Squawks and Macchis flying to Tauranga soon!

[Bruce]

From a reputable source - The Skyhawks and Macchis will be ferried to Tauranga over the next few months for cocooning and shipping outbound through the Port of Tauranga. As there are only 4 suitably qualifield fast jet pilots left in the RNZAF (no-one say anything about staff losses...) the aircraft will be ferried in flights of 4 over a period of months from early February. The will be parking near the classic Flyers Museum, where they will be wrapped up and prepared for shipping. Obviously something has come together with the deal. The SportAvex airshow committee are trying to see if one of these ferry flights can occur during the airshow Feb 5th, but this is unlikely as some of the pilots (including Jim Rankin) are involved with RNZAF participation at the show (Red Checkers etc). Hopefully there may be a batch in that can be on static display at least.
A last chance to see the aircraft fly in NZ...... (I would assume there will be some passes over Tauranga City as they come in.

[corsair67]

Well, it sounds like they're definitely going then!

Do you happen to know if they'll still be in Tauranga in April?

[Calum]

Damn, why couldn't it be now. I'm going home tommorrow

[Phil]

You'll be lucky to see them, the macchis are flown almost daily, with instructions to keep clear of populated areas as much as possible. The Airforce has a 'ACF? what ACF?' policy. Skyhawk and Macchi are dirty words, you'd think we never flew them!

[Dave Homewood]

Phil said:

Skyhawk and Macchi are dirty words, you'd think we never flew them!

I got that impression recently when I talked to a guy currently in the RNZAF. He said scrapping the combat wing was the best thing for the RNZAF because now they can get on with 'real work' as he put it. In a way, I see his point.

[phil]

I don't, you wont find many people at Ohakea with that sentiment, except perhaps those that have joined since (and we have CPLs now that weren't in the airforce when we had the ACF!) or Queer traders like admin or photogs (trust me on them!) whos job didn't revolve around the A4s. THings are much better with 3 sqn at OH, given the place a purpose again, and with the rebuilding about to start soon things will get better.

[Dave Homewood]

I know what you mean, but when I was at Ohakea I hated the damn jets. Nasty noisy things. I never got any sleep. When the jet noise had a brief respite all you could hear was the howling wind... I wanted to go 'home' to me lovely quiet Wigram, or even Hobsonville with it's wocka wockas would have been nice. And I did work on A-4 and Maachi equipment directly.

[phil]

Well at least the A4s and Macchis made lots of noise then left for a few hours, made some more noise for a few minutes then went quiet (at night at least when they weren't doing touch and goes). But the bloody Iroquois going wockawockawocka all night is worse. They fly so slow it takes for ever for them to move out of hearing!

[corsair67]

.....but when I was at Ohakea I hated the damn jets. Nasty noisy things.

Wash your mouth out Mr Homewood: how can you say such a thing?! ;D

The P&W J52 is music to one's ears.

[Dave Homewood]

The Iroquois used to often hover abov our barracks at two in the morning when I was at 1TTS. We never knew why. Probbaly simply to pee us all off. That was bad. But when they were in the distance, off on the airfield, I always found them rather soothing. I love their noise. I wonder if their replacements will go wocka, wocka, wocka too.

There seemed to be a lot of jets going around in circles in the circuit all the time when I was at OH. May have been the Italians testing the engines I guess, don't stray too far from a runway.

[Calum]

Jet Noise the sound of freedom :-)

[phil]

3 sqn have stolen that one and claim that the Iro is the sound of freedom.

I told them that the Iro was more like the sound of boredom.