RNZAF - Commercial Charter Operator!

[Dave Homewood]

Here's an interesting fact, NZ Wings from Sept 1988 reports that a No. 40 Squadron Hercules was chartered by Air New Zealand to deliver a replacement engine to one of its Boeing 767's that was stranded in Singapore.

Air New Zealand paid the RNZAF around $250,000 for the deal! That's a lot of money back then.

Have there been other commercial ventures where payment received for the RNZAF doing commercial work (apart from the Walt Disney deal which hired aircraft and base for the Rescue film, and the Tiger Beer commercial made at Wigram)

[Bruce]

There have been instances when the RNZAF leased Bristol freighters to SAFE Air to cover temporary shortages of aircraft, and of course on several occaisions when the Cook Straight ferry crews were on strike they operated air bridge services between Wellington and Blenheim (at least one instance with Bristols freighters and at least once with Herks).

[Dave Homewood]

I never realised the RNZAF leased its aircraft to SAFE. Interesting. There was talk of leasing out some of the Andovers at one stage but it was decided it was too costly to refit them for passengers.

I knew they have covered the ferry crossings several times but I always assumed that was a Government run humanitarian thing rather than a commercial enterprise.

[Bruce]

I would think that the ferry coverage flights would have been "Semi Commercial" in nature as with limited space available, some charge was made for the priviledge.