Coningsby ;yeterday

[jimtheeagle]

Hi folks, this is my first post here although I have been watching the forum for a while.
I am a Kiwi who has been living in the UK for a few years now, but who has run into a few of the RNZAF pilots in the RAF while working on a magazine project earlier this year. I was surprised to hear that there were 3 Typhoon pilots in the flypast (I wasn't here to see it). The ex-RNZAF RAF FJ pilots I know of are:
'Ferg' who was on 29 Sqn (Typhoons) in January (I'm sure he had a different nickname when I met him at Nowra)
'Whitey' who was flying Jaguars in March (ex Hueys)
'Boomer' who is to join the Red Arrows for next season and was flying Harriers
'Kermit' who indeed has been flying Harriers over Afghanistan and such places
'Fin' was the last RAF exchange pilot on A-4s but I forget what he's flying now
I'm sure at least one other Kiwi is instructing on Hawks and someone told me that two Tornado F3 guys were interviewed by NZ TV during the 2003 Iraq war and identified only by callsigns, which my friend didn't take down.
I guess it's possible that these F3 guys are now on the Typhoon.
It seems odd that they would have a flypast featuring a particular type of person and then not say who they are, although I think they did much the same thing when they dedicated the women in wartime memorial last year and had all-female aircrews fly over.
As a complete aside, just as I was writing this two UH-60s went past my window, somewhat offset from the normal heli route (Yanks lost again).

Jim

[Dave Homewood]

Welcome to the forum Jim. Thanks for the information.

Out of interest, what was the magazine article - was it about Kiwis in the RAF? Which mag?

I asked on a British forum about these Kiwi pilots in the Flypast. Someone I suggest I contact the RAF's publicity people as they'll probably know or will find out. They supplied a direct email. So I wrote, and haven't had a reply as yet.

[phil82]

Ok. Let me repeat what I was told, by people who were there [at Brize Norton}

"Ironic that the 3 Typhoons will be flown by ex-RNZAF pilots (14SQN RNZAF)who were released when the Kiwis decided to axe their own Fast jet force!"

...."not ironic, intentional". [this from a Transport Pilot based at Brize Norton

I wasn't there, so I can't be one hundred per cent sure who actually flew what and when, but there now seems to be a concerted effort toward the negative to prove that there weren't three, two, or indeed any Kiwis flying that day! Personally, logic dictates that it would be highly unlikely that there are three Kiwis current on the Typhoon, but, I repest, that was not what I was told!

Perhaps that was the case, but I'm not about to question the pilot who provided the information by asking every man and the squadron dog whether he was telling it as he read it, and thus implying that his head might have been in the clouds that day.I asked for names, and none were forthcoming. I won't be asking again.

[Dave Homewood]

Colin, my intention was never to question your word nor anyone elses. I was merely curious for the record of who the three pilots were, especially in case I knew any of them. I apologise if it looks like I or we are trying to prove you wrong, on the contrary in fact.

[beagle]

The first 757 to go to the states is early next year

[hairy]

Just a little irrellevant Typhoon note...............

One of the first Typhoons to crash was bellied in by an ex-RNZAF pilot, his father was showing me the photos the other day, I am currently trying to get copies but the father has to ask his son first (fair enough I say). If I remember the conversation correctly it was at a test unit.

[jimtheeagle]

Hi Dave,
The magazine thing was a proposed partwork on the RAF which didn't get past the test stage. I was interviewing RAF pilots generally and kept running into Kiwis or places where they had just been. I even got to fly in a Tucano behind one (not an ex-jet guy). I was asked to look at writing a 'where are they now?' thing for an NZ magazine 3 or 4 years ago but at that time I didn't know where any of them were!
Rumour has it that the occupants of the Typhoon that had the nosewheel failure were Kiwis, which if true would account for 2 of the 3 who may or may not have been in the flypast. So far that's the only UK Typhoon to be bent. The photos of it grinding down the runway in the dusk were all over the internet a while back, but if anyone has access to them or others it would be interesting to see them.

Jim

[corsair67]

I don't care if there were no Kiwi pilots flying the Typhoons - I'm just pleased that you took the time to post such an excellent photo of the 757 with three Typhoons, Colin.

In the November Wings magazine that there is an excellent article about another Kiwi who is flying Jaguars with 6SQN "The Flying Can Openers", and he will apparently be going onto Typhoons once 6SQN retires it's Jaguars this year.

I think that they should be looking at forming another NZ SQN within the RAF since so many Kiwis are now based there again. ;D