skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Jan 13, 2020 14:35:29 GMT 12
Hi kiwikerr,
All the gents I have mentioned are wearing sports gear, those in uniform or civvies I don't recognize. Roy Thomas and Warren (Jim) Eades are both deceased; and as other members have posted, Des Underwood does live in Tauranga.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Jan 11, 2020 20:36:02 GMT 12
While several faces seem familiar, I can recognize Roy Thomas, armourer, in photo 9 (seated 2nd from right) and in photo 10 (centre in back row). Also in photo 10, Bruce (Bernie) Bernard is at right in the back row. In photo 11, Warren (Jim) Eades, armourer (and WW2 Pacific ex-Corsair pilot) is 2nd from right in the front row. In photo 15, the gent 2nd left in the front row looks very much like Des Underwood, but I may be wrong.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Oct 4, 2019 16:48:41 GMT 12
W/O (RTD) William (Bill / Lofty) Neil CAMPBELL, RNZAF Armament Fitter. At Palmerston North Hospital on Saturday 28 September. R.I.P. Bill / Lofty.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Sept 4, 2019 16:46:28 GMT 12
I was working as an armourer in maintenance hangar (ASF) at the time and recall seeing this Vampire when it came in for assessment. From the look of the damage in the starboard wing leading edge and hearing the explanations I understood it was a 20mm shell ricochet which caused the damage during a air-to-ground gunnery exercise at the nearby Raumai weapons range.
After the damage assessment it was deemed no longer fit to fly and set aside for display beside the (then) main gate at Ohakea.
Al.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Jul 6, 2019 21:23:30 GMT 12
Don, I think you mean Stewart Boys not Stu White.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Jul 6, 2019 21:17:55 GMT 12
I stand corrected. Maybe I should have realised it was a B2 by Gavin's rolled-up sleeves in the tropical heat (and what can be seen of his youthful looks). What can be seen of the panel and the round, openable canopy port on Gavin's left, the T13 was very similar.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Jul 6, 2019 17:50:46 GMT 12
Good on you Gavin.
At the time of the moon landing I was in a C-130 Hercules with a bunch of others at 25,000 feet over Australia heading for Alice Springs from Singapore and trying to listen to the landing commentary on the PA above the engine noise while belted in down the back.
And I think you may find that Gavin in the top photo is at the controls of a T13 Canberra. The B(I)12 cockpit was somewhat different.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on May 18, 2019 13:28:13 GMT 12
I have recently read an aviation magazine comment which suggested that nine MB-339 jets from Draken International have been acquired by France's Secapem Defence Training Solutions to provide aerial threat replication for the French military. Are these the nine ex-RNZAF MB-339s we sold to Draken? I have not seen any mention of this transaction anywhere else.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Mar 6, 2019 20:19:46 GMT 12
The piece on the crash of Skyhawk NZ 6211 Don Simms "Skyhawk" book says there was no attempt made to eject and this tallies with what I have been made aware of.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Mar 6, 2019 13:49:02 GMT 12
The only RNZAF ejection with fatal results was Strikemaster NZ 6369 southwest of Reporoa (my RNZAF list entry number 7) when Flt Lt Tanner ejected too low and out of the seat's ejection envelope.
The fatal crash of Skyhawk TA-4K NZ 6253 near Taihape on 25 March 1981 flown solo by Flt Lt John Dick, as far as I know was not an ejection. Although a parachute was seen in the bush near the crash site I understand it was flung there by the force of the impact of the aircraft crash. My information is that the ejection cartridges were not initiated.
There have been three ejections in NZ from aircraft flown by RAAF personnel, see below :
1) 25 October 1978 off Waiheke Island, Hauraki Gulf, NZ, from GD F-111 A8 141, 6 Squadron, RAAF. Wg Cdr D.N. Rogers (Sqn CO) and Flt Lt P. Growder (using escape capsule).
2) 24 August 1979 at RNZAF Base Ohakea, NZ, from GD F-111 A8 137, 1 Squadron, RAAF (witnessed by this writer). Fg Off M. Kelly and Flt Lt A. Curr (using escape capsule).
3) 27 October 1992 southeast of Pahiatua, NZ, from Strikemaster NZ 6368 of 14 Squadron, RNZAF, while being flown solo by RAAF exchange pilot Flt Lt S.L.Singleton-Turner.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Mar 5, 2019 21:44:54 GMT 12
My list of ejections from aircraft by RNZAF personnel totals 15 which I have listed in chronological order below:
1) 29 April 1957 over Johore Strait between Singapore and Malaya from DH Venom WR 282 of 14 Squadron, RNZAF. Flt Lt M.F.McD. Palmer.
2) 3 July 1957 over Johore State, Malaya from DH Venom WE 409 of 14 Squadron, RNZAF. Fg Off G.C. Hubbard.
3) 26 October 1961 over northern Johore State, Malaya from EE Canberra B2 WF 915 of 75 Squadron, RNZAF. Flt Lt P.G.Bevan. (Navigator unable to eject and was killed)
4) 2 December 1969 near Tallahassee, Florida, USA from McDD Skyhawk TA-4F of VA445, USN. Sqd Ldr W.R. Donaldson. (Ejected from rear cockpit after eye and facial injury from bird strike, student
landed aircraft safely)
5) 18 October 1974 near Bulls, NZ, from Skyhawk A-4K NZ 6207 of 75 Squadron, RNZAF. Wg Cdr F.M. Kinvig. (First ejection in NZ)
6) 3 July 1985 Waiau Valley, North Canterbury, NZ, from BAC Strikemaster NZ 6367 of 14 Squadron, RNZAF. Plt Off P. Lindsay.
7) 20 November 1991 southwest of Reporoa, NZ, from BAC Strikemaster NZ 6369 of 14 Squadron, RNZAF. Flt Lt C.J.W. Tanner. (Ejected too low, out of ejection envelope and was killed)
8 & 9) 21 March 1992 west of Albany Airport, Western Australia, from Pilatus PC9 A23 055 of 2 FTS, RAAF. Gp Capt F.S. Sharp and Flt Lt R.J. Thacker. (Sharp RNZAF Defence Air Attache and Thacker on
exchange from RNZAF)
10) 23 July 1992 near Herbertville, Wairarapa, NZ, from McDD Skyhawk A-4K NZ 6208 of 75 Squadron, RNZAF. Fg Off S.N Armour.
11 & 12) 13 October 1993 over Awanui Estuary, Rangaunu Harbour, near Kaitaia, NZ, from Aermacchi MB 339 NZ 6465 of 14 Squadron, RNZAF. Plt Off C.J. Forster and LAC S.E. Gyde. (Gyde being first
RNZAF non-aircrew ejection)
13) 20 June 1996 at Kakariki near Marton, NZ, from McDD Skyhawk A-4K NZ 6203 of 75 Squadron, RNZAF. Flt Lt A. Fraser.
14) 27 October 2000 at Shieldhill, near Dumfries, Scotland, from Sepecat Jaguar XZ 111 of 54 Squadron, RAF. Flt Lt B. Clarke. (On exchange from RNZAF)
15) 20 March 2001 over Indian Ocean, 90 nm west of Perth, Western Australia from Skyhawk TA-4K NZ 6256 of 2 Squadron, RNZAF. Flt Lt P. Barnes. (Flying solo, last RNZAF ejection to date)
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Mar 4, 2019 16:49:19 GMT 12
On 24 January 1959 my father took a blurry b&w photograph of two AEW (airborne early warning) Skyraiders flying over Tauranga before they landed. I visited the aerodrome while they were there and watched children little younger than me climbing into the open rear door and playing with, presumably, the radar controls with no aircrew in sight; hopefully a thorough preflight was carried out before the aircraft left!
While I do not remember the markings on the Skyraiders I am fairly sure they were Royal Navy. Unfortunately my father didn't accompany me to the aerodrome with his camera.
Al.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Feb 14, 2019 16:07:58 GMT 12
In one of my father's photo albums there is a b&w photograph of USAF C-133 serial 90533 at Wellington in December 1963. I also saw the aircraft when I passed through an hour or so later and from what I understand it had delivered a ship's propeller shaft. I don't know where it went from there.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Dec 9, 2018 16:35:06 GMT 12
I too was a subscriber from way back in the 1970s, but when the magazine veered away from the New Zealand scene, I dropped it.
I am all for an NZ Wings come-back and would gladly subscribe again.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Dec 3, 2018 21:13:31 GMT 12
Harvard NZ980 appears to have been photographed in the Memorial Park playground, Tauranga. I have a slide photo taken from a similar position.
Al
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Jul 1, 2018 20:00:52 GMT 12
In the softball team photo in front of the Canberra, back right in uniform is armourer Tom Attwood. I agree with the names Barry Thurston, Jack Rangiwai (? spelling) and probably Bill Grey (photographer?) in the photos. Other faces are familiar but it's been too many years to dig out more names.
Al.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Jun 10, 2018 14:34:20 GMT 12
To allow the PLAAF to take part in the exercise is a bad move by the Minister of Defence and not a good look for New Zealand. It will not go down well with our allies, especially not with four of the Five Eyes countries.
Al.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Apr 10, 2018 20:40:46 GMT 12
Quite correct snaphead, the canopy was held in place by explosive bolts and twelve sounds about right (it's been a while since I worked on Canberras!). Whether the structure under the canopy behind the ejection seat had anything to do with canopy jettison, I really can't say for sure, as it wasn't part of my trade but once the explosive bolts fired I would have thought something other than cabin pressurization and slipstream would be needed to clear the canopy cleanly from the aircraft (and pilot!). Maybe that structure was the canopy jettison pivot point. An old Canberra framie may know the answer.
Al.
PS - It wasn't me who gassed the cabin.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Apr 7, 2018 19:50:21 GMT 12
Sifting through some 50 years of my memory banks, I do not recall any rollover structure under the canopy transparency aft of the ejection seat of the Canberra B(I)12. The ejection seat drogue container/headrest projected above the lower canopy edge, and there was a longish, low bracket between the ejection seat and the rear of the transparency which I believed secured a part of the canopy jettison mechanism (?). Shorty may have a better recollection regarding this.
Al.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Feb 4, 2018 16:59:03 GMT 12
Searching through my photographs taken during my almost 20 years at Ohakea I find I have photographed visiting Vulcans on five different occasions. Two Vulcans came for the opening of Auckland International Airport in February 1966, one Vulcan (I believe) on each visit in February 1971, March 1972 and November 1972 (there may well have been more than one each visit). Four Vulcans came for an exercise in April 1973.
During one memorable, dreary, overcast day (date not recalled) I heard loud aircraft engines approaching, so I looked out of the nearest window. Approaching for a low flyover of the base was a buddy-store equipped Skyhawk with its refuelling hose and drogue deployed - and close behind, as if to plug into the drogue, was a Vulcan! Wow, what a sight, and me without my camera!
Al
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