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Post by phil on Sept 12, 2009 18:11:43 GMT 12
Iroquois 3812 had it's last flight yesterday. Flown by ACC and CO3, Steve Moore and Wax Mardon.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 12, 2009 18:37:21 GMT 12
Wow,, so the retirement of the fleet has begun? Or is there a mechanical issue with it specifically that has seen it removed from service?
Will it be preserved anywhere?
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Post by phil on Sept 12, 2009 18:43:30 GMT 12
Just starting the wind down of the fleet, as far as I know.
I haven't heard what the ultimate fate of the Iroquois is to be.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 12, 2009 19:30:21 GMT 12
The beginning of the end of an era. NZ3812 must have seen a lot in its lifetime. I hope it and it's bretheren are not scrapped.
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Post by obiwan27 on Sept 13, 2009 11:48:25 GMT 12
Too true Dave, an era when NZ, due I suspect in no small part to it's commitment to the Vietnam conflict and ANZUS (but mainly the former I'd say) purchased the Herks, Orions, Iroquois, Sioux and lastly the Skyhawks that started operational life with the RNZAF over the period of 1965 to 1970. So in some respects that era began to end when the Strike Wing was disestablished. A new era could have begun in 1999 with the F16 purchase but we all know what happened there....
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Post by corsair67 on Sept 13, 2009 17:51:42 GMT 12
As Jim Morrison himself would have said "This is the end, beautiful friend....."
Does NZ3812 have the highest flying hours out of the whole fleet, or was it the first to go for other reasons?
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Sept 13, 2009 18:26:38 GMT 12
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Post by ZacYates on Sept 15, 2009 18:09:12 GMT 12
Great photos Gavin, a nice tribute to the old girl  . It is a shame to see the Iroquois being retired, it will certainly be interesting to see how the NH90 compares upon introduction. |
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Post by chewy on Sept 15, 2009 20:15:11 GMT 12
I was talking to Buck Harrison about that aircraft today at work. He did a lot of hours as crewman in it. He would like it parked on his front lawn now they have finished with it.
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Post by ox on Sept 16, 2009 19:12:47 GMT 12
I was talking to Buck Harrison about that aircraft today at work. Where is Buck these days? Last time I saw him he was in the workshop at Ansett NZ - that's a while ago. Say G'Day to him from me. |
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Post by chewy on Sept 16, 2009 20:04:44 GMT 12
Buck is working on the JT8D line at the Christchurch Engine Center. There are more than a dozen ex RNZAF people working there.
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Post by beagle on Sept 16, 2009 20:51:52 GMT 12
like who ??
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Post by beagle on Sept 16, 2009 20:52:48 GMT 12
Iroquois 3812 had it's last flight yesterday. Flown by ACC and CO3, Steve Moore and Wax Mardon. didn't realise Steve Moore did much 3 Sqn time |
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Post by phil on Sept 17, 2009 17:35:10 GMT 12
He started as a helicopter pilot, didn't he? And he's a graduate of the Empire test pilot school, so I guess he can fly pretty much anything...
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Post by chewy on Sept 17, 2009 17:50:14 GMT 12
Here are some names of ex RNZAF people working at the CEC, Neil Wilton, Kelvin Clare, John Horsnel, Chopper McGuire, J D Vuletta, BAM Martin, Fish Meade, Roy Dodds, Mike Cronin, Dave Hughes, Wuffle Walker and a few more down the V2500 line that i can't remember their names right now.
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Post by redkiwi on Sept 18, 2009 7:43:08 GMT 12
Anyone know the final hours on the helo ? Excellent pics Gavin, love your work  |
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Post by vgp on Sept 25, 2009 17:55:45 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 25, 2009 19:57:52 GMT 12
Have some of the Iroquois fleet spent time as attrition airframes and thus have much lower hours than those being retired? Or have they all rotated through duties fairly evenly?
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Post by ox on Sept 27, 2009 0:37:02 GMT 12
From memory there were 2 batches initially. 3801-3805 were Ds, the rest were Hs
A few have been out of service for longish periods while being rebuilt. 3803 after crashing on Mount Cook, 3807 & 3814 after a mid air in Oz, 3809 after Rangi parked it upside down in a hedge at Kaipara.
I think they got one out of the desert after Fish stacked 3813 at Waiouru.
But apart from unintended rests, they all flew all the time.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 27, 2009 9:42:49 GMT 12
I remenber Fish, I used to have a beer with him and Kingi quite often when we were in Christchurch. Hard case guys, I didn't know Fish had crashed one.
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