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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 4, 2011 23:52:44 GMT 12
Thanks for that article and photos. That must have been a huge bang when they came down.
There were a lot of great characters on the NATTS Squadron when I worked in No. 6 Hangar Les. I'm not sure if you were there when I was (1991-1993), but I think Steve was still with NATTS for part of that and was with Tech Sqn at the end after NATTS was shut down. W/O Blue Molloy was in charge of the groundies in my time. There was a Sgt Findlayson, I forget his first name, he did an exchange with the RAF and then came back. Sgt Trevor Platt was another NATTS guy then. Other great characters included F/Sgt Blue Freeman and GSH Jim Coleman, who I liked immensely. I forget the names of most of the baggies, but Mitch Button was one. I can see all the other faces but the names escape me. Anyway, I digress.
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Post by shorty on Jul 5, 2011 7:25:29 GMT 12
When I was a sergeant at PTS Steve was on of my corporals ( a very new one)
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Post by camtech on Jul 6, 2011 20:31:11 GMT 12
I was NCO i/c Natts Maintenance Dec 84 to Jun 87. Ian Finlayson was around then. Somewhere is a copy of Natts staff and aircrew, plus I have a printout of the tech staff, their qualifications and training. I'll dig it out and put a list of those who were there then up. Blue Freeman was an electrician of the old school. Trevor Platt is another name I remember. I took over from Blue Molloy and was succeeded by Graham Smith - all of us came from or to 2TTS.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 6, 2011 21:19:41 GMT 12
Blue Molloy was W/O i/c of NATTS in my time, 1991-the end, so he must have returned. It was a bit confusion having the top and second ranked men at NATTS both called Blue. I don't know if they had real first names. The aircrew guys there were all nice chaps too, they always said hi to lowly S&S baggies like me. It was a sad day when they disbanded NATTS, the beginning of the end of Wigram in fact.
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Post by camtech on Jul 10, 2011 12:47:51 GMT 12
Blue Molloy as Wo I/c was Wayne, can't remember the other's name. Air crew wise we had a damn good bunch - Craig Inch, Bill Sommer, Pete Stockwell (now CAF) are three who come to mind straight off
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Post by raymond on Jan 22, 2018 17:55:34 GMT 12
Blue Freeman both Avionics
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Post by camtech on Jan 22, 2018 19:43:17 GMT 12
Blue Freeman, as a W/O, was in charge when the F27s were sold and led the team getting them ready for departure. If memory serves me, he was a skeet shooter and represented the air force.
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Post by raymond on Jan 22, 2018 20:45:44 GMT 12
Yes I last saw him a while ago but he was working in the AE branch in Wellington at the time as a civie
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jan 23, 2018 6:54:20 GMT 12
Blue Malloy is in Christchurch, works for Corrections.
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Post by camtech on Jan 23, 2018 10:35:33 GMT 12
Caught up with him about three years ago. Thought he would have retired by now.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jan 23, 2018 11:57:51 GMT 12
I think he is close to retiring, may have already done so.
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ger
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 7
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Post by ger on Jan 24, 2018 23:23:31 GMT 12
I guess we will find out what Blue Molloy, along with many others from the '70's and '80's, has/have been doing at the 2TTS reunion in March. He has registered to attend as have many others I am keen to catch up with. Soem names are missing... As I recall Blue was an instructor when I was there (2TTS) in 1978/1979.
I have been out of the RNZAF a long time. What was/is NATTS?
Geoff.
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Post by tbf25o4 on Jan 25, 2018 7:23:11 GMT 12
NATTS = Navigation and Air Telecommunications Training School (trained Navs and AEOPS)
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ger
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 7
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Post by ger on Jan 25, 2018 15:50:40 GMT 12
I should have known that...
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Post by raymond on Jan 25, 2018 22:08:14 GMT 12
Both Blues served at 2TTS Im sure they were both there at the same time once. There was a corner of the staff room painted with red and black strips which was where at least Blue Malloy used to hang around
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Post by phil on Jan 28, 2018 17:11:27 GMT 12
I still work in 3 Hangar at Ohakea, it will be interesting to pass on this piece of information to the others who work there too.
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Post by chewy on Mar 5, 2018 18:25:21 GMT 12
I was in the Skin bay at the time. I went there after Shorty and Heck moved out.Sandy Sandford was my boss.
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Post by snaphead on Mar 7, 2018 13:44:21 GMT 12
I realize this is a little off subject I recall the AMS (4 hangar) doors being modified after the A-4's arrived and the hangar floor was "whitened" To make it easier to see and new lights were fitted (the ones that take forever to warm up) and people complained about headaches and vision problems and the hangar doors were fitted with I think green plastic panels.
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Post by snaphead on Mar 7, 2018 13:51:52 GMT 12
I came across Blue Freeman at SafeAir as an Electrician when I did a CAA approved (AirNZ ) training course for SafeAir in the early 1990's
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Post by saratoga on Mar 7, 2018 17:06:58 GMT 12
I knew a guy called Graham(can't recall his last name),an engineering officer, he had big trouble with those AMS hangar lights,apparently he was the main resason they were eventually changed.
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