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Post by Dave Homewood on May 30, 2011 15:39:12 GMT 12
I thought I heard a wocka wocka fly over here twice today too. Same one maybe?
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Post by madaero on May 30, 2011 16:17:29 GMT 12
thats an awesome photo ykato,well done.
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Post by McFly on May 30, 2011 19:18:31 GMT 12
The RNZAF had a detachment there, with two (I think) leased Hueys. They were not our own ones, and from memory they may have had twin engines. they were white with UN markings. The RNZAF has also operated white Hueys in East Timor (as well aa orange one). Those were from our own fleet. On the 25th April 1982, the Rotary Wing Aviation Unit (RWAU) comprising of an ANZAC (RNZAF & RAAF) unit operating 10 UH-1H Iroquois helicopters, was officially formed and started operating within a organisation separate from the UN, known as the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) based in the Eastern sector of the Sinai peninsula Egypt, near the Israeli border.  The origin of the MFO stems back to March 1979 when Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, which brought to an end the state of war which had existed between the two nations since 1948. Under the terms of the Treaty both parties were to request the United Nations provide independent forces and observers to supervise the Israeli withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula and monitor the security arrangements. With the signing of the Protocol, New Zealand and Australia agreed to contribute 10 UH-1H Iroquois helicopters (2 RNZAF with kiwi roundels and 8 RAAF) and a total of 135 personnel. The New Zealand and Australian personnel arrived in the Sinai in March 1982 and commenced setting up operations at the then Israeli Air base of Eitam. On the 25th April 1982 the MFO and the RWAU officially commenced operations and simultaneously the Israeli’s withdrew from the Sinai (which they had occupied since the 1967 war) and the base was renamed to the Egyptian name of El Gorah. The MFO’s Rotary Wing Aviation Unit provided primary transportation for the Observers from their base in the Northern Sinai in their verification and reconnaissance missions throughout the four treaty zones making up the Sinai Peninsula, and throughout the desert from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, they provided logistic support flights to remote outposts in the sectors assigned to the various battalions attached to the MFO. The unit also provided “flight following” and meteorological services to all Force aviation elements, maintained a search and rescue/aero medical evacuation capability and conveyed VIP’s on inspection visits. The combined unit soon became known to all as the ANZAC’s and earned a reputation as first-class helicopter operators and the catalyst for social mixing of the 11 nationalities represented in the Force. During the four years of operations, they logged over 16,400 hours in the air without an accident! A remarkable record in such an austere and demanding environment. Desert sands and dust played havoc with the helicopters engines and systems, which had to be overhauled and serviced at twice the normal rate for operations at home. The ANZAC’s were also popular with the Egyptians and Israelis. They made frequent journeys outside the Sinai Peninsular zone on duty and on leave. Their particular gift for establishing a rapport with other nationalities was perhaps epitomised by the Egyptian government’s approval for two ANZAC (1 RNZAF & 1 RAAF) helicopters to be photographed from the air against the background of Cairo and the Pyramids. Photography from the air is normally forbidden and red tape is ever present. On the 31 March 1986 the ANZAC RWAU was withdrawn and the role was taken over by a Canadian Defence Force (since replaced by the US Army). The RAAF squeezed their 8 Iroquois, 75 personnel and kit into a USAF C-5 Galaxy and headed home, two weeks later the RNZAF handed their 2 helicopters over to the US Army for their continued use in the theatre, and headed home in a 40 Sqn 727. So closed a chapter in the RNZAF’s and 3 Squadrons history with the MFO’s RWAU and perhaps it set the building blocks as one of the RNZAF’s first large scale peace keeping deployments and operations and helped prepare the foundation for subsequent helicopter operations. ANZAC UH-1H helicopters operating at the summit of Mt Sinai (height 2285 m/7500 ft) near the St. Catherine Monastery. Beats walking up…  Exit was only via the left-hand side of the helicopter for obvious reasons…!  North Camp – Flightline  |
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Post by Ykato on May 30, 2011 22:29:31 GMT 12
I thought I heard a wocka wocka fly over here twice today too. Same one maybe? Left Cherry Lane approx 3pm  Thanks Madaero |
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Post by Ykato on May 30, 2011 22:37:09 GMT 12
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Post by Ykato on May 30, 2011 22:46:20 GMT 12
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Post by Ykato on May 30, 2011 22:52:24 GMT 12
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Post by Ykato on May 30, 2011 23:10:06 GMT 12
HSX Departs
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Post by Ykato on May 31, 2011 18:22:21 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 31, 2011 18:30:54 GMT 12
Thanks for that inormation on the Sinai mission Marty. That was really interesting, and great photos. One of the RNZAF's long forgotten successes on the world stage.
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Post by flyjoe180 on May 31, 2011 20:34:58 GMT 12
Yes, those Sinai photos are very good, cheers.
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Post by McFly on Jun 1, 2011 17:31:02 GMT 12
A few more photos from my time in the Sinai UH-1H operated by the RNZAF over North Camp. El Gorah.  The ANZAC two-ship (Kiwi, Aus) Iroquois flight around the pyramids in Cairo.  UH-1H Operated by the RNZAF over the Sinai desert.  On the Summit of Mt Sinai again.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 1, 2011 19:07:11 GMT 12
Great photos, these Iroquois look really cool. Was it always the same two aircraft in RNZAF service there or did they rotate others through the pair during the years there? I nte the colour scheme changed, some have black tops to the boom and engine cowls, others don't.
Does anyone have a close up of the UN marking on the doors?
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Post by McFly on Jun 1, 2011 20:14:35 GMT 12
Great photos, these Iroquois look really cool. Was it always the same two aircraft in RNZAF service there or did they rotate others through the pair during the years there? I note the colour scheme changed, some have black tops to the boom and engine cowls, others don't. Does anyone have a close up of the UN marking on the doors? Here is the MFO logo as seen on the doors of the Iroquois helicopters.  Dave, As far as I can recall, the two 'Kiwi' Heuys at the end were still the original ones as supplied by the US Army at the beginning of the deployment four years earlier. We did all the minor and major servicings in theatre, with the group servicing or overhauls being carried out by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel. As a point of difference, the 8 RAAF UH-1Hs had the upward directed tail pipe to deflect the hot exhaust gasses into the rotor down-wash to reduce the heat signature as well as shielded panels alongside the intake screens. The two 'Kiwi' birds were conventional. Towards the end of the deployment there was a lot of talk about the NZ Government (& the RNZAF) making an offer to the US Govt to purchase these two Hueys to supplement the fleet back in NZ. As such, there was a concerted effort by the Kiwi's to 'liberate' as many zero time and new UH-1H spare parts as we could from the US Army and Aussie stores. These included most of the interior including the seats, all the doors, new skids, drive train components (I think a transmission and tail rotors) plus lost of small but useful parts. They were probably the best looking and smoothest helicopters to be found anywhere around that part of the world. Unfortunately there seemed to be a distinct lack of will from our Govt and the deal never came to fruition  . A team of Americans came over from the US Army Iroquois depot maintenance team in Corpus Christi in Texas USA. The intention was to assess these two helicopters to determine how and to what depth of maintenance would be required back home to re-induct these back in to the US Army inventory. They were surprised to find that these two helicopters were in remarkable condition and far exceeded any of the current US Army helicopters standards in theatre and so they were immediately put into service by the US Army and another two of theirs were sent State Side for overhaul. Great testament to our engineering and the standards we maintain. Here are another two of the badges that we had.   |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 1, 2011 21:22:38 GMT 12
Great stuff. I love that badge with the came; on it.
So 488 sitting on the top of Mt Sinai is an RAAF one then, judging by the exhaust. Interesting all this, thanks for the inside stories of this detachment. No. 3 Squadron has a very proud history with its Iroquois helicopters when you look at it, Sinai desert, Antarctic, jungle ops in Timor and Fiji, etc, search and rescue in the bush, on mountains and at sea, and all the army support stuff. What a remarkaly successful aircraft the Iroquois has proven to be for the RNZAF. I recall back in about 1991 they took one to the UK where it won the prize for best helicopter at the International Helimeet. To helicopters, top crews, top maintenance. We'll miss them when they are finally phased out.
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Post by kiwiinoz on Jun 1, 2011 23:13:06 GMT 12
While I was there "450" had a bad case of "pylon rock" I helped change the lift beam to try and fix it, we even resorted to checking the rock in the evenings and morning when there was no wind to get it in limits.
In the end we squeezed it into a Transal and sent it back to the States
to have most of the pylon honeycomb panels replaced.
And to our surprise it even came back, all fixed.
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Post by Ykato on Jun 2, 2011 10:10:08 GMT 12
ZK-HSX Back again today - Very cool.  |
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Post by Ykato on Jun 2, 2011 18:58:05 GMT 12
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Post by Ykato on Jun 4, 2011 9:24:27 GMT 12
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Post by Ykato on Jun 7, 2011 17:10:14 GMT 12
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Thanks Madaero
. A team of Americans came over from the US Army Iroquois depot maintenance team in Corpus Christi in Texas USA. The intention was to assess these two helicopters to determine how and to what depth of maintenance would be required back home to re-induct these back in to the US Army inventory. They were surprised to find that these two helicopters were in remarkable condition and far exceeded any of the current US Army helicopters standards in theatre and so they were immediately put into service by the US Army and another two of theirs were sent State Side for overhaul. Great testament to our engineering and the standards we maintain.
