VH-PDV. Convair 580. c/n 507.

Was also registered as: N5124; N8124; C-GTTE; ZK-KSA; C-GYXC.

This aircraft was originally ordered by the United States Navy as an R4Y-2T '146955' but was not taken up

Construction completed as Convair 440-62 - February 17, 1958

Powered by Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB-16 Double Wasp engines

The aircraft was stored at San Diego pending its sale

An intended sale to REAL (Redes Estaduias Aereas Limited), Brazil did not eventuate and it remained stored

Sold to General Motors Corporation - November 1959

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N5124 - ?

Converted to 580 standard by Pacific Airmotive Corp, Burbank as Conversion #PAC9 - May 23 - August 18, 1960

Powered by Allison 501-D13 turboprop engines

Delivered to General Motors Corporation - August 18, 1960

Reregistered N8124 - August 07, 1995

Sold to Cypress Jetprop Charter Ltd - April 25, 1996

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - April 25, 1996

Entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as C-GTTE - April 25, 1996

Cypress Air Charters ceased all operations - January 1997

Departed Kelowna on the ferry flight to New Zealand- July 1997

It arrived at Auckland on completion of the ferry flight from Canada - July 21, 1997

Sold to Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter - July 21, 1997

Leased to Air Chathams (New Zealand) as the registered operator - July 22, 1997

Cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register - July 22, 1997

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-KSA - Augustv 06, 1997

Registered to Air Chathams, New Zealand

Sub-leased to IHL Australia Pty Ltd, Brisbane - August 06, 1997

The registration 'VH-IHL' was not taken up

Sub-leased to King Solomon Airways (Solomon Islands) - August ?, 1997

Returned to IHL Australia Pty Ltd and ferried Honiara - Cairns - March 03, 1998

The aircraft was withdrawn from service and stored at Cairns

Returned to Air Chathams but it remained at Cairns - August 1998

Commenced a series of charter flights on behalf of Hevi-lift, Papua New Guinea from Cairns to Mt Hagen - August 1998

Ferried Cairns - Brisbane - Palmerston North - January 25 - 30, 2001

Returned to service with Air Chathams - March 09, 2001

It was observed at Auckland with Reef Air-Peau Vava'u Airways (Tonga) titles - April 24, 2005

Ferried Auckland - Nuku'Alofa (Tonga) on delivery - April 27, 2005

Returned to Air Chathams - September 20, 2005

It was observed at Palmerston North in Tauck World Discovery livery and titles - January 25, 2006

Ferried Palmerston - Auckland - February 02, 2006

It arrived at Sydney (Bankstown) as 'Pionair 2' on completion of the ferry flight - February 10, 2006

Delivery route: Christchurch - Sydney (Bankstown)

Operated a proving flight - Sydney (Bankstown) - Coober Pedy - Essendon - Sydney (Bankstown) - February 12, 2006

Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - April 06, 2006

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-PDV - April 10, 2006

Registered to Pionair Australia Pty Ltd

Ferried Sydney (Bankstown) - Palmerston North for maintenance and repaint by Fieldair - December 09, 2006

Rolled out in the new Pioneer livery with 'Southern Cross' tail

Ferried Palmerston North - Sydney (Bankstown) on return to Pioneer - December 31, 2006

Sold to Conair Aviation, Abbotsford, Canada

Most seats were removed at Sydney (Bankstown) for the installation of additional bladder fuel tanks

Deprated Sydney (Kingsford Smith) on the ferry flight to Canada - July 31, 2009

It arrived at Abbotsford on completion of the ferry flight - August ?, 2009

Ferry route: Sydney - Pago Pago - Honolulu - Vancouver - Abbotsford

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 10, 2009

Entered onto the Canadian Aircraft Register as C-GYXC - September 01, 2009

Registered to Conair Group Inc, Abbotsford, BC, Canada

It was withdrawn from Conair service - September 14, 2019

Leased to Buffalo Airways, Canada as the registered operator - May 19, 2021

It did not enter service with Buffalo Airways

The aircraft was parted-out at Red Deer Industrial Airport, Canada - ?

The remains are derelict at Red Deer

Cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register - May 27, 2021

C-GTTE. Cypress Airlines - in the revised livery at Vancouver Airport, July 1996.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-117.)

C-GTTE. Cypress Airlines - in the revised livery at Auckland Airport, July 26, 1997.

(J. Mounce Copyright Image 1029-269.)

ZK-KSA. King Solomon Airways - in the basic 'Cypress Airlines' livery at Cairns Airport, March 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-046.)

ZK-KSA. King Solomon Airways - in the basic 'Cypress Airlines' livery at Brisbane Airport, June 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-186.)

ZK-KSA. King Solomon Airways - in the basic 'Cypress Airlines' livery at Brisbane Airport, June 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-105.)

ZK-KSA. King Solomon Airways - in the basic 'Cypress Airlines' livery at Nelson Airport, November 2000.

(M. Richardson Copyright Image 1029-270.)

ZK-KSA. King Solomon Airways - in the basic 'Cypress Airlines' livery at Queenstown Airport, December 2000.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-187.)

ZK-KSA. Tauck World Discovery - in the original livery at Wellington Airport, February 2002.

(M. Richardson Copyright Image 1029-271.)

ZK-KSA. Tauck World Discovery - in the original livery at Wanaka Airport, April 2002.

(J. Mounce Copyright Image 1029-272.)

ZK-KSA. Tauck World Discovery - in the revised livery at Christchurch Wigram Airport, February 2006.

(P. Sheehan Collection Copyright Image 1029-267.)

VH-PDV. Tauck World Discovery - in the revised livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, May 11, 2006.

(R. Brown Copyright Image 1029-268.)

VH-PDV. Tauck World Discovery - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, August 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-096.)

VH-PDV. Tauck World Discovery - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, August 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-100.)

VH-PDV. Tauck World Discovery - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, September 14, 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-188.)

VH-PDV. Tauck World Discovery - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, September 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-189.)

VH-PDV. Tauck World Discovery - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, September 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-190.)

VH-PDV. Tauck World Discovery - in the revised livery at Brisbane Airport, September 2006.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-099.)

VH-PDV. Pionair Tauck World Discovery - in the final livery at Brisbane Airport, January 2007.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-111.)

VH-PDV. Pionair Tauck World Discovery - in the final livery at Brisbane Airport, January 21, 2007.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-191.)

VH-PDV. Pionair Tauck World Discovery - in the final livery at Brisbane Airport, January 22, 2007.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-192.)

VH-PDV. Pionair Tauck World Discovery - in the final livery at an unknown airport, June 2007.

(J. Mounce Collection Copyright Image 1029-274.)

C-GYXC. Pionair - in the final livery at Abbotsford Airport, October 2009.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1029-159.)