F27 NATTS Flight

[obiwan27]

Back around 1983 when I was still in the Air Training Corps I was staffing a SNCO course at Wigram during the school holidays. A few days before the end of the course we were treated to a flight in one of the NAATS F27s.
My memory of the flight was that is was an extremely blustery day with rain showers about. Our first take off was aborted and the aircraft taxied back for some tlc from the ground crew that took about 30 minutes or so and then we were off into the wild blue yonder.
It's the first ever flight that I have ever seen anyone turn green due to airsickness and spend the rest of the flight barfing into an airsick bag.
Fortunately neither I nor any of the other cadets was affected and I was able to take some shots from the observation 'dome' on the port side of the aircraft.
We flew up the coast as far north as Amberley and then headed back south of the city and up over the hill overhead Akaroa. Then back around the peninsula, flying up over Diamond Harbour and Lyttelton before heading back to land at Wigram.
Unfortunately I only had a handful of shots left on my roll of film, how did we ever get on before digital cameras?

[beagle]

I remember catching a flight back from Whenuapai after an airshow there, 1983 I think, and listenening into the cock pit from where I was sitting at a bubble window with head set, the pilot had been asked by kids on the open day " How many Japs have ya shot down"

[Dave Homewood]

Bloody brilliant story Beags! ;D

[snaphead]

I was ncoi/c airframes at NATTS and I remember taking ATC guys for local flights. One incident which we all thought was hilarious occured during August school holidays. (Can't remember which year ). e had a sumpy on the crew called Doug Crutch (That really was his name) and he had a habit of vollenteering to go on these flights. His party trick was to fill an air sick bag with Watties fruit salad and if there was any light turbulence to stand up and say " I'm feeling sick", pretend to barf into the sick bag, then bring out his plastic spoon and start eating the fruit salad. All the ATC guys would come out in sympathy. Doug got sick of this trick when we ordered him to clean up the mess!

[beagle]

Doug Crutch. Doug bloody Crutch.
Had to spend motel room with him all the way to the UK and back. 13 nights.

[snaphead]

Doug was alright (well humanoid anyway), he did have the gift of the gab. Along with Pete Kiddey these two where known as the "terrible twins". They were always scheming things, it was those two who earned the ground crew at NATTS the title "The Leper Colony". When the original NATS was set up these two would "scrounge" what we needed as support equipment!! If it wasn't painted battleship grey or that yuk green and did not have an inventory mark on it, it was "ours"!! The stories and jokes these two could tell was phenominal.

[ngatimozart]

The old fruit salad and sick bag trick is an old one. Saw pulled on an NAC Friendship between WB an Wgtn once. Funny as.

[Eng]

Randy Stone (Sig) owned a very impressive piece of plastic vomit (carrots mince etc ) when wet it looked the genuine article .
New nav posted onto Sunderlands at Laucala Bay. First trip up this newby was seated at his Nav desk when Randy ( The weather WAS a little bit lumpy ) leaped out of his seat and lurched over to the Nav position holding his head low over the poor lads NEW chart . When he straightened up he mumbled "sorry" and resumed his seat .
I have never seen such a film of mixed emotions cross a persons face before .

[Dave Homewood]

Great stories, keep them coming guys.

[zolteg]

Cross posted from the RNZAF Communications Facebook page;

The F27, a beautiful aircraft. Slow, but a nice ride all the same. Remember having to do a visit to the School of Sigs in Waiouru. Had planned the SATS to Ohakea, then Army bus to Waiouru. The OC says "that's a waste of time (travelling - 2 days), we need a NAVEX up that way". Flying into Waiouru airfield, the Army could'nt get over it. Aircrew to the O's Mess for lunch. <REDACTED> and <REDACTED> to School of Sigs for visit and home in time for dinner. Now that's the way to org a staff visit.

[camtech]

Slow alright, but made a trip to Singapore and back far more interesting. Different places visited - besides the usual , but this time a fuel stop in Alice Springs on the way home, then overnight Adelaide and via Hobart to Chch.