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Post by Chris F on Aug 30, 2010 16:09:48 GMT 12
Such a classic and great chopper with the fishbowl and lattace tail...you hear the song to MASH in your head. I am sure this chopper will be sadly missed as its history in the RNZAF has I am sure been colourful and like out growing a favorite pair of jeans(due to increased tummy size) the RNZAF have finally out grown this classic. I am hoping the RNZAF Historic Flight will maintain and continue to fly one for many years to come as it was our first chopper to enter service. I would like to hear from any one who has stories to tell and anyone who knows what will be happening to them as in their last days.
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Post by phil on Aug 30, 2010 18:08:47 GMT 12
I have heard a rumour historic flight will get one.
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Post by Chris F on Aug 30, 2010 18:23:47 GMT 12
thats great news
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Post by Barnsey on Aug 31, 2010 18:37:23 GMT 12
Talking to the 3 Sqn guys, they understand that plan is for the historic flight to fly one. The numbers in current service are dwindling due to a shortage of main rotor masts - and I guess with the A109 on the horizon, no impetus to source spares.
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Post by vs on Aug 31, 2010 19:18:10 GMT 12
Has one been allocated to the RNZAF museum yet?
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Post by alanw on Aug 31, 2010 20:30:14 GMT 12
I recall watching two Sioux (one with a big pink bow) doing an aerial waltz to the Blue Danube at Wigram.
Was really great to watch. Have often wondered if the Pilot of the one with pink bow got a ribbing from his squadron mates ;D
When living in the Hobsonville married quarters, from our back fence which bordered the airfield, used to watch them doing compass checks and if it had been raining skidding across the grass strip water going every which way ;D ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 31, 2010 21:05:39 GMT 12
It would be great if the Air Force Museum of New Zealand could keep one in operational condition and get a license to fly joyrides, it would be easy for a Sioux to operate in and out of their field and no real nuisance to neighbours as it's a pretty quiet helicopter. It could make a great revenue generator for the RNZAF and I'm sure there must be some ex-3 Squadron pilots in Christchurch who'd be keen to operate it on special open days.
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Post by vs on Aug 31, 2010 21:33:04 GMT 12
problem with that idea is that you need a part 135 certificate and that costs a huge amount of money.
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Post by Chris F on Sept 1, 2010 9:58:37 GMT 12
Great stuff guys...its an awesome helicopter and has been a great servant for all those years. I remember been at school and one hovering over a Springbok game in 1981. Anyone remember them been used for that?
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Post by 11SQNLDR on Sept 1, 2010 19:17:24 GMT 12
I rememeber as an ATC Cadet helping to set up an open day for a Falcon's Roost Ex at Napier airport when Ron Thacker hit a cable doing a high speed (for a Sioux!!) low pass over the camp... he & the student had a near miss as the cable shattered the bubble & wrapped around the mast Myself and another couple of guys watched the old girl gain altitude as bits of the bubble were falling around us & then she started to autoratate as the main rotar had clipped the tailboom on impact. The old girl spun down & landed hard but both walked away uninjured. Never moved so fast in all me life ;D From memory the passenger was Pilot Officer Pete Lindsay who ejected from NZ6367 (a Blunty) some months later.
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Post by Chris F on Sept 2, 2010 10:45:07 GMT 12
I took my son for a flight in Precision Helicopters Bell 47 from Oakurakura winery on surf highway45 between New Plymouth and Oakura. This was awesome it was slow and went along the beach at a very low level,so low we put our hand out the window and waved to the people on the beach. Last summer a DC-3 flew over our city doing joy flights and its slow speed and big rumble from its radial engines made me think what our children today are really missing out on. Its all great having a high tech state and fast quiet planes but our kids today cant even get close to them with all the sercurity around and the airports today basically dont like people there watching the planes. In my day we could work around and get really close to the planes it was great. I often wonder if we have gone forward for the better.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Sept 2, 2010 12:38:31 GMT 12
I rememeber as an ATC Cadet helping to set up an open day for a Falcon's Roost Ex at Napier airport when Ron Thacker hit a cable doing a high speed (for a Sioux!!) low pass over the camp... he & the student had a near miss as the cable shattered the bubble & wrapped around the mast Myself and another couple of guys watched the old girl gain altitude as bits of the bubble were falling around us & then she started to autoratate as the main rotar had clipped the tailboom on impact. The old girl spun down & landed hard but both walked away uninjured. Never moved so fast in all me life ;D From memory the passenger was Pilot Officer Pete Lindsay who ejected from NZ6367 (a Blunty) some months later. I was on 3 Squadron at the time - it would have been in 1985. They were VERY lucky to walk away from that accident...
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Post by Chris F on Sept 2, 2010 12:53:59 GMT 12
Thanks Don was the aircraft a write off at all? I understand they are quiet robust.
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Post by 11SQNLDR on Sept 5, 2010 8:57:23 GMT 12
1985 sounds right Don. I remember the incident clearly!
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Post by skyhawkdon on Sept 5, 2010 16:02:51 GMT 12
I'm pretty sure it was repaired. A lot of them were - the Sioux had a lot of accidents!
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Post by luke6745 on Sept 5, 2010 16:31:10 GMT 12
From RNZAF website -
NZ3710 crashed 16 July 1985
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Post by skyhawkdon on Sept 5, 2010 21:22:36 GMT 12
No that was another one! I saw that one crash (on the Hobby airfield) myself and was one of the first people to get to the wreckage and help the pilot out. He was practicing torque turns and got one horribly wrong, bellied in hard and rolled it end for end! It ended up upside down with fuel running out onto the hot engine, which caught fire. I grabbed a fire extinguisher from the Avionics Bay and ran out with it. The pilot's nick name was "Chook" - I can't remember his real name. I've got some photos of the end result and bits of plexiglass from the bubble in a photo album which I'll scan and post over the next few days. That one wasn't rebuilt as it was totalled!
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Post by luke6745 on Sept 5, 2010 21:51:09 GMT 12
Bloody hell! They sure had a lot of crashes then!
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Post by classicman on Sept 8, 2010 10:30:36 GMT 12
The "Chook" you mentioned Don is Steve Morrissey - the Air New Zealand pilot who died while hiking in HKG last month. RIP.
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Post by Chris F on Sept 8, 2010 10:43:43 GMT 12
Oh my what a nick name chook. Look forward to the pics Don and thanks for your input its great. These choppers have stood the test of time with plenty of help from guys like you Don. Well done.
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