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Post by phil82 on Jul 22, 2006 8:34:08 GMT 12
I've always understood "Ohakea" meant "windy place", which is, of course , why they built the airfield there. If you look at the front of N0 3 Hangar you will see, right in the centre, a large section of what looks like a roller door. Some genius decided that Ohakea needed somewhere to fit a Herc, and the only way they could do it was to re-engineer the hangar roof structure, at great expense, and fit a roller door in the front bit. We of windy knowledge were sceptical, and sure enough, on the first of those occasional Ohakea zephyrs the door was sucked out and ended up almost on the grass. To my knowledge there has never, ever, been a Herc in there!
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Post by phil on Jul 22, 2006 9:54:51 GMT 12
I've always understood "Ohakea" meant "windy place" I grew up in Wellington, which has a reputation for a bit of wind, and I can say that Ohakea is by far the windiest place I've ever lived. October - November is particularly bad. We used to have to chain the A4s down, and it even got windy enought that we had to hangar them, which is pretty windy. If I remember correctly it was chains over 30 or 35 kts and hangar them at 50kts. I'm sure someone like Don will correct me if those figures aren't quite right. It gets so windy on the flightline it is very hard to even walk upright. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 22, 2006 10:31:12 GMT 12
Great photos. What is that big new building on the western side? Is it a new gym? Or one of the new hangars?
Where are all the RNZAF planes? Were they all up flying in that rare window of good weather?
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Post by phil82 on Jul 22, 2006 12:42:26 GMT 12
I belive it's the Gym Dave.
I see some disgruntled passenger from the Singapore Airlines flight has written to the Dompost complaining at the word "grumpy" used to describe the passengers after being diverted to Ohakea, saying he wasn't [grumpy] then goes on for seven paragraphs saying how he was. [Just as a matter of interest, how did the reporter know they were grumpy when no one was allowed on board?].
This grumpy person complains about the inhospitable attitude to visitors to our country, and that it would have taken little effort to organise an icecream each [for all 1200plus passengers one would presume]. He then goes on to complain that "we", whoever "we" are, should be better organised to meet basic needs at this "important airfield."
I feel a letter to the editor coming on! This Richard Head [from Lower Hutt], has absolutely no knowledge of airport procedures if he thinks they should be available to a once-in-a-lifetime diversion. I know of no other instance of Ohakea getting five civil aircraft arrive. Neither Ohakea [nor Palmerston North for that matter] has the Customs and Immigration facilities to deal with a situation such as this, and even if passengers had been allowed off the aircraft, there would have been nowhere for them to congregate; no seating, no toilets, no food etc. There are not enough air stairs in any case to get five plane-loads off, so in the end, the best place for the passengers was where they were! Icecreams? Yeah, right!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 22, 2006 12:50:12 GMT 12
I fully agree Colin. Write the letter I say.
I am surprised that Auckland especially is not equipped to land aircraft in fog. Surely it's possible these days where aircraft can land themselves by computer guidance systems. When i went to the UK the first time, my plane landed at Gatwick in a heavy snowstorm! It freaked me out a bit, but we got down safe enough. It was damn cold when we got out of our nice warm plane though.
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Post by phil82 on Jul 22, 2006 13:44:13 GMT 12
letters@dompost.co.nz: Your wish is my direction Dave!
"Your correspondent : "Shame at their treatment": 22nd July, claims not to have been "grumpy" at being held on board the diverted Singapore Airlines flight on Wednesday,then proceeds to tell us in eight paragraphs precisely why he was !
He claims " it would have taken little effort" to organise an icecream each, without any apparent thought to just how this could have been achieved for some 1200 passengers. Ohakea is not now, and never has been in a position to cope with that many people arriving on its doorstep. It is also a unique situation for that to happen, so I presume your correspondent is not suggesting facilities be set up for the next time , which may be never.
Ohakea is a military airfield. It is not equipped in any way shape or form to deal with the Immigration and Customs requirements of 1200 passengers. Had they been allowed off the aircraft, in itself difficult to achieve due to the lack of suitable stairs, there is nowhere for a group that size to congregate other than a cold hangar where they would have to stand around for hours with inadequate toilet facilities,no seating, and no food because, with all the goodwill the RNZAF possesses, they can't feed 1200 people at short notice.
Given the circumstances, the passenger were left in the best possible place for them; on board the aircraft".
Yours etc
Neverbeengrumpy of Lower Hutt
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Post by phil on Jul 22, 2006 14:09:19 GMT 12
Richard Head? Is that his real name? I only ask since Dick is of course short for Richard, so possibly his name is rather appropriate.
Also I went to school (in Lower Hutt) with a Richard Head, and surely their can't be too many unfortunate individuals around with that name.
The icecream machine in the mess struggles with the numbers (not many) that it has to supply each lunch time. 1200 would have reduced it to scrap metal.
After 8 hours I'd have though he might have taken the time to realise that there is nothing to do at Ohakea even if he got off the aircraft. Look out the windows...see all the green fields and cows? Get off the aircraft and wander the farmers padocks? What did he want (apart from an icecream)? A shoping trip to Bulls...?
A Richard Head indeed.
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Post by phil82 on Jul 22, 2006 14:24:09 GMT 12
"Richard Head" is indeed a euphemism for "Dickhead" Phil, and not even I would put that in a letter to the Editor! His real name is Wostenholme.
Ice-cream machines? In the Airmens' Mess? Pampered you are Sir!! Pampered!
Do you get a choice? Like hokey-pokey on tuesdays?
Without Immigration or Customs present, it's probably illegal to allow "entry" into NZ by letting them off!
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Post by phil on Jul 22, 2006 14:38:03 GMT 12
No choice, but you do sometimes get jellybeans to decorate your icecream with!
I believe the legality of letting them into New Zealand without customs and MAF is exactly why they weren't allowed off. Can't have them running off and bringing all those dodgy bits of fruit and dirty shoes into the place.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 22, 2006 15:27:36 GMT 12
In my day at Hobsonville (1990-91) they sometimes had chocolate ice cream in the machine instead of the usual vanilla. But then that was then the best airmens mess in the country.
Note to self: business idea - ice cream stand at Ohakea...
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