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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 1, 2006 19:53:49 GMT 12
If this sale does not go ahead at all, I'd like to propose a mnew branch for the RNZAF Museum be opened at Woodbourne - known as the Strike Wing Museum. Inside you could have two of the Skyhawks strung up from the rafters of the hangar posed as if they are doing the famous Kiwi Red fuel connected barrel roll. Below them on the hangar floor the rest could be painted in all the different representative colour schemes worn by our A-4 fleet over the three decades, from their original brown/gree/green to the RAN greys and the latter grey/green/greens etc. Plus a golden TA-4K of course.
The TA-4K's could be kept running in the Strike Wing Historic Flight, which takes expensive and thrilling joyrides for rich tourists. In fact in summer six could be assembled into a new Kiwi Red team for the paying tourists.
This idea would generate a lot more money in tourism than they're currently getting in sales, and they would remain as a reserve in case the unthinkable happens (no, not war, but Labour gets ousted and a decent party gets in!)
Whaddaya reckon? Good idea?
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SeanG
Warrant Officer
Me in my Sim....
Posts: 43
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Post by SeanG on Jun 1, 2006 21:05:11 GMT 12
Put me at the front of the line for a T_Bird ride <lol>
SeanG (not rich, or a tourist, but would be there!)
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 1, 2006 21:07:59 GMT 12
Yep, count me in for a Skyhawk ride!  Would sure beat bungy jumping for an adrenalin rush. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 1, 2006 21:58:27 GMT 12
Especially if the rides went low level down the Marlborough Sounds to upset the wave-hating hippies, then across Wellington, through the Manawatu Gorge, aeros over Ohakea, and back down to Woody Valley in time for tea.
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Post by Bruce on Jun 1, 2006 22:02:23 GMT 12
I'm In too - Vote Dave for minister of defence!  |
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Post by steve on Jun 1, 2006 23:54:30 GMT 12
Wave-hating hippies...good one..I like that terminolgy! don't stop there invite the USS Ronald Regan ito the sounds for R & R and have the a4s perform their ex Norwa training roles!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 2, 2006 10:40:44 GMT 12
hehe.
In reality I'd prefer to see the Marlbnorogh Sounds preserved in their pristine beauty. So perhaps the less residents building there to complain about ferries, the better.
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 2, 2006 15:20:57 GMT 12
I was just thinking about the comments made on One News that the Skyhawk & Macchi sale goes against US State Dept policy of not allowing the planes to be sold to private company because of fears they may end up in the wrong hands.
TAS already operate a fleet of ex-Israeli A-4M and N Skyhawks, so what was so different when they purchased them? I realise that these particular Skyhawks might not be as capable as the Kahu Skyhawks, but if they fell into the wrong hands they'd still be able to create a fair amount of chaos!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 2, 2006 16:17:36 GMT 12
Buying jet fighters from the Israelis is taking them out of the wrong hands, despite the yanks kissing up to them and their money.
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Post by lesterpk on Jun 2, 2006 21:30:42 GMT 12
Close there Corsair, ATSI operates the ex-Israeli A-4's.
Hoss Pearson was involved with ATSI but it seems an internal company fight saw him split away and start a new company, TAS.
My question would be where is this contract for them? If I had a contract that required me to buy 34 jets, I'd be advertising for instructors/mechanics and all the assorted things required to keep whats effectively a mini air force operational. I suspect he doesnt have a contract so therefore no one paying him so he cant pay for the jets yet.
As for rebuilding a strike wing under a National government, dont hold your breath. The amount of money required to rebuild what we had would be phenominal, not to mention all the people. I think a lot of those who have left would come back to help rebuild, but you never can tell.
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Post by Calum on Jun 2, 2006 22:44:27 GMT 12
Close there Corsair, ATSI operates the ex-Israeli A-4's. Hoss Pearson was involved with ATSI but it seems an internal company fight saw him split away and start a new company, TAS. My question would be where is this contract for them? If I had a contract that required me to buy 34 jets, I'd be advertising for instructors/mechanics and all the assorted things required to keep whats effectively a mini air force operational. I suspect he doesnt have a contract so therefore no one paying him so he cant pay for the jets yet. Agreed, they don't even have a web site....Even ATSI is struggling from what i've heard so it's hard to see where he's going to get enough work to utilise 34 airframes and mkae money As for rebuilding a strike wing under a National government, dont hold your breath. The amount of money required to rebuild what we had would be phenominal, not to mention all the people. I think a lot of those who have left would come back to help rebuild, but you never can tell. Agreed Why would they risk leaving their (likely) higher paying positons, operating (likely) better equipment to come back and risk getting the boot again when the Labour party gets in |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 2, 2006 22:59:27 GMT 12
Err, I was joking guys. I don't seriously think there is a plot or a deal to save the strike wing and re-instate it, Brash's mob of incompetents wouldn't have the nouse to do such a thing, nor would they want to as they too seem to be anti-RNZAF. Let's not forget it was National who began the major cuts in defence that have screwed the RNZAF. Politicians are all a bunch of w......s whichever party they are with.
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Post by Calum on Jun 2, 2006 22:59:58 GMT 12
More stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3686007a11,00.html and www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=000AB91D-794C-147D-BD1483027AF1010FAt 300K a month.. it's time to bite the bullet. Farm the A-4s out to musemn and get rid of the macchis to malaysia, or anyone else that will take them.. For free if need be. that money could be better spent on other defence force projects , (eg New ASW gear and a ASM for the P-3's). More C-130's, More NH-90's Make a decison on the Sioux for crying out loud :-) |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2006 16:06:34 GMT 12
A new revelation - there's now money! (as we suspected...)
From the National Radio website today.
New obstacles revealed re sale of RNZAF training jets
Posted at 2:10pm on 15 Jun 2006
New Zealand Defence Minister, Phil Goff, has revealed a further potential delay to the sale of the RNZAF's mothballed fighter bombers.
The Government has a $NZ155 million deal to sell the 17 Skyhawks and 17 Aermacchi training jets to a United States company, Tactical Air Services.
The firm is waiting for the US State Department to allow the import of the jets into the United States.
Mr Goff told a Parliamentary select committee that Tactical Air Services has also lost a shareholder and is looking for a new partner for the deal.
He says the Government anticipates the US will approve the sale of the aircraft but it can not be one hundred percent sure - and is having to be "patient" about the delays.
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Post by Calum on Jun 15, 2006 21:39:59 GMT 12
Skyhawk sale still on schedule says American buyer
15 June 2006
The $155 million deal to sell 17 mothballed Skyhawk fighter bombers was not in trouble, the American company buying the aircraft said today.
The 17 Skyhawks and 17 Italian Aermacchi training jets have been sold to American company Tactical Air Services, which planned to use them to train pilots.
However, no money had changed hands and the deal had yet to be finally confirmed by the United States State Department.
The Government announced last September that State Department approval had been extensively discussed with the US Government and no problems were anticipated in finalising the deal.
National defence spokesman Murray McCully last month said the sale appeared to have run into significant problems and had turned into a major bungle.
Today the chairman and chief executive of Tactical Air Services, Hoss Pearson, told NZPA the sale was not in trouble and was going ahead as planned.
"We are working this aggressively and want the State Department to give us approval."
He said the delay in approval was "normal bureaucracy".
"But it is progressing through the system now and it is going to happen."
The aircraft would probably be ready to be shipped to America in two to three months, he said.
"There is no problem," he said, when asked if he was still confident the deal would go through.
The Skyhawks were scrapped in 2001 by the Labour Government when the air force's combat wing was axed.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2006 23:03:11 GMT 12
That last sentence - I don't ike the use of the words 'scrapped' and 'axed' when referring to retired aircraft. It smacks too much of the Rukuhia grave yards!
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