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Post by phil82 on Aug 11, 2006 12:24:58 GMT 12
" Getting on a bit!!" Harrrumph!!
Why you young whipper-snapper, wash out you mouf! He's probably really, really old now, like late 40ish!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 11, 2006 12:56:36 GMT 12
Er, I meant for a knuck... Sorry grandad   |
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Post by skyhawkdon on Aug 11, 2006 15:17:37 GMT 12
Good to see Easty is now flying Hornets. I bet he is having a ball with all that thrust at his fingertips! He had a reputation for being "the" RNZAF Top Gun in the A-4, so no doubt he is now really kicking some butt in the updated F-18.
As for Oz - his biggest problem was just fitting into the A-4 cockpit! Like Easty he was another great knuck and CO. At least their skills and talent are now appreciated (pretty sad they had to go to Australia for that though).
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Post by corsair67 on Aug 11, 2006 15:32:31 GMT 12
I met Easty at an airshow at Nowra in the early-90s, and he seemed like a top bloke. I hope he hasn't minded being downgraded to a 'mere' Flt Lt in the RAAF, after being a Sqd Ldr in the RNZAF. I'd love to see Easty put on a display in a Hornet at an airshow, as I reckon he'd given even the likes of Simmo a surprise. Don, I too have always wonder how Oz fitted into the A-4 cockpit: he certainly is a big boy!  |
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Post by xr6turbo1 on Aug 11, 2006 21:42:01 GMT 12
Good to see Easty is now flying Hornets. I bet he is having a ball with all that thrust at his fingertips! He had a reputation for being "the" RNZAF Top Gun in the A-4, so no doubt he is now really kicking some butt in the updated F-18. As for Oz - his biggest problem was just fitting into the A-4 cockpit! Like Easty he was another great knuck and CO. At least their skills and talent are now appreciated (pretty sad they had to go to Australia for that though). Yip i agree with that  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 11, 2006 22:50:19 GMT 12
I for one appreciated the Skyhawk pilots when i was in the RNZAF. In fact every pilot I met seemed like a great bloke (especially the 3 Det boys who I got to know very well). Oh, there was one Skyhawk pilot, one that everyone knew of and despised. He was the only bad apple. When he arrived on base Wigram at any time, you'd hear. Every section was warned because he would bust in and attempt to throw his weight around. A right prick all in all. Last i heard he was selling insurance...
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Post by Barnsey on Aug 12, 2006 16:08:00 GMT 12
Oz is now the XO of 78 wing at Williamtown. 78 Wing being responsible for training for Air Combat Group - 2OCU, 76 SQN, 79 SQN.
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Post by xr6turbo1 on Aug 12, 2006 17:48:56 GMT 12
Thats great that things are going well for him. I am not to familiar with RAAF sqns or wings so what aircraft is he actually flying? |
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Post by Calum on Aug 13, 2006 10:51:36 GMT 12
BAE Hawk Mk 127's are operated by 76 and 79 Sqn's. 2OCU is the Hornet OCU
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Post by xr6turbo1 on Aug 13, 2006 18:44:51 GMT 12
Great, thanks for that info |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 15, 2006 15:15:55 GMT 12
Back to aircraft hours, Orion NZ4201 clocked up over 10,000 hours in June 1982, having flown 3,450,000 miles! Incredible. I wonder what it's clock sits on now
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Post by xr6turbo1 on Aug 15, 2006 19:36:08 GMT 12
Wow thats amazing, youre right it would be interesting to know the hours on it now |
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Post by tibor on Aug 16, 2006 17:05:10 GMT 12
Back to aircraft hours, Orion NZ4201 clocked up over 10,000 hours in June 1982, having flown 3,450,000 miles! Incredible. I wonder what it's clock sits on now NZ4203 is now the highest lifed frame, with just over 21100 hours. NZ4201 has 19970 hours. NZ4204 is the "youngest" of the original 5 frames with just over 18400 hours. NZ4206 has a little over 16100 hours. |
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Post by xr6turbo1 on Aug 16, 2006 19:18:41 GMT 12
Thats some good info. Have you any hours of the Hercules and Iroquois |
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Post by phil on Aug 16, 2006 20:23:26 GMT 12
Isn't ALIS a handy thing....!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 16, 2006 20:45:10 GMT 12
Crikey, ALIS is handy nowadays? Those hugely expensive upgrades must have worked. It was just a very slow waste of space way of slowing down and doubling paperwork when I was in the RNZAF.
I recall ALIS was hopeless for ordering with too, which we had to do. It connected to the Supply Squadron's own different network. I once ordered 100 rubber bands for parachutes and we got 100 boxes of rubber bands. Worse still, the grocers wouldn't take them back!
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Post by flyjoe180 on Aug 16, 2006 20:46:58 GMT 12
1001 uses for rubber bands...
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Post by phil on Aug 16, 2006 20:51:46 GMT 12
It actually works pretty well these days. So well in fact they are trying to get a SAP based system sorted out to replace it! Supposedly in November, but I'll believe that when I see it.
I guess like all things you get used to it, but it has improved a great deal from when I first started using it ten years ago.
Our main struggle is still with the Supply side of things, but that's not an ALIS issue, rather a supply issue!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 16, 2006 21:33:41 GMT 12
Yep, we blamed the suppliers too.
You're right about the uses for rubber bands Joe. As they were perishable and had a finite life for the work intended (holding rigging lines in the parachute pack) we couldn't keep them all as we would use one box every two months or so, and their life was two years from manufacture. So we ended up giving boxes away - literally to anyone who came into the section "Want some rubber bands?". We also made some fantastic rubber-band balls for playing cricket with in the parachute section!
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