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Post by Bruce on Feb 14, 2022 14:49:03 GMT 12
How come OKQ was 'rescued from the desert' yet last flew MLB - AKL and is now test flying out of Auckland? Presume it means that the plane was rescued from being sent to the the desert. as Peter's comment implied, if it had been in desert storage, the recommissioning and test flying would be carried out there, not Auckland. This machine was mothballed at Auckland, not a desert (yet...)
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Post by Bruce on Feb 9, 2022 14:08:47 GMT 12
How come OKQ was 'rescued from the desert' yet last flew MLB - AKL and is now test flying out of Auckland? Well, Auckland has been pretty dry of late...
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Post by Bruce on Jan 25, 2022 21:05:29 GMT 12
Sadly, with the change to RED level in the Covid framework, the Waikato Chapter Committee has made the decision to cancel the Black Sands Fly-In at Te Kowhai scheduled for February 12th and 13th. The intention is to hold the 2022 event at the traditional time in early November, circumstances permitting. The programme should be based on the existing plans, so it should still be a great event to come to. We look forward to seeing you there in November.
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Post by Bruce on Jan 20, 2022 7:57:08 GMT 12
back in the 1990s, When Ruapehu was erupting, TranzGlobal (later CityJet) were permitted to operate its Bandeirantes Day VFR only, as they could see and avoid the ash cloud. No night ops or IFR. They ran daily compressor washes on the engines as a precaution. (they also operated out of Ardmore, Paraparaumu and West Melton during this period due to airways restrictions into Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch!). The general rule is not to fly into visible ash clouds, however ingested dust on landing is an issue for turbines (Less so piston engines).
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Post by Bruce on Jan 17, 2022 7:59:40 GMT 12
the Info pack for this event can now be downloaded here: drive.google.com/file/d/19AE92V8wW7bsviNTT1fz-Jd7Nhlu_BnO/view?usp=sharingThe programme includes: • CAA Seminar on ADS-B and Subsidies. • The famous Beach landing workshop • Food Truck lunches • Saturday Evening Barbecue - With drinks supplied! • General Knowledge Teams Quiz Night • General fly-arounds exploring the area. We would invite all aviators to come and enjoy this weekend at a very "Recreational Aircraft-Friendly" rural airfield. Camping is available "under the wing" or in the Motorhome park. You are welcome to arrive on Friday afternoon. Avgas is available on site. To help the organisers plan and to advise if there are any changes or cancellations, we encourage people to complete the pre-registration online form here: forms.gle/L36uN7wHwpZrgAkE8We look forward to welcoming all aviators to Te Kowhai!
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Post by Bruce on Dec 2, 2021 15:57:42 GMT 12
Just needs NZDF to run a "logistics training exercise" moving some large items from Wigram to Ardmore - say, underslung NH 90 loads and HMNZS Canterbury!
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Post by Bruce on Dec 2, 2021 15:54:12 GMT 12
traces of blue and red stripes starting to show through the white too...
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Post by Bruce on Oct 16, 2021 10:14:23 GMT 12
Make sure you don't exceed the nosewheel turning limits when towing! The Commanders did have very strict limitations around that.
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Post by Bruce on Sept 28, 2021 10:08:50 GMT 12
This is a postwar development involving Dr. E. Marsden but I have to wonder, why is this method not employed now rather than using expensive helicopters. Perhaps run with electric motors and solar power, this could be a lot cheaper than several choppers over you field each frosty morning? Maybe they could generate their own power too. EVENING STAR, 31 DECEMBER 1946 A method of controlling frost damage which gives promise of success was mentioned by Dr E. Marsden, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in an interview yesterday. It depended, he said, on the normal occurrence of temperature inversion in frosting condition. The air above the trees on a normal frosty night was warmer than the air at the surface, Dr, Marsden said. A large propeller, somewhat similar to that of a helicopter, was used to suck, this warm air from above and spread it over the surface, displacing the cold air by suction, from above. About three kilowatts of power was involved, and the area treated was about five acres. This method had met with some success in Australia. Dr Marsden added that in conjunction with the horticultural division of the Department of Agriculture, it was hoped to try the method in New Zealand. its is - there are thousands of wind machines all over the place popping up out of orchards and vineyards. very effective - but they can also be quite noisy in some areas.
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Post by Bruce on Sept 20, 2021 11:55:45 GMT 12
The P8s can easily pop over to Australia to practice sub hunting, or go to exercises such as RIMPAC. They havent had to specifically bring subs here for years. Also, remember that ASW is no longer the primary role of the P8...
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Post by Bruce on Sept 17, 2021 16:47:28 GMT 12
It Sounds like a good arrangement. I would Imagine the new Aussie boats will be based on the Astute class, but with combat systems from the Virginia Class. From what I understand, the Astute Class is pretty close to what Australia wanted, but they have long had a preference for US Weapons systems. The fact they cant visit many ports due to Nuclear free rules isnt an issue, as they are intended to base out of HMAS Stirling and transit undetected to "waters north of Australia". They are unlikely to ever need to visit NZ anyway. A Collins Class has only ever visited New Zealand once, in 2016 for the RNZN 75th anniversary. They spend all their time well away from New Zealand, so the fuss over them not being welcome in NZ is irrelevant.
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Post by Bruce on Sept 9, 2021 12:59:39 GMT 12
Could put PW126 Engines on them as with the BAe ATP...
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Post by Bruce on May 24, 2021 17:01:23 GMT 12
Looks like he did a bit of sightseeing on the 5th... "Boulder Dam" is the great Hoover Dam, which would have been a very new marvel at the time, worth having a look at on a shakedown flight!
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Post by Bruce on May 24, 2021 11:45:09 GMT 12
The 1986 date is interesting as ZK-SFR was only imported into NZ that year, and wouldn't fly until 1988. Interesting that the choice of colour scheme identity for it was already known...
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Post by Bruce on May 11, 2021 9:06:17 GMT 12
Spectacular no doubt and frightening to those involved, but the risk of electrocution would be very slim so long as they stayed in the aircraft. As with lightning strikes, or power lines falling on cars, the current is taken by the structure and those inside remain insulated and quite safe - until they touch something outside...
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Post by Bruce on Mar 27, 2021 17:46:14 GMT 12
I would guess it meant "restricted operations" since half the flying field was dug up for drain laying...
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Post by Bruce on Mar 17, 2021 12:50:00 GMT 12
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Post by Bruce on Mar 9, 2021 13:56:57 GMT 12
Te Kuiti in 1963 appears here: (from Retrolens) The two avengers and many harvard fuselages are visible between the hangars and the bend in the stream to the right of the picture.
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Post by Bruce on Feb 26, 2021 14:28:42 GMT 12
I feel very sorry for all the staff involved. Having been through the receivership of a small and slightly dodgy airline in the early 2000s, working for the receiver, its a very stressful and eye opening business. Receivers are extremely hard nosed about getting the money for the client, although staff and the IRD always come at the top of the pecking list. Often there isnt enough after the sale of assets to cover even that. There will be no consideration of historical status or the impact on the NZ economy - Its a really brutal world! I cant see any chance of it being sold as a complete going concern, they simply arent selling aeroplanes. Thoughts are with all the Aerospace crew...
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Post by Bruce on Feb 22, 2021 9:49:15 GMT 12
Hi asherrockhome, I'm the Vice president of SAA and I have also designed and built my own aircraft. I assume when you refer to "scratch building" youu are meaning your own design, as many amateur built aircraft can be built from scratch from purchased plan sets. In New Zealand we have a very simple and permissive set of rules for building aircraft. There are two main streams you can go down and they both have common stages anyway. If the aircraft is under 600kg and stalls below 45kts you can consider it a microlight, or, for heavier aircraft, it comes under Special Category. Amateur built aircraft all start out as "Special Category - Experimental" during the flight testing phase, then become "Special category - Amateur Built" once this is completed. Dont confuse this with American terms such as "experimental" and "Light Sport". Microlights only require a Microlight certificate to fly, Special Category require at least an RPL / PPL. You can essentially build anything you like in the Special category, so long as it conforms to best aircraft practice. The builder takes all responsibility for the structural safety and handling, and its airworthiness is confirmed by demonstration and the flight test programme. You do not have to have the design checked by an engineer or approved in any way - its all at builders risk. CAA will issue a certificate of Airworthiness based on this, and impose restrictions as required to ensure the safety of 3rd parties. For own - designs, this means no flight over populated areas. The flight testing of an own-design is critical. the test pilot will need approval and CAA has guidance on this. You will need to provide a test programme which will sufficiently define the operating limitations and demonstrate the safety of the aircraft. this is more complex than testing a known type such as a kit aircraft, where testing essentially just determines that the aircraft behaves within the the existing flight limitations. testing an own design actually has to define those limits, and there is a degree of added danger to this. Once testing is complete, the permanent "Special category - experimental" airworthiness certificate is issued, and the design is effectively "frozen". Major changes after this point are documented as modifications and further test flying may be required. A strong word of warning however!...From my own experience I can advise that building your own design is very difficult and I do not recommend it unless you are ready for an extreme challenge and have a very valid, specific reason to do so. Do not underestimate the difficulty! In NZ, only 5 or 6 such aircraft have flown in the last 20 years. The most successful have been derived closely from existing designs. Those "clean sheet" designs such as mine, have often proven to be somewhat disappointing due to compromises that are required in the design process. Invariably own-design aircraft come out heavy, as it is almost impossible to accurately estimate the weight of most structural components, and the tendency is to over-build to provide a safety margin. the result is disappointing performance or operational limitations. It is certainly not any cheaper than building from existing plans, and the emotional strain is quite hard - especially if / when it fails to perform quite as expected. You really also need aviation engineering experience to understand why things need to be done a specific way, it definitely is not something an inexperienced aircraft builder should be attempting. To overcome the many challenges and successfully build an own design is extremely rewarding, but be prepared for the cost - in many forms. My project motto was "If it was supposed to be easy, everyone would be doing it". In summary, yes, our regulatory environment makes it very easy to build an own design aircraft in New Zealand, but thats the easy bit in a very difficult undertaking. Go in with your eyes open.
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