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Post by beagle on Mar 3, 2008 9:08:48 GMT 12
Don, were you on the radio talking to danny Watson last Friday
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 3, 2008 11:45:50 GMT 12
Don, were you on the radio talking to danny Watson last Friday No. What did I miss?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 3, 2008 13:27:32 GMT 12
If it was someone on talkback radio talking to Danny Watson, probably not a lot...
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Post by beagle on Mar 3, 2008 13:44:19 GMT 12
comon Dave, whats the matter with danny. Listen to him all the time. Listeneing to him at the moment online
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Post by phil on Mar 3, 2008 16:53:58 GMT 12
Thinking some more about this, I think another issue is that of maintaining sufficient currency among the maintainers, and passing this knowledge on. With only one aircraft on limited flying hours, the frequency of ILM servicings would mean that people would not be current from one servicing to the next, would not be keeping up the high level of knowledge and skill required, and there would not be sufficient regularity of work to allow an acceptable level of training to bring new tradesman on line. These issues could cause serious airworthiness problems.
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Post by sniff on Mar 3, 2008 18:05:06 GMT 12
Same principles for aircrew too with training/currency. And when the current stock of pilots are retired or have gone to greener pastures, where are the air force going to reach for a display pilot? B757, C130/P3, King Air, CT4, NH90?
The A4 has a few unique characteristics to consider too, be it assymetric slats, oil pumps re-assembled back-to-front, a delta wing to name a few. Even experienced pilots have had to rely on Martin-Baker to extricate themselves from a couple of the situations mentioned.
It would need to be a T-bird too - which is not quite the same at an airshow.
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Post by motoxjase on Mar 3, 2008 20:20:30 GMT 12
Certain people with huge past and current experience on the Skyhawk fleet have voluntered their time to keeping a T-Bird airworthy only to be have been told no, with one person offering to help free of charge the RNZAF set up a training system if 6 Skyhawks were transfered to the Training School with the answer again being no thanks. Its a fact but if the Skyhawks aint sold soon they will be scrapped, plans are already afoot to strip certain valuable parts with the rest scrapped, Aunty Helen aint going to let the Skyhawks see the elections.
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Post by lumpy on Mar 3, 2008 20:32:00 GMT 12
That would be so incredibly short sighted ! Imagine how many p40s or p51s there might be if only someone in " power " back then had considered that these just might be feasable to repair at some stage in the future ( although Im sure that seemed as unlikly back then , as an airworthy A4 may seem to some now )
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 3, 2008 20:38:59 GMT 12
Look, if you really want to do something, then you'll always find a way to do it - no matter how many obstacles are put in your way.
The Temora Aviation Museum fully overhauled the RR Derwents on their Gloster Meteor last year, and that was the first time that task had been undertaken in Australia since the early-60s; and I dare say it'd be harder to find anyone who could do that now than finding someone who was familiar with the P&W J-52.
Anyway, that being said - I don't imagine I will see an airworthy Skyhawk in New Zealand skies ever again. If Helen gives one to Temora, then I'd say they'd have an excellent chance of getting one back in the air, but only because they have the money and resources to do so.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't be in RNZAF colours - just those dirty RAN ones! ;D
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 4, 2008 14:20:36 GMT 12
I was talking to one of the Macchi pilots a couple of weeks ago at a pub in Feilding and he said he has flown over 1,000 hours on them since the Squadrons were disbanded in Dec 2001! And he is just one of the pilots who has been flying them regularly since 2001. By my estimates that is about $10M in operating costs (@$10,000 per hour) for his hours alone. I'm sure the RNZAF could have spent that money on other more productive things... or used the hours for some real Army or Navy tasking, instead of just aimlessly burning holes in the sky!
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Post by beagle on Mar 4, 2008 14:23:19 GMT 12
That could have been another A109
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Post by FlyNavy on Mar 4, 2008 14:26:15 GMT 12
That is an amazing statistic for hours flown as 'test flights' but essential I gather nevertheless. They are worthwhile flying hours for the pilot and for sure other tasks could have been carried out but then...
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Post by beagle on Mar 4, 2008 14:29:29 GMT 12
I wonder how many other have been flying regular ove rthe past 6 years. Some have probably been moved along. Would they come under CFS or something like that.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 4, 2008 16:13:16 GMT 12
Yes they have all been/are CFS pilots. I can think of half a dozen who have flown them since Dec 2001, but only a couple of them are still in the RNZAF or at Ohakea. The longer this drags on the smaller the potential pool of Macchi QFI's becomes (for either handing them over to someone else or for the RNZAF to reintroduce into service). Also the longer this goes on the greater the risk of an accident or serious incident in my opinion. I'm surprised the RNZAF hasn't already pulled the pin on keeping the Macchis flying for this reason. I suspect it is the glimmer of hope that they could be reintroduced into the wings course that has and continues to kept them flying (not that you'll get a senior RNZAF Officer to admit it publicly ).
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Post by vgp on Mar 4, 2008 16:55:33 GMT 12
Re: CFS Pilots check the latest Air force news Red Checkers a few have macchi qual listed in their profiles.
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Post by motoxjase on Mar 4, 2008 19:10:12 GMT 12
The Macchis must be a real headache for the RNZAF as the Skyhawks can be scrapped (Blasphemy I know) but you cant exactly scrap a low hour trainer, but the flip side to that is also Don mentioning that support for the powerplants will cost lots of money. The Skyhawks will be sold or scrapped with the Macchis causing the RNZAF and the goverment a lot of grief in the future. Don...since the disbandment of the Jet wing has the RNZAF had to buy spares for the Macchi fleet or is there enough spares in RNZAF stocks to keep the fleet going since 2001?
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 4, 2008 19:24:59 GMT 12
Don...since the disbandment of the Jet wing has the RNZAF had to buy spares for the Macchi fleet or is there enough spares in RNZAF stocks to keep the fleet going since 2001? Yes they have, including ejection seat carts, windscreens, oxygen bottles, plus all the consumable stuff like batteries, tyres, etc. The seats incidentally have been going to Australia for servicing rather than being done in NZ!! Now I know Phil and others reckon they don't have the manpower to work on them even if they wanted to, but that situation and extra expense is ridiculous IMHO.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 4, 2008 19:27:03 GMT 12
Re: CFS Pilots check the latest Air force news Red Checkers a few have macchi qual listed in their profiles. Most of them only as students on Wings course though. Macchi QFIs are now as rare as hens teeth. Sav and Jim Rankin must be the last?
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Post by campbellbox on Mar 4, 2008 19:35:35 GMT 12
Googling stuff for work, "net proceeds of sale" actually, and this popped up executive.govt.nz/f16/review1.htmMaybe vaguely the wrong thread, and old news to boot, but pretty in depth stuff about the reasoning behind the F-16 purchase, and the combat wing's role in general.
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Post by beagle on Mar 4, 2008 20:27:32 GMT 12
I have just been reading the review, especially para 5-1 exchange rate risk. It says that it will cost so much for every cent the rate goes down, but....
The hedging arrangements in place are at approximately $NZ1 = $US0.52. The Treasury estimates that if the NZD/USD exchange rate changes by 1c, the impact on the Crown is approximately $5 million.
...but surely it must go the other way as well, and since the dollar rate was just on 80 cents today, then that is adifference of 28 cents at 5 mill per cent making $140 million smackers. the dollar has been high for a few years now and looks like to be staying there for some time to come so in reality would I be right in saying the costs per year for the leases etc instead of being peanuts, be now peanuts on a Pack n Save Wacky Wednesday special........
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