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Post by baronbeeza on Apr 28, 2023 11:51:02 GMT 12
A little poetic licence with the ribbons.
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 2, 2023 11:39:46 GMT 12
While the F-27 often had engineering personnel listed in the crew manifest on some deployments they were ground trades. I can't speak for the Andover but they may well have been the same.
I never saw a Flight Engineer in my time on the Friendships and I am unaware of any that may have even done type training.
I was onboard during one Aussie trip and witnessed an LAC become an 'instant' Sergeant for the duration. While he did wear his new chevrons we never went so far as to pin a brevet on his uniform.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 30, 2023 15:30:24 GMT 12
Hi everyone does anyone know if any details have been released if any for the final Orion flyover for the South Island centers as yet ?? www.facebook.com/NZAirForce/posts/pfbid0QAvU5Lv5GH3XXeBzMh9CYYSKxTokG2A4FXaVbT7RqDqnPmNgcF44UNsQo4Q5219blThe route is highly dependent on the weather around the Southern Alps, especially for those towns and cities between Invercargill and Hokitika. If the weather is poor, expect a delay of 15-20 minutes for those towns on the West Coast, and 30 minutes to an hour at Woodbourne (depending on turbulence). The flight plan and approximate times are as follows: Base Auckland - 1000 Christchurch - 1150-1200 Rakaia - 1308 Ashburton - 1312 Timaru - 1322 Wamate - 1328 Oamaru - 1334 Dunedin - 1349 Gore - 1407 Invercargill - 1415 Riverton - 1419 Nightcaps - 1426 Mossburn - 1431 Athol - 1436 Kingston - 1439 Queenstown - 1445 Cromwell - 1451 Wanaka - 1458 Hokitika - 1539 Greymouth - 1544 Westport - 1556 Murchison - 1606 Nelson - 1620 Havelock - 1626 Woodbourne - 1630
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Post by baronbeeza on Dec 5, 2022 11:24:21 GMT 12
Yes, much later than the years I originally had in mind. I was thinking 60's and 70's for the West Coast venison days.
I was only in Westport for a few weeks during the mid-90's and would have been limited, I was ill both times.
In 1995 I contracted Cerebral Malaria in Tanzania but managed to get back to NZ, and Greymouth Hospital for treatment. I went up to Fiji as soon as I was able afterwards.
In 1996 I had back surgery in ChCh but did just a few weeks recuperating in Westport before heading off to Kalgoorlie and then Indonesia.
I was overseas right through until 2000 so can see now how I missed meeting Peter or hearing much about his aviation days.
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Post by baronbeeza on Dec 2, 2022 11:34:24 GMT 12
Juan Browne has done a couple of very good YouTube videos on this incident.
This is the follow-up to one we saw posted here the other week.
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Post by baronbeeza on Nov 27, 2022 12:19:02 GMT 12
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Post by baronbeeza on Nov 27, 2022 10:43:55 GMT 12
Hi guys, I am on to this. I have not been on here for a while and just got the messages.
I have some friends that were about in those days so I will put all this to them. Cheers
Edit.
Ok, I have read some of the thread. We will get some answers for sure. I know two Pete Baileys and can talk to the Westport one. I doubt it is the aircraft engineer from Nelson.
I have heard the name Pete Harker but can't recall ever meeting him. It is also not a name I have stories about. Glenny Johnson and Terry Boucher, yes.
I have names of people that were there, and close. Pete Lusk, Flag McKenzie and Rob Ray. I chat to all on the Internet weekly. Pete Bailey lives just 2 or 3 minutes away, I can drop in to see him.
I expect to have answers within days.
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Post by baronbeeza on Sept 3, 2022 21:14:52 GMT 12
A longer version of the YouTube video.
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Post by baronbeeza on Jun 20, 2022 18:28:44 GMT 12
"There is a small runway on the farm which the pilot had attempted to use", Meyer said. "They did make a good attempt at trying to land," he said.
Report from a neighbour, an eyewitness.
I am wondering what a bad attempt would look like.
I don't read the Herald or Stuff so will wait until the aviation reporting.
Were they planning to land there ?
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Post by baronbeeza on Jun 19, 2022 5:50:28 GMT 12
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Post by baronbeeza on Jun 3, 2022 23:04:50 GMT 12
Michael Palin
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Post by baronbeeza on Jun 3, 2022 23:01:41 GMT 12
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Post by baronbeeza on May 30, 2022 23:19:47 GMT 12
The hangar door mentioned is the entry door from the carpark. It is the rear left corner as we look at the hangar interior view. The steps leading up to the coffee room and bunkhouse were not quite central from memory. They would have been about 6 or 7 metres from the entrance. I think there were rows of lockers along that wall in my day. It would have all been very quick, just a matter of seconds. The door opening, slamming and then the group making their way up the stairs. Maybe a minute or two tops. The guy that was checking from in the bunkhouse would have opened the bunkhouse door and looked out of the windows, carpark and hangar. Then made his way over to the door at the top of the stairs. Just a short distance also, but difficult without light. He may have had a torch. I have found the original thread from pprune www.pprune.org/jet-blast/350703-ghosts-any-personal-experience-2.htmlIt appears that the book is purely about R101. The account of the bunkhouse seems to be the personal experiences of the guy writing about it. He then talks mates of mates though so his account could be distorted somewhat. Very similar to what I experienced though. Footsteps to the top of the stairs and then silence. www.wingsmuseum.co.uk/our-work/raf-redhill-surrey/
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Post by baronbeeza on May 30, 2022 22:55:33 GMT 12
I wrote about the Redhill airfield ghost earlier in this thread.
This account is new to me, just read it tonight. I had not heard this version before.
My experiences were first hand. I was in that room before I ever heard any stories.
John G. Fuller also wrote another book in similar vein, "The Airmen who would not die". Very good book.
Hangar 8 at Redhill had so many they were referred to as 'friends'. I have slept there on a number of occasions with nothing more worrying than the thought of the stories. However, I know of a number of people who refused to sleep there after having been disturbed on more than one occasion.
One story I heard from a reliable source who says he does not believe in ghosts but has no explanation of the event. Being in the clubroom up the stairs at the back of the hangar one evening, he and a friend hear the back door to the hangar open and bang shut. It was shortly after pub closing time so they thought that some other members were coming back to stay the night. Voices were heard approaching, a small group, less than 6, more than 2, slightly boisterous but nothing could be seen out of the window of the clubroom, looking into the darkness of the hangar. The voices came closer and started up the stairs to the club room. Although his mate had pointed out that there was nobody there, the person who related this tale to me says he went to the door and opened it, the voices being so clear as to be on the other side of it having climbed the stairs.
He opened the door.....
There was nobody there and the sound ceased.
His friend then repeated slowly and clearly, There is no BODY there!"
Opinion was that it was former club members, hence friends. Another explanation was that there had been a gallows on that corner of King's Mill Lane there having formerly been a crossroads.
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Post by baronbeeza on May 30, 2022 19:06:09 GMT 12
I have seen it twice now and while it was entertaining enough it really is pure Hollywood. Not too much like the real thing.
Yes, it will do well and deservedly so.
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Post by baronbeeza on May 29, 2022 17:57:27 GMT 12
"Group of No. 486 Squadron members at a reunion at RNZAF Base Wigram.- 20/11/1982"
I was living in the mess at that time. I remember the guys gathering outside for these pics.
They looked at me and remarked that I appeared so young. A reminder to them as to how fresh faced they would have been.
That was 40 years ago, the same length of time between their service and the re-union.
I was in uniform so may have even been Orderly Officer at the time.
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Post by baronbeeza on May 27, 2022 12:17:55 GMT 12
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Post by baronbeeza on May 25, 2022 22:55:23 GMT 12
Thanks for the comment. I was in Westport for the 1968 earthquake and in Hornby for the Feb 2011 quake. You have got me thinking. In both cases there was a big difference in damage between parts of town. In Christchurch most of the damage was East of the railway line. The 'softer' terrain suffered worse. In Hornby the quake was noticeably different, I was on an old gravel river bed and what I saw and felt during the shaking was nothing like in town.
The Westport aerodrome is not well placed as far as earthquakes go. It is on sand and I expect the sealed runway will just fold into a series of humps. It is also on the wrong side of the Buller River. The bridge is however relatively new and has been designed with earthquake considerations.
I don't see rising sea levels being any short term threat. The local geography has had the Carter's Beach area growing in size and that seems set to continue. The river however may prove to be more of a threat. Neither would be an immediate concern as both threats are likely to be a drawn out affair.
What remains after a good earthquake would be more telling.
A runway is only used to transition an aircraft from ground mode to flight mode and vice versa. We have helicopters, drones, VTOL and STOL already and I was wondering which way technology was about to take us. I don't see trains being any part of the future, that is last century stuff.
It is difficult to look into the future but I am guessing transport will be revolutionised. Just how I am not so sure.
I believe buses, trains and aeroplanes will be replaced by some very effective and efficient mass transport system. I just can't visualise what it could be. It would have to be something out of science fiction or similarly fanciful for us to comprehend now.
Some form of 20 to 30 seat capsule that just levitates and goes.
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Post by baronbeeza on May 25, 2022 19:31:04 GMT 12
The Buller District Council is considering the future of the airport at Westport. It is near the mouth of the Buller River and also runs parallel with the coastline. At the moment it is served by a Sounds Air PC-12 and has a small number of light aircraft movements each day. I don't see the sea level as being an immediate problem but the long sloping beach has brought drift wood up to the perimeter fence during storm events. The question is what do we expect the smaller regional aircraft of the future to look like and what will be their needs ? Are we looking at electric, VTOL, STOL or can we expect more of the same for the next 20, 30 or even 50 years ? We have a generation of people that can tell us what the sea levels will be like in 50 years time but they may have no idea of what technology will be delivering us. Will we still have a need for 1200 metre runways in 2050 or 2070 ?
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Post by baronbeeza on May 24, 2022 22:57:27 GMT 12
Yeah, I watched it at home tonight.
It is certainly one of the better modern movies.
I doubt I will ever see it at a cinema all the same.
A mix between the original, 633 Squadron, Dambusters and Star Wars.
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