Iroqouis visits Hamilton School

[Dave Homewood]

Chopper visit thrills Dio students
By ANDREW McALLEY - Waikato Times | Friday, 16 March 2007

Thrashing rotorblades competed with schoolgirls' laughter when the air force paid a visit to Hamilton's Waikato Diocesan School for Girls yesterday.

The visit from the RNZAF's Ohakea-based 3 Squadron was arranged by principal Gillian Simpson and technology teacher Lee Davies.

The Iroquois helicopter had flown up to support Waikato search and rescue training in the Kaimai Range at the weekend.

"I'm part of the SAR training over the weekend and have friends in 3 Squadron and saw an opportunity to give the air force a chance to promote themselves and our students a look at the helicopters," said Mr Davies.

The 1960s era aircraft were of particular interest to history students studying the Vietnam War, with the helicopter an icon of that conflict. Physics students also got the chance to study rotational motion.

The flight from Ohakea air base, near Bulls, to Hamilton took an hour and a half.

Waiting for the chopper was one student with a vested interest in the air force's aircraft.

Felicity Lange is one of two Diocesan students who are members of Hamilton's No 7 Air Training Corps Squadron. The 15-year-old Year 11 student intends joining the air force and was proudly wearing her ATC uniform for the helicopter's visit. "It sounds and looks awesome as it comes in to land," she said.

Sourced from
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/3995207a6579.html where there's a photo too.

[Marcus]

Hi Dave and the rest of the group

A short background sketch to the visit of Iroquois NZ3814 to my school on Friday might be of interest to the group. I am a teacher at Waikato Diocesan School in Hamilton and an aviation “nut”. Lee Davies one of our computer techies at school shares a similar interest and is also a member of the local search and rescue team. As he knew that 3 Squadron were sending up two Iroquois for training with the local search and rescue teams he suggested we get one of the choppers to land at our school for the girls (Dio is an all girls school) to look at. We just happen to be working at the school and under no circumstance did we arrange the visit for our own benefit…. Our principal did not hesitate and gave her approval for the visit. Lee then did the rest, organising the visit with his mates at 3 Squadron.

I was in a meeting so missed the landing but got out in time to video the take-off.

Marcus

[phil]

School visits are always fun.

I do hope the girls were suitably impressed by the mighty Western Gear rescue hoist that I spent so many hours working on, getting it serviceable for this trip!

Somehow I doubt it...

[beagle]

They would be mor einterested in all the real macho S&S gear

[Dave Homewood]

Great idea to get it along - I'm sure the students appreciated it amost as much as you did.

I have a slow download but will try to look at the film.

Where exactly is Dio? I've always heard about it but am not sure where it is - is that the one next to Sacred Heart in Clyde Street?

[beagle]

drooling I meant hey Dave, people are just amazed at the S&S gear....

[phil]

Yep, those seatbelts sure are exciting...!

[Dave Homewood]

I always found the public pretty interested and amazed by the rafts, how small they packed up. And various other bits of our gear, yes.

Pesonally, having been winched from an Iroquois and enjoying it greatly, I think the winches are interesting bits of kit.

[phil]

I'm sure those girls were far more interested in the guys in the green overalls than any gear fitted to the frame.

[beagle]

I could go on about me and this female in a single seater raft but .....................
she seemed to like it.