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Post by E.T. on Jun 12, 2012 20:35:56 GMT 12
I seemed to recall that the year I was down there (93/94 summer season) the Kiwi chopper was in it's regular paint scheme, however one of the American ones was in an orange colour scheme. So I checked and yes - a selection of whirlybirds for your perusal: kiwionice.150m.com/album/helo.htmThat year while we were there, the Kiwi bird had a chip light while flying out over the sea ice. Too far from anywhere they had to set it down there and then. Several days and one engine change later (in-situ under a pseudo-tent on the sea ice) they flew it out again. Must have been hell lock-wiring that sucker in place! |
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Post by malcolma on Jun 12, 2012 20:46:21 GMT 12
As promised some pics of the Orange Roughy down on the ice. These are scans from slides so not great. The very blue sky is due to a polarizing filter on the camera. Also results in darker Roughy colour than pics posted above by Lester? But is actually close to what it looked like wearing glacier glasses all the time. The very dark 5th shot is my ineptitude as camera operator and polarizer. Antarctica Dec 1990: Stop off at Marble Point for refuel on way out to fieldcamp at Allan Hills. Fellow Geologists in yellows. And Orange Roughy (Kiwi08) and crew.  K047_Kiwi08_marble_point Orange Roughy and crew at Marble Point. Chap with the white "bunny boots" is US military staffing Marble Point. Always on hand with chocolate brownie for the crew. Note the Footrot Flats characters on door. I think there may have been different ones each year.  Allan Hills field camp. Orange Roughy on second trip bringing out an "Apple". Very slow flight out for them.  Orange Roughy with the grannysmith.  The Apple has landed: Had to be "caught" with an insulated copper gaff with cable to ground. The static build up in the dry Antarctic air is phenomenal.    The Roughy heading back to Scot base/Mactown.  The Roughy came out again bout 8 weeks later to pull us out. With two visits from VXE-6 212's- one a jolly for some H53 drivers and the other dropping off some visiting Geos. The Kiwis on the ice from Scot base were always happy to see the Roughy and crew. Fantastic professionals to fly with. Malcolm |
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Post by ErrolC on Jun 12, 2012 21:02:46 GMT 12
Great stuff, thanks!
Can anyone remember which Footrot Flats characters were used?
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Post by Tony on Jun 12, 2012 21:25:10 GMT 12
Dog
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Post by malcolma on Jun 12, 2012 21:27:20 GMT 12
For the Roughy shots above from the 90/91 season the art work was Wal in NZARP yellows with Dog and Jess (I think) sitting on some snow. I would be keen to hear from the guys that worked in the paintshop, when was the door art actually done and who by? Back in NZ or was it done down on The Ice? I have heard a tale that in the mid 90's one of the geologists from then DSIR now GNS (where I work) got asked to paint some Footrot flats art work on the door of one of the VXE-6 212's. Which he did on condition they sent him a door from one of the 212's. Which apparently he recieved later in the year when they transitioned back to the states. Crop of scan showing close up of Footrot Flats cartoon. Sorry a bit fuzzy.  And bad spleling on my part. Should be Scott Base. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 12, 2012 22:14:27 GMT 12
Super photos Malcolm. That is interesting about the different Footrot Flats artwork that year. Bloody superb. I love the way the painters have even off-centred the No. 3 Squadron Badge to fit the artwork in.
It definitely looks like Jess with Wal and Dog.
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 12, 2012 23:16:11 GMT 12
Wow, what a great selection of images - thanks for sharing. Orange Roughies + Footrot Flat characters = good idea for decal sheet? The USN must have thought NZ was mad operating single-engined choppers down there!  |
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Post by malcolma on Jun 13, 2012 8:14:30 GMT 12
Thanks, glad the pics are of interest.  Probably the only useful RNZAF images I have to contribute to the forum. I have been looking at posts on the site for awhile and enjoying the interesting info,comments and insights that come up. Corsair67: yes it would be intersting to see if more (if any) of the different footrot flats art work could be identified and translated to a decal sheet. From a post I discovered from back in 2007 a template sheet for how the Orange Roughy was painted up in 85 suggests just Dog on the door. My son has ordered up the RNZAF UH-1H orange decal sheet from Oz (come to think of it still waiting). He is keen to paint a UH-1H model he got from the Ohakea Airshow up as the Orange Roughy from 90/91 season. I was down in 89/90 but didn't see the Orange Roughy at all. We only had VXE-6 helos come out for our resupplies that year and we skidoo-sledge from Scott Base to our fieldcamp up on the polar plateau. Although when I did the Tekapo survival course there were a group of air and ground crew on that who were going down with the Roughy. They just about drink as much as geologists. They tried to scare us silly when doing our helo orientation flights and we tired to scare them silly up on Mt Stevenson for the snow training and over-nighter. |
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Post by junior on Jun 13, 2012 8:15:27 GMT 12
Welcome Malcolm, yes please do scan and post your photos. Thanks for confirming that paintshop Junior. I never went over to the No. 3 Squadron hangar paint shop. Am I right in recalling there was also a small paint shop at the General Engineering Flight (GEF) complex on Hobby's wet apron, just near the up road, and in the same building area as the Fabric Bay there? Or am I mis-recalling that entirely? Right again Dave.... Cpl Lim Hock Kee (Limbo) ran the shop there for quite some time til it was shut down as a paint shop and used only for very quick touch ups on components, varnishing wood pieces from the chippie shop or stripping small components using tergostrip.... then when an auditor came around and discovered that the waste sump emptied straight into the upper harbour (complete with all the poisonous tergostrip), the shop was shut for good. |
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Post by E.T. on Jun 13, 2012 22:21:37 GMT 12
Yeah, nice pics - I love the first one with the huge shadow in the foreground. It also looks like the bladders at Marble Point were fuller than when I visited that petrol station away from home - the sea was still frozen and the refuel ship hadn't been in there at that stage (Nov). The USN must have thought NZ was mad operating single-engined choppers down there! Sure 'nuff!!! I was told that at mid season the Kiwi's and VXE6 guys traded crews and one of our guys transferred to them and one of them to fly ours. The first thing the Yanks had to do was learn how to auto-rotate as they don't get taught it since majority of their whirlybirds are twin engined! I was told they hated the experience! |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 13, 2012 22:41:41 GMT 12
Thanks for that Junior. I had totally forgotten about Limbo. I think when I was at Whenuapai he was at No. 3 Squadron from memory. I did a short stint at GEF as an intro to parts of the trade as a u/t, and I am sure at that time the GEF paintshop was run by then-Cpl Rich Harding and LAC Gavin Norrington. I spent a week there with Sgt Bill Billings in the fabric section, upstirs at GEF, and also working there were Leon Coy, and one or two ladies but I cannot recall who they were. The more I think about those days the more I realise our trade at Auckland was pretty huge and there were several people I only knew by site or enough to say hello and nothing else. Not like good old Wigram where we were a tight knit group who all knew each other well.
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Post by gunny on Jun 21, 2012 4:01:29 GMT 12
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Post by zolteg on Jun 21, 2012 22:28:16 GMT 12
Thanks for that Junior. I had totally forgotten about Limbo. I think when I was at Whenuapai he was at No. 3 Squadron from memory. I did a short stint at GEF as an intro to parts of the trade as a u/t, and I am sure at that time the GEF paintshop was run by then-Cpl Rich Harding and LAC Gavin Norrington. I spent a week there with Sgt Bill Billings in the fabric section, upstirs at GEF, and also working there were Leon Coy, and one or two ladies but I cannot recall who they were. The more I think about those days the more I realise our trade at Auckland was pretty huge and there were several people I only knew by site or enough to say hello and nothing else. Not like good old Wigram where we were a tight knit group who all knew each other well. Definite small world stuff. I went to school with Gavin Norrington. Was astounded to run into him in uniform wandering around Whenuapai one day. |
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