Sally Kerr Sally Kerr

Celebrations for NZ Aero with the launch of the SuperPac 750XL-II

We were delighted to attend the launch of the SuperPac 750XL-II at NZ Aero, New Zealand’s only aircraft manufacturer on Wednesday 22nd November.

The SuperPac is the newest and improved version of the 750XL aircraft - with a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140A 900 SHP engine and Hartzell 4 blade 100” propeller. In addition, the aircraft features a state of the art Garmin G600 TXi EFIS and GTN 650 avionics suite.

The extensive flight testing programme has proven that this aircraft is quieter than the basic 750XL and uses 10% less fuel, whilst still having excellent short take off and landing abilities.

In addition, on display was the SuperFalco, created by Andy Stevenson Aviation, the agricultural variant of the aircraft with a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140AG 900 SHP engine and Hartzell 4 blade 100” propeller.

These new aircraft are suited for utility, parachuting, agricultural use, fire fighting, medevac or providing aid into remote locations.

Flight Structures staff the Design Office for NZ Aero and have done so since the new ownership in 2021. We have had a team of up to six people involved at peak times, scaling up and down as needed. Achieving a Type Certificate amendment is a big deal - there are only a handful of Type Certificates in the history of aviation in NZ. We also acknowledge staff and contractors from previous years who contributed to this project.

Flight Structures have worked with Andy Stevenson for many years and helped him gain the STC for the first Falco aircraft, currently in use around NZ. The contribution of Andy was honoured on the day along with that of Brian Hare, a previous owner.

There were a fleet of aircraft on display representing the history of the predecessors to the 750XL.

There was significant media coverage for this wonderful event and we offer our congratulations to the team at NZ Aero both for the launch event and for the tenacity to see this project to completion.

For the One News article please view here

For the Newstalk ZB interview with NZ Aero CEO Stephen Burrows please listen here.

For the Newshub coverage please view here

For the Waikato Times article please read here

To view some coverage of the launch event please click here

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Sally Kerr Sally Kerr

Jon Kerr awarded Meritorious Service

On Friday 3rd November 2023 Jon Kerr was awarded a Silver Meritorious Service Award from the Royal Aeronautical Society New Zealand Division.

This award recognises Jon’s leadership and service to the industry for 30 years as a Delegate of the NZ Civil Aviation Authority, Designer, Project Manager and Mentor, and for his leadership at Flight Structures Ltd.

It was a busy week for Jon as he was a speaker both at the RAeS Symposium as well as at the Design Delegates Day, both held in Parliament Buildings in Wellington.

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Sally Kerr Sally Kerr

Snowshoes for the H145

Flight Structures has developed snowshoes for the H145 (MBB-BK117 D-2 and D-3). Working with a local client, we developed the snowshoes from our existing BK117 snowshoes, designing, prototyping and testing in house. The snowshoes are manufactured at Flight Structures and sold with a CAANZ Form One.

The BK117 snowshoes are our best selling product so we are pleased to have another product to work with the growing H145 fleet.

To find out more refer to the H145 products for sale page.

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Sally Kerr Sally Kerr

Looking back as we look forward to celebrating 20 years....

In the second instalment of looking back at older photos for the archive we are remembering some of the launches and trips staff members have been involved in. If you want to check out the first instalment with work- do photos please refer to this link . There’s a mix here of older and newer photos over the last 20 years.

  • International work trips have included heading to the USA, Australia, Papua New Guinea, China, Japan, England, France, Canada and Italy - most recently in 2023 with three staff heading to the Mojave Desert. These trips have focussed around certification, prototyping and product development, and relationship building.

  • Flight Structures staff have attended many CAANZ Delegates Days, conferences in NZ and internationally, and hold our own in house sessions (one pictured at Waikato Stadium). Jon took some of our products to Perth in 2019.

  • In 2019 we celebrated Murray winning the EA Gibson Award for the Royal Aeronautical Engineering Society.

  • Product and aircraft launches included the Alpha Type Certificate in 2006 and the unveiling of IRU back in 2013.

  • We have hosted a few guests here in Hamilton - photos include team Merlin in 2022, the board of Westpac Rescue- Auckland in 2017 and Chinese Civil Aviation back in 2012.

As we move closer to our 20 year anniversary keep an eye out for more photos and more news.

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Sally Kerr Sally Kerr

Flight Testing the SuperFalco

Last week was a great week for the SuperFalco team….Andy Stevenson Aviation, Farmers Air, Hamilton Aero Maintenance, and Flight Structures.

Flight testing was conducted with five flights over two days. It’s a collaborative process involving the Test Pilot, Flight Test Engineers, and Maintenance - with the purpose being to gather data for R&D and potentially certification.

The SuperFalco is based on the PAC750XL Airframe with the Pratt and Whitney PT6A-140Ag engine, the MVP -50T Electronic Instrument Display and other improvements to make this a safe, cost effective spreader.

The photos tell some of the story - you don’t see the preparation in advance of the flight testing, and the wrap up work on reports happening now. We will be releasing video next week.




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Sally Kerr Sally Kerr

Update First Quarter 2023

We are at the end of the first quarter of 2023. It’s been a hard time for so many in NZ with Cyclone Gabrielle and the ongoing fallout from the last few years. Flight Structures have been extremely busy with work including:

  • Certification support on major projects;

  • Prototyping and development for Aero Medical work;

  • Ongoing aircraft development projects;

  • Production of aero medical and role equipment.

We have updated our website with a “Products in Stock” section, check it out here. We have also had a new Graduate Engineer join the team and a new CNC Programmer and Operator. You can check out the full team here.

There’s been a lot happening behind the scenes too with a new inventory system, ongoing internal training and we are starting to think about our 20 year celebration in October 2023. As we start to look back here are a few images (from social occasions) from the last 20 years with more to come.


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Sally Kerr Sally Kerr

Christmas Closedown 2022

Flight Structures will be closed for two weeks from 23rd December 2022, reopening on Monday 9th January 2023. It’s the best time for staff to get together with their whanau and regroup. It’s been a good year for Flight Structures in 2022, with lots of achievements and progress on major projects. But it has not been easy - sickness, supply chain delays and change have made us more than ready to take a break.

Wishing all our clients, suppliers and partners all the best for a safe, happy holiday and a prosperous 2023.

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Sally Kerr Sally Kerr

Type Certificate Amendment for Glass Cockpit on 750XL

Flight Structures is proud to announce that the 750XL EFIS system (glass cockpit) has been approved by CAA NZ Type Certificate Amendment.

This system is a full glass cockpit consisting of a Garmin G600TXi, GTN750 and 750 Navigation and Communications units, MVP-50T Engine Instrument, and a MD302 Standby Attitude Module.

We congratulate NZ Skydive Ltd (manufacturers of 750XL aircraft) on reaching this milestone and thank the Civil Aviation Authority for their support to see the project through to completion.

Flight Structures has managed the design office for NZ Skydive Ltd since mid-2021 . Well done to our team, and to all involved at all stages of the project to get to this point.

Glass Cockpit on the 750XL
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