Hornets at Ohakea Easter 2010

[kiwiduster]

Hi Guys,
Some more pix 2010. Hornets were here for WOW.












More later. Cheers

[saratoga]

Great pics ,i like the 'day in the life' style.
Whats with the 'Aircraft Armed' banner, guns or flares? ..or was WOW 'Weapons Over Wanaka'?

[Dave Homewood]

Great photos kiwiduster.

Is that a squadron marking on the intake blanks?

[kiwiduster]

Some more pics from OHAKEA 2010 Enjoy!















Getting a quick rateing. He He!!




One for you mcmaster!!

More later maybe. Cheers!!

[Dave Homewood]

I noticed it this year too, why do some Hornets have high viz roundels and some low viz?

[kiwiduster]

Gidday dave, sorry i did not answer your first question.I understand the intake cover markings are individual to each squadron. I stand corrected on that. The 5 that came for WOW 2010 were a composite group from Tindal and Williamtown if i recall correctly.

Saratoga. You are correct about the flares. Because of the banner i missed sitting in the hot seat but i did get a great walkabout with the friendly groundies who opened the canopy so i could have a look. Was a great visit!!

[corsair67]

Dave, the intake covers are in 3SQN's markings - fitted to a Hornet in 77SQN markings! ;D

The Hornet fleet has been rotated through the four squadrons (2OCU, 3, 75 and 77) while undergoing the various components of the HUG program, so this is why it has been common to see a 75SQN jet operating with 77SQN, and vice versa.

The Hornets have obviously been moved around from squadron to squadron throughout their lives - to spread the fatigue load/airframe hours around and to allow for major servicings - but it's been happening on a much greater scale during the HUG program.

In the pictures above you have two 75SQN, one 77SQN, one 3SQN and one 2OCU marked jets. (edit - my eyesight was playing up, and I missed seeing A21-3 - the 3SQN jet!)

[kiwiduster]

Hi corsair67, Maybe you know the history of the Grumpy Monkey as in the pic. Cheers!

[corsair67]

The "grumpy monkey" emblem on the fuselage is an oriental lion that symbolises 'a defender of peace which when disturbed is swift to destroy'; and as such, compliments the 77 Squadron motto, 'Swift to Destroy'.

[kiwiduster]

Thanks for the info corsair67. I googled it and found the "monkey" is a Korean Lion and would appear to go back to the Korean War?? Hope your' not getting bored with Hornets,a few more maybe ??

























Cheers

[corsair67]

Personally, I never get bored of Hornets.

I have read references to the lion being Korean, and adopted post-Korean War, but as far as I have been able to find so far, 77SQN has always had the lion on it's squadron crest.

[mumbles]

May 6, 2012 15:36:32 GMT 12 kiwiduster said:

This one ;D Love the combination of heat and vapour.

[Dave Homewood]

I'm amazed Corsair67 didn't mention the chem trails behind that one ;D

[mcmaster]

Im hanging to see kiwidusters phots but bandwidth limited here up the coast. Will have to be patient. Not sure how the korean lion became known everywhere as the grumpy monkey, obviously some jokers lingo caught on. More 77sqn useless facts, squadron callsign is despot, flights usually use shogun, pirate. They used to have a more air to ground focus than 3 sqn, but not sure if still the case.

[Barnsey]

The high viz markings are used on the 2 OCU aircraft as they're not an operational squadron, and shouldn't be going to war.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Barnsey, that makes sense now.

[mcmaster]

Great shots kiwiduster! Its official the best Aussie hornet shots come from NZ! Good to see em up close like that ...from where I was staying the last week could see them heading off for ACM off the coast ..but too high to see what sqn.

[kiwiduster]

Thanks mcmaster. Love to compete with Auzzie's anytime. Will get more when they come back!!

[mcmaster]

May 5, 2012 13:41:33 GMT 12 corsair67 said:

The Hornet fleet has been rotated through the four squadrons (2OCU, 3, 75 and 77) while undergoing the various components of the HUG program, so this is why it has been common to see a 75SQN jet operating with 77SQN, and vice versa.

The Hornets have obviously been moved around from squadron to squadron throughout their lives - to spread the fatigue load/airframe hours around and to allow for major servicings - but it's been happening on a much greater scale during the HUG program.

In the pictures above you have two 75SQN, one 77SQN, one 3SQN and one 2OCU marked jets. (edit - my eyesight was playing up, and I missed seeing A21-3 - the 3SQN jet!)

Hey C67, you'll be pleased to know the markings mix up muddle saga seems to be drawing to a close. The images from this recent 3 Sqn ex in Malaysia show all the aircraft are ...shockingly all marked as 3 sqn. There is one 2OCU dual there but I'll allow that given it is a twin tub. True in days past each sqn had a dual properly marked up... so still some work to do.

www.defence.gov.au/defencenews/stories/2012/may/0510.htm