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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2008 15:31:23 GMT 12
Shorty, greta shot. Do you have the date that the terminal was opened at Hamilton?
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 16:25:41 GMT 12
26th March 1966
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2008 17:49:37 GMT 12
Thanks for that, in that case the team was not the Yellowhammers. That team existed only in 1969 I'm told by several Vampire display pilots. The name was dropped halfway through the 1969 season when leader Ross Donaldson was posted to the USA.
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 18:07:31 GMT 12
Whoops. Oh well, can't win em all
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 19:04:26 GMT 12
Continuing with the 60s air force scene we have a couple of real aeroplanes at Ohakea in 1968 taken from under the wing of a Dak  NZ 6152 by Neville Mines, on Flickr The next two of fling wing birds were seen at Hobby in mid 67. Not sure as to why all the Harvards were there, possibly a Red Owl exercise? in the distance between the mower man and the Sioux the two derelict Sunderlands NZ 4105 "A" and NZ4120 "Z" (nearest the camera) can just be seen.  NZ 3902 by Neville Mines, on Flickr  NZ 3706 + Harvards by Neville Mines, on Flickr |
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Aug 4, 2008 19:18:47 GMT 12
They mowed the runways with a hand mower?...  |
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 19:27:32 GMT 12
Beats the hell out of being made to run around the perimeter track!
And not just the runways, Hobbie was ALL grass you know!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2008 19:38:36 GMT 12
Interesting that, I thought the Harvards had the orange tails and tips by 1967. Neat photos.
I really pity that poor bugger mowing that huge lawn though!
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 20:29:50 GMT 12
I've examined the original closer and you can see the colour demarcation line between the silver and the orange between the serial and the roundel. Were they dayglo then? Staying with the same time here are another couple of Sioux shots. Look close and you'll see one of the Whenuapai Bus companies buses in the background. I reckon that often what you can see in the background of a photo can be as interesting as the subject itself.  NZ 3704 (rear) & 3706 by Neville Mines, on Flickr  NZ 3706 by Neville Mines, on Flickr |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2008 21:03:09 GMT 12
The Whenuapai Bus Company, that takes me back. Many a trip to town on their buses was had. Now extinct I believe. Great photos.
I agree about the background of photos often being more interesting than the foreground, I have a photo of a parade of No. 2GR Squadron at Nelson which may go into my book. If you look hard into the distance behind the Hudsons you can see a Hurricane. One of the airfield dummies.
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Post by tibor on Aug 4, 2008 21:10:20 GMT 12
The Whenuapai Bus Company, that takes me back. Many a trip to town on their buses was had. Now extinct I believe. Great photos. And who could forget their 2 hour trips from Hobby to the city, via pretty much every suburb in Auckland! Yes, they are extinct now, absorbed into Stagecoach. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2008 21:25:58 GMT 12
I remember taking the last bus home from Auckland one night and by the time we got to Hobsonville usually it was only RNZAF people left on the bus. This night there was a girl sitting in the middle of the bus, I was near the back. I remember thinking as we approached Hobby that she must be a new face on one of the bases. Suddenly she woke up in a panic because she was meant to get off at Point Chev and had fallen asleep! Last bus too. She was pretty upset. This is how good that company was, the driver said he'd take her home when he'd parked up the bus and got his car. Nice chap.
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 21:45:47 GMT 12
Going back a couple of years earlier and a couple of miles down the road to Whenuapai we have the most elegant of aircraft in the form of this RAF Comet 4.  Comet - RAF by Neville Mines, on Flickr Taken about the same time, and probably during a Fincastle we have, from the left. a Canadian Argus, an Aussie Neptune, and a RAF Rattlebomber. It's not one of the ones from 205 Sqn from Changi as theirs were taildraggers.  Neptune and Shackelton by Neville Mines, on Flickr Finally for this lot a good old Freighter and keeping it company a P3B. I'm no good with USN tail codes so I have no idea what unit it is from.  january 66 by Neville Mines, on Flickr |
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Post by sniff on Aug 4, 2008 21:53:54 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 21:59:42 GMT 12
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Post by tibor on Aug 4, 2008 22:10:48 GMT 12
RP is the tail code for VP-31. This particular frame (152719) was converted to a EP-3J, an electronic warfare training version of the original P-3A. It is now at Davis-Monthan (the boneyard) AFB awaiting disposal.
As for Fincastle, according to Wikipedia, from 1961-1969, crews flew over their own home waters and sent results to an Adjudicating Committee in London for the selection of the winner. Whenuapai has hosted Fincastle in 1974, 1978, 1982, 1996 and 2005.
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 22:24:35 GMT 12
Any idea what would have brought all these anti sub aircraft here together? The P3 may have ben a seperate visit, unfortunately I didn't date the photos but the Canadians changed their flag in Feb 65 so it must have been before that. Therefore it seems likely that I took the photos while on an ATC camp or visit.
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Post by sniff on Aug 4, 2008 22:33:51 GMT 12
Could the VP-31 P-3 be a red herring and not be linked to the other ASW airframes?
The commonwealth airframes could have been here for a naval exercise?
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Post by shorty on Aug 4, 2008 22:37:45 GMT 12
I think you're right re the P3 Sniff as I don't recall see any of the others at the Mangere opening and the Canadian Flag confirms it was earlier
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 4, 2008 23:55:28 GMT 12
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