De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q300

Mystery Spotter 🇳🇿

15 Apr 2026 · © Eth455NZ

ZK-NED taking off RWY 07

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Comments (1)

Kiwi Aviation · 15 Apr 2026

Love this!

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De Havilland De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q300

De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter (Floatplane/Seaplane)

Aircraft

Dash 8-Q300 DH8C

Air New Zealand \"Black Fern\" livery

ZK-NED

Registration

Airline

Air New Zealand Link

Manufacturer

De Havilland Canada

Achievements

Turboprop Tracker, Runway Royalty, Livery Legend

3 badges earned

Location

Tauranga Airport runway lookout

Tauranga Airport · TRG/NZTG · Runway 07

-37.6713, 176.2020

Open map

Tauranga Airport TRG

Airport

Insights

Aviation History

Mainstay of regional aviation in Australasia; Q300 is a popular regional turboprop with more advanced noise suppression than earlier Dash 8s.

Fleet Rarity

Common in Air New Zealand Link\'s fleet, but fewer than 350 Dash 8-Q300s produced globally.

Record Flights

Used for short regional hops across New Zealand; typical routes under 500 km.

Safety & Events

Generally safe operational history; a few non-fatal landing gear issues or propeller incidents worldwide.

Future Outlook

Likely to remain in service for several years as an essential regional type; successors with new technology under evaluation.

Specifications

Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123

Engine

27.43 m

Wingspan

25.68 m

Length

1,558 km

Range

528 km/h

Speed

50 passengers

Capacity

19,505 kg

MTOW

7.49 m

Height

Each engine: 1,864 kW (2,500 shp)

Thrust

Compliant with ICAO Chapter 4 standards (~75-85 dB on approach)

Noise