 or so years ago which I still fly and currently rebuilding a wreck I bought. If your coming through here then certainly we can meet up. I am near the Caboolture airfield it around 35km north of Brisbane airport on the highway north This is my original build blog Another NEW Savannah XL on its way and this is my current rebuild blog My Savannah S model rebuild Blog Hopefully though the rebuild will be done by the time you are here as around that time this year I should be getting my next kit to build which is the new Rans S21 Outbound