This Site is dedicated to all those families of the people that have tragically disappeared on flights in and around New Zealand. I only hope that from all the effort in building this site and from all the effort of those taking part in this venture, that it will bear fruit in bringing ‘closure’ to their memories!
Gavin Grimmer
Gavin Grimmer
About Myself
Hi,
I’m 55 years old (as in 2008), and got my Private Pilots Licence in 1985.
In 1992 to 1995 I built my own aeroplane and have flown it ever since. It is a Canadian designed aircraft known as a Maranda Super 14. I first flew it with a Nissan six cylinder diesel engine that I had converted for aircraft use. After 60 hrs flying and some rather anxious moments I removed the diesel and fitted a Continental 0300 and after roughly 300 hours on that motor, I replaced that with a Toyota Lexus V8 that I had developed for it. I’ve now done a further approx. 350 hours and it is still going very well.
I’ve been researching the whereabouts of the missing Dragonfly virtually full time for over a year now (current date: 23 Oct 2008) and through this research it became very apparent that there was a very great need of a means for everyone that was interested in finding lost aircraft to communicate their ideas and theories with each other, so hence I set about learning how to build this website.
Although I created this site, I do not look upon it as my site, but as everyone's, of like mind, that wish to find these “long overdue to be found” aircraft, and in so doing, provide some finality for the families and friends of these lost souls.
Please feel free to use it as much as you like but I would ask you to bare in mind and be vigilant in what you say to avoid any further hurt to these families and friends.
As already mention on the home page, I have had a lot of success from extensive research on three of these aircraft and the simplest way to explain where I started on this project is to include here the first chapter from my book which has, in an earlier version, already been published in the form of an article by Investigate Magazine (NZ) and NZ Aviation News:
I’m 55 years old (as in 2008), and got my Private Pilots Licence in 1985.
In 1992 to 1995 I built my own aeroplane and have flown it ever since. It is a Canadian designed aircraft known as a Maranda Super 14. I first flew it with a Nissan six cylinder diesel engine that I had converted for aircraft use. After 60 hrs flying and some rather anxious moments I removed the diesel and fitted a Continental 0300 and after roughly 300 hours on that motor, I replaced that with a Toyota Lexus V8 that I had developed for it. I’ve now done a further approx. 350 hours and it is still going very well.
I’ve been researching the whereabouts of the missing Dragonfly virtually full time for over a year now (current date: 23 Oct 2008) and through this research it became very apparent that there was a very great need of a means for everyone that was interested in finding lost aircraft to communicate their ideas and theories with each other, so hence I set about learning how to build this website.
Although I created this site, I do not look upon it as my site, but as everyone's, of like mind, that wish to find these “long overdue to be found” aircraft, and in so doing, provide some finality for the families and friends of these lost souls.
Please feel free to use it as much as you like but I would ask you to bare in mind and be vigilant in what you say to avoid any further hurt to these families and friends.
As already mention on the home page, I have had a lot of success from extensive research on three of these aircraft and the simplest way to explain where I started on this project is to include here the first chapter from my book which has, in an earlier version, already been published in the form of an article by Investigate Magazine (NZ) and NZ Aviation News:
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