dodgy
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 89
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Post by dodgy on Apr 23, 2014 9:37:11 GMT 12
I think that the role of the Air Force has changed these days. In the modern era it is all about logistics, SAR and maritime surveillance. It is probably better value to the taxpayer to eventually retire the two 757s and outsource the logistics to the likes of Air NZ. I enjoyed watching the A4s, but the only engagement that they ever had was with the water in front of a naughty fishing boat.
Pleased that those who made it to Wanaka had a good time. I will go again sometime in the future. A good VFR trip down from Welly and tall stories at the bar make such a trip especially memorable. Roll on Classic Fighters 2015!
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Post by mumbles on Apr 23, 2014 10:29:22 GMT 12
It is probably better value to the taxpayer to eventually retire the two 757s and outsource the logistics to the likes of Air NZ. No it isn't. ANZ cannot provide the same capability or flexibility (among a host of other reasons why this suggestion is impractical) as organic RNZAF assets in the same roles. |
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Post by mumbles on Apr 23, 2014 10:35:14 GMT 12
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Post by rayo on Apr 23, 2014 13:48:50 GMT 12
Excellent Pics many thanks for sharing. I was beginning to wonder if I had been dreaming about the Wanaka Airshow being on. It sounds like those that went had a good time and were mostly happy with what they saw!!  . |
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Post by Damon on Apr 23, 2014 15:54:58 GMT 12
Two RAAF Hawks have landed at WH at 15:45. I guess they have come up from QN. They arrived overhead ,my initial reaction was A-4s! My youngest son said 'fast jets Dad!' (well done son!)
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 23, 2014 17:28:10 GMT 12
I wonder if the 3rd one is still U/S at ZQN? They said during the commentary on Sunday that one of them was broken.
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Post by ZacYates on Apr 23, 2014 18:19:47 GMT 12
Great photos, Sam! Some very atmospheric shots there.
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Post by No longer identifiable on Apr 23, 2014 18:33:24 GMT 12
Two RAAF Hawks have landed at WH at 15:45. I guess they have come up from QN. They arrived overhead ,my initial reaction was A-4s! My youngest son said 'fast jets Dad!' (well done son!) You can see them leave Whenuapai tomorrow morning (Thursday) at 0830, probably in conjunction with a C130J. |
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Post by phil on Apr 24, 2014 9:21:21 GMT 12
That will teach me for being on leave. I heard them arrive but didn't twig to what they were until I heard them take off this morning.
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Post by phil on Apr 24, 2014 9:34:49 GMT 12
I enjoyed watching the A4s, but the only engagement that they ever had was with the water in front of a naughty fishing boat. Don't let small facts like their part in NZs contribution to the FPDA and our closest allies Australia interfere with your point of view. |
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Post by efliernz on Apr 24, 2014 10:55:36 GMT 12
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Post by phil82 on Apr 24, 2014 11:00:00 GMT 12
I think that the role of the Air Force has changed these days. In the modern era it is all about logistics, SAR and maritime surveillance. It is probably better value to the taxpayer to eventually retire the two 757s and outsource the logistics to the likes of Air NZ. I enjoyed watching the A4s, but the only engagement that they ever had was with the water in front of a naughty fishing boat. ! Hmmm...[takes a deep breath], that is very much a "once over lightly" and slightly less than knowlegeable viewpoint for a number of reasons. First: the RNZAF is an instrument of Government, and without an Air Force we can only wonder what sort of relationship would result with friends like Australia and the United States, indeed the rest of the world. Secondly: ANZ has no similar capacity to carry out the role of the 757,[or C130] either in aircraft or aircrew,or technical ability. For ANZ to assume that role would involve considerably more Government funding than currently available to the air force, and I doubt very much if an ANZ charter would be keen on flying into the trouble spots of the world. Finally, if ANZ were to be offered charters, it would need to invest heavily in infrastructure with which to make it possible, and I can predict with a degree of certainty that the cost to the Government would be astronomical. Now to Maritime Surveillance. It takes decades of practice and organisation to develop the skills to safely operate a Maritime Patrol Squadron, and while it could be civilianised what would result is an operation very similar to that which exists now but which would cost megabucks more. Now, my favourite subject [yeah, right!], the Strike Force. This topic has been well and truly done to death on these pages, and yet the myth that it was never used in anger continues to be offered as a reason for its demise. Let me put it this way. I own a very nice home, filled with a lifetimes' collection of personal effects, and memories which are contributed to on a regular basis by family gatherings. Both the home and its contentents are insured. My house has never burned down and I've never made a claim on contents, so using the same argument as that advanced for scrapping the Strike Force, I could presumably scrap all my insurance and put the funds toward a bigger beer fridge and wine cooler. The scrapping of the Strike Force was a flawed political decision, made by a flawed and deeply vindictive politician with a very ill-informed view of things military and placed NZ in a position of knowing that we live in a very troubled world where events arise faster than the capability to deal with it and it is too late anyway to wait until such trouble overtakes us or Australia. Every other country in our region knows that! So who is out of step? Like my house insurance, we have to accept the consequences of not having it! I'll get my coat....! |
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Post by phil82 on Apr 24, 2014 11:18:37 GMT 12
Right, to Wanaka, or not in my case, though I did send my Chief Adviser and right-hand man [Mumbles] as emissary, and he seems to have had a good time between bacon butties and photography. Personally, and let me stress that;"Personally", I think Wanaka as a venue has it all, but has lost it's way somewhat with the advent of alternatives such as Wairarapa. It has crossed my mind that Wanaka may well have become a victim of its earlier success and became a hard act to follow, or indeed repeat every two years. Success meant it has become very expensive to attend if you don't live in the South Island, [or even if you do!]. So I don't go any more. From where I sit here in the Hutt, it is only marginally more expensive to go to Avalon every two years than it is to go to Wanaka, and there is no comparison with the hardware on display. So that, and Wairarapa will be my choice!
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Post by harvard1041 on Apr 24, 2014 11:36:23 GMT 12
Anyone with some photos of the mighty Anson ? - kinda like it  Cheers Hvd1041 PS - endless debate about the Strike force stills has me scratching my head... it's about Air Power folks, we lost the main reason for an Air Force when we lost the fighters, something we're very unlikely to get back as flying and maintaining it was hard technical work, but the main point of the RNZAF. I find it amazing that people can't grasp that - but recoil in shock if it is suggested that the Navy be stripped on any frigates, or the army Infantry capability removed... |
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Post by efliernz on Apr 24, 2014 12:02:44 GMT 12
As requested  I think that the Anson was beautifully presented to the audience by Dave Phillips. He and Keith Skilling really know how to present an aircraft! As a contrast... I suspect the Aussies were there with thier Hawks to show how big their egos were... speed and height is not what the attendees want to see... imho    Pete |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 24, 2014 13:05:30 GMT 12
Great photos there Pete. That one of the six jets looks like they're all very close, is that a telephoto effect or were they really that close?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 24, 2014 13:20:17 GMT 12
So, what are all these helicopters? Does anyone know types, ZK- regos and pilots? I recognise a civil Iroquois, the Scout, and two Hughes 500's of some sort, that's all I know. |
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Post by efliernz on Apr 24, 2014 13:45:28 GMT 12
Great photos there Pete. That one of the six jets looks like they're all very close, is that a telephoto effect or were they really that close? I was shooting full-frame with a 300mm prime and 1.4x extender (420mm). There was no cropping in the photo... yes they are close but safely spread. As for the copters... I'll add some details later. Gotta run Pete |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Apr 24, 2014 16:45:36 GMT 12
Heading south tomorrow afternoon, but from here for the Saturday at least the show is looking like a washout in every respect. I'm hoping a reverse hex will apply after posting this! Also I don't mind a bit of rain, but after getting very little in March here in Wellington it has rained on 10 out of the last 11 days. Getting a tad over it, especially now as it is looking like affecting a lot of people's fun this weekend. Yeah, well the drive from Fox Glacier to Wanaka the day before the airshow started (on the Thursday) was rather interesting. I got to the SH.6 bridge across the Karangarua River and the wind was blowing so bad that it felt like it was going to flip the car over while I was waiting for a car coming the other way to cross the single-lane suspension bridge. That car took forever to come across, although I noted that the bridge was swaying from side to side which was probably freaking the driver out somewhat. However, I wasn't overly worried as I had passed a Westland Dairy Company milk tanker heading in the opposite direction only a couple of minutes before I got to the bridge, so as it had obviously got over okay, I decided it would be safe to take a car across. Eventually, the car coming the other way cleared the bridge and I started driving across. I kept the speed down to about 10km/h because of the conditions. When I got to about the half-way point, the wind howling down the valley suddenly increased by a massive amount and the bridge started rippling in waves running longtitudinally along the bridge in the opposite direction to that which I was travelling. It was so bad that the car's suspension bottomed out as each wave passed through. Nothing I could do by then except keep going until I got to the other side of the bridge. Down at Haast, the wind was even worse and it was a slow, cautious trip across the Haast River bridge. I drove down to Jackson Bay and had lunch at the Craypot, before continuing on to the Cascade road-end, then returned to Haast Junction and carried on to Wanaka. I had an enjoyable time at the airshow, meeting up with the usual crowd and we commandeered our usual spot in the Gold Pass grandstand. I drove over to Queenstown Airport on Tuesday morning (avoiding Queenstown itself) and caught a Mount Cook flight to Wellington, then got the train home to Masterton. If you've been wondering why I haven't been online for a week-and-a-half, my laptop spat the dummy and died on me the first weekend away while I was in Westport. It was a parts failure, nothing too expensive, but withough having the replacement part and the right tools, I couldn't fix it. Now that I am home, I disassembled the laptop and confirmed that the problem was what I thought it was and ordered a replacement part. It won't turn up until next week sometime though. So it will be a wee while before I get to start sorting through my photographs. |
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Apr 24, 2014 16:52:13 GMT 12
Thanks for putting the video links up Dave... Did you notice the other one that pops about about the trading laws.... Only place to get a beer in Wanaka is at the show... I didn't have any problems getting a beer at any of the bars in Wanaka on the evening of Good Friday. And I noticed heaps of bars open after the airshow on Easter Sunday too, although I didn't bother to indulge on that day. I guess the bars ignored the licensing laws. Well that's what it appeared if they were unable to get special licences, because it was certainly business as usual. Ditto with the shops....virtually the entire town was open for business all weekend. Mind you, it will be interesting to see (in the interests of consistency ) if the town stays open again tomorrow morning. |
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