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Post by Calum on Mar 15, 2007 13:34:23 GMT 12
- where else in the world can you sit in a cafe looking out onto an operational air base, even wander outside onto the airfield to look at the static display aircraft? Don Surely you haven't forgotten Nowra already. :-)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2007 15:35:20 GMT 12
You used to be able to sit in the cafe at Wigram museum and watch an operational air base too, but instead of the museum shutting, they shut the base! Mind you, it's still an operational airfield with some warbirds on it.
I guess one reason the OH museum is embarrassing to the RNZAF heirachy is the Skyhawk and Blubty stuff in it is all younger than the operational helicopters on the base!
I fully agree that integrating the museum with a recruitment centre would be a great idea, as potential recruits could tour the museum and then tour the base too, to get a feel for the job.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 15, 2007 15:44:12 GMT 12
[/quote] Don Surely you haven't forgotten Nowra already. :-) [/quote] I did! But that has given me an idea... the FAA Museum should approach the RNZAF and move all the Skyhawk/ACF displays to Nowra on a perminant loan basis (including the TA-4). I'm sure they would display them, where-as I'm sure Wigram will just store it all. Phil - maybe you should suggest it to your contacts at the FAA Museum? I know a lot of ex 2 Sqn people here would rather see it go on display at Nowra rather than it end up in storage in NZ.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2007 15:51:34 GMT 12
Not a bad idea Don as it represents both services stationed at Nowra. And the RNZAF Museum may be able to do a deal for something in return too. What does Nowra have for swapsies?
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Post by beagle on Mar 15, 2007 15:53:29 GMT 12
sea sprites
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2007 16:04:07 GMT 12
RNZAF Museum has one of them.
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 15, 2007 16:27:38 GMT 12
I reckon Don is on to a great idea. Those items would fit in beautifully with the exhibits at the FAA Museum. The ADF could even fly a C-17 across to collect it all! Although somehow I just can't see the RNZAF Museum letting go of them.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2007 16:30:08 GMT 12
I don't know, they have been known to swap other double up items and more interesting aircraft, I cannot see any reason why not actually.
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 15, 2007 16:38:27 GMT 12
I was wondering what would happen to the Strikemaster, because they already have NZ6373 at Wigram.
To most people (not me - I have fond memories of the Strikemaster: but then, I never flew them) the Strikemaster was hardly very glamourous, so will never be as popular as a Skyhawk.
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Post by beagle on Mar 15, 2007 16:41:18 GMT 12
I reckon they should have an A4 as a gate guard at OH. It would be longest serving fighter we have ever had
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Post by Bruce on Mar 15, 2007 16:51:56 GMT 12
If theyre going to chuck the blunty out, I'll take it - I'm sure I can find a bit of space at the back of the workshop.... It seems a great pity to loose the Ohakea museum, at least it gave something for the North Islanders who couldnt get down to Wigram. In many respects, the "hands On" interactive exhibits (such as the Strikemaster Wing / Undercarriage demo) were better than Wigram's. They have a great engine collection - displayed far better than the assorted hulks around the walls of the Wigram collection's reserve hangar. Face it Wigram doesnt have enough room as it is, it is far better for some stuff to be on display in the North Island for the main population to enjoy. I'd love to see the Ohakea museum enlarged and given funding to display thier stuff in the manner that the obviously enthusiastic volunteers would really wish. Jolly Bad Show RNZAF "Powers that be".
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Post by FlyNavy on Mar 15, 2007 19:49:10 GMT 12
Don, I have e-mailed a volunteer contact and Bob "Windy" Geale (honorary historian) at the Nowra Museum bobgeale@optusnet.com.au about the Ohakea Museum closing. Don't know if the message got any further. I have not been to the new Nowra museum and I know only Windy and no one else that works there. Too long ago for me now. However when the Royal Australian Navy officially takes over at beginning of May perhaps some service to service contact can be made about your suggestion?
I for one would like to see the Ex-RAN TA4G at Nowra even though it has been modified. It would be a terrific exhibit to highlight the wonderful changes that were made in the KAHU update in comparison to the old "A4G" hanging from the roof there now.
Perhaps if others want to contact Windy perhaps he will see that YES some good stuff may be available. I'm sure anything loaned will be treated with good care. Now that the Museum is FAA only it may be a stretch to include an RNZAF TA4 Kahu but I would argue the link with the RAN FAA is obvious. :-)
By the way if you think that all the excellent work to date at the Nowra museum has been accomplished by dedicated volunteers you can see where this kind of energy can take a project. It seems Ohakea Museum had the same kind of energy but not the same official support sadly. I'm hoping it turns out well for all concerned eventually. Phil.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2007 21:41:30 GMT 12
The local press has gotten onto the story now www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/eveningstandard/3993816a6504.htmlWhy are we losing our museum? Manawatu Standard | Thursday, 15 March 2007 So, we can spend hundreds of millions of dollars to centralise the Royal New Zealand Air Force in a new, single operational base for the future at Ohakea, but nowhere along the line have the planners designated a place for its cultural heart the RNZAF Museum? The Manawatu Standard questions the decision in an editorial. If Palmerston North City Council pulled such a stunt with redeveloping the city centre - "We'll think about Te Manawa later, just box it all up in the meantime" - there would be an uproar. There has been understandable disgust within military, veteran and aviation circles at the gaffe. If the omission is deliberate, it's bloody stupid. If it's an error of omission, it's stunning. There is no culture so firmly based on tradition and past glories than the military - something the Labour Government appears to have had a problem with, as least as far as the Air Force is concerned. Every unit of every military organisation in the land has its hallowed shrine, its repository of memorabilia - be it a complex like the Army Museum at Waiouru, a building, a room or a cupboard. In leaving the museum without a clearly designated place in the Ohakea redevelopment, Defence planners are following up on the Government's hugely controversial 2001 removal of the Ohakea-based air combat role of the Air Force with what many must see as an attempt to downgrade the very memory of it. Are leaders who can't stomach the disciplinary smacking of children now intent on quietly wiping away any unpalatable cultural reminder at the new home of the Air Force that it ever was an air combat force that fired bullets, launched rockets and dropped bombs? When this happens in other countries, it's called historical revisionism and we're critical of it. The Air Force and Ohakea have a proud history involving thousands of men and women. Only last year the Victoria Cross awarded to Wanganui's young Jimmy Ward for his incredible firefighting exploit out on the blazing wing of a 75 Squadron bomber in 1941 was handed back to the family at a Ohakea ceremony. Anybody who suspects there is no public interest in past Air Force heroism and the aura that surrounds New Zealanders such as Keith Park, Hawkeye Wells, Al Deere, Desmond Scott, Cobber Kain to name a few hasn't been to a Warbirds event. The crowd at Wanaka far surpasses the biggest Bledisloe Cup gathering. Yet somehow the imminent closure of the Ohakea Museum is being announced, as part of the major, long- planned and meticulously detailed redesign of Ohakea, and it seems that nobody's really thought out what happens next beyond the contents being boxed up and stored somewhere - dare one suggest the RNZAF Museum at Wigram, Christchurch? We need a rapid confirmation that the museum will remain at the country's sole operational Air Force base and an explanation of how and why the Defence Ministry lost touch with its Ohakea historical culture.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 15, 2007 21:47:06 GMT 12
That's a damned good editorial. Who is the editor? Is he/she an ex-Ohakea man/woman?
Great to see the press is getting behind this.
Methinks a letter each to the Minister of Culture and Heritage, Minister of Veterans Affairs, minister of Tourism and Minister of Defence may be a good idea. Shall we stir tha bastards up a bit?
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Post by phil on Mar 16, 2007 16:28:10 GMT 12
I think that is a very good idea, Dave.
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Post by DragonflyDH90 on Mar 16, 2007 17:33:17 GMT 12
Good idea, get the ball rolling and I'll sign a petition..
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 17, 2007 0:22:48 GMT 12
How do we get hold of those MP's? I have an awful feeling Clark fills a couple of those rolls, so probably deaf ears.
Here's another Manawatu Standard article: The collection is to disperse.
Museum to close By LAURA RICHARDS - Feilding Herald | Thursday, 15 March 2007
Ohakea Air Force Museum is closing next month to make way for new helicopter hangars.
Museum manager Paul Gibson said the announcement came as surprise last week.
He said he knew the Air Force had been looking at two options.
"They were either stay where we are and build a security fence, or move closer to the State Highway," Mr Gibson said. He was not aware of the third option to close the museum and cafe and relocate the collection.
Mr Gibson said most of the museum collection will be sent to Christchurch to be placed into storage.
"Some artifacts may go to the museum in Wanganui and others to the museum in Palmerston North. The Bulls Museum might get a few," he said.
Mr Gibson is concerned about the staff of the museum and cafe as well as the people who visit the museum with their memories.
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Post by Calum on Mar 17, 2007 22:47:01 GMT 12
I reckon Don is on to a great idea. Those items would fit in beautifully with the exhibits at the FAA Museum. . I actually doubt the FAA museum would want it. They have got rid of most (if not all) of their non FAA aircraft. They intend to concentrate only on FAA aircraft types Now if it was an A-4
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Post by FlyNavy on Mar 18, 2007 14:48:38 GMT 12
Agree. I would like to see our old TA-4G back at Nowra (albeit as a Kahu). We don't have a TA-4 either. I like the way the museum website uses an out of date way of referring to the former A-4B (that was modified to A-4G standard) as a TA-4. This is very confusing to the general public (and me at first) when we did not realise that "T" stood for a political fix in the 1960s for the USN to classify all the old A-4As and Bs as "T"s so that new Skyhawks coud be purchased. It gets way to complicated to tell the story here. Phil. PS. Good point about the "T" :-) Yes they were 'tired' & designated "trainers" but not in the sense we know that term (T=Dual/Tandem Seat Trainer) today.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 18, 2007 17:51:29 GMT 12
T = Tired?
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