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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 7, 2018 19:35:55 GMT 12
If they close Whenuapai we will have just one Air Force base left. Surely even Labour/Greens/NZ First know you don't put all your eggs in one basket?
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Jul 7, 2018 20:02:48 GMT 12
Don't hold your breath Dave, they already tried to close it once before - and it was only just saved.
To me, this looks like the cost of P-8s will be more than the asking price in $. I'm picking Ron Mark has had to make a huge historical compromise to push this purchase through.
I hope I'm wrong.
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jeffref
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 74 
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Post by jeffref on Jul 7, 2018 21:04:50 GMT 12
The Aussies are extending RAAF Edinburgh from 2560 M (longer than Ohakea) to 2830 M. Do they know something Ron doesn't?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 7, 2018 21:51:58 GMT 12
It would be nice to think if Whenuapai has to go that the money from the land sale would go back into the Defence coffers. However we know it won't. it'll be given away and all the history and strategic advantage destroyed.
Jeff, I am sure the Aussies know a lot of things that Ron Mark doesn't.
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Post by isc on Jul 7, 2018 23:42:59 GMT 12
Perhaps they could stretch the runway at Woodbourne, a vineyard or two might suffer.isc
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Post by joey05 on Jul 8, 2018 8:26:57 GMT 12
Marlborough Airport already have land for a extension, but no extension planned. Current runway is 1425m, extension I think was only around 400m so still not long enough P8 operations. Could go south and take out some vineyards but it would be a big job as there is a flood protection channel at the end of the runway
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Post by ErrolC on Jul 8, 2018 8:31:30 GMT 12
They have lots of rising ground in Queenstown but manage quite nicely, should be pretty easy to add a couple of hundred metres to WP, would hate to see yet another airforce base carved up for houses But it's not a couple of hundred, it's several hundred (NZWP is just over 2,000). Also any extension means moving the road, which I assume is one reason that a short extension has never been worth the cost. And while anything can be done if you throw enough money at it, t is a bit of of swamp - Trig road basically goes along high ground, and the hill drains to the NW. You can see the creeks on Google maps. A couple of siblings might have chased each other over said creeks (the local farmers trusted us to leave gates as-is etc). |
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Post by conman on Jul 8, 2018 9:03:21 GMT 12
The Aussies are extending RAAF Edinburgh from 2560 M (longer than Ohakea) to 2830 M. Do they know something Ron doesn't? It gets a lot hotter in Aus so their runway requirements are always more than temperate NZ |
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Post by saratoga on Jul 8, 2018 9:08:18 GMT 12
I think you guys have gone way off base.
Considering the minister suppossedly had to do some creative accounting to get the P8 over the line, i doubt there would be money for ,effectively new, runways/airbases.If the P8 goes ahead its liklely to have fold down canvas seats and commodore64 computers.Also with the problems the Brits had with the purchase the crew will have to bring their own flasks and cut lunch.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jul 8, 2018 10:22:51 GMT 12
Just watched Ron Mark on TV One's Q&A. A good discussion, as was the panel afterwards. I'm now feeling a lot more positive about an announcement on the P-8 this week.
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Post by saratoga on Jul 8, 2018 11:11:09 GMT 12
Yes,just saw that too.
going to go a bit off topic.....
Seems the same old counter argument, 'why not spend the money on teachers/nurses',and yet in all the years the NZDF has been under funded(ie,always) the opportunity to pay teachers/nurses more has been there and yet they don't get more funding.
Also flicked over to the the other channel,(feeling a bit crook now),to see footage of the Helen disbanding the ACF. Comment made that it still took 10 years to get rid of the 'clapped' out Skyhawks, yet no mention of the the usefulness that the current operator is getting for their(less than one frame) price for a fleet!.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jul 8, 2018 11:47:25 GMT 12
It was also interesting to hear Ron Mark's comments about NZ Frist's policy on reinstating the Air Combat Force and increasing defence spending to 2% of GDP (His words were "It won't happen this term" but it certainly leaves the door open to be part of a future Government/coalition agreement). Also great to finally have academics and commentators publicly rebuffing Helen Clark's "Benign Strategic Environment" comments from 2001.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Jul 8, 2018 13:01:56 GMT 12
It was also interesting to hear Ron Mark's comments about NZ Frist's policy on reinstating the Air Combat Force and increasing defence spending to 2% of GDP … You heard it from me first … CLICK HERE. And another forum member was in earshot of that conversation as well as the director of music of one of NZ's symphony orchestras. |
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Post by ErrolC on Jul 8, 2018 13:52:27 GMT 12
Just watched Ron Mark on TV One's Q&A. A good discussion, as was the panel afterwards. I'm now feeling a lot more positive about an announcement on the P-8 this week. Available for 4 weeks at www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a/episodes/s2018-e17 |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 8, 2018 14:09:17 GMT 12
Out of curiosity, how long will it take Boeing to build a P-8 from start to finish? And would our ones stay in the USA for a while where the crews can train in them or would we embed crews into a US Navy squadron as the RAF has been doing?
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Post by ErrolC on Jul 8, 2018 14:20:49 GMT 12
I thought the RAF embedding was to keep their skills current. I would think RAF crews will train on/with their own ones when they are available (they will want more crews than what are in 'Seedcorn' I think?), a process that will presumably be somewhat easier than for IAF, RAAF and ultimately RNZAF crews.
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Post by rone on Jul 8, 2018 15:25:07 GMT 12
That's interesting, what hill/s were removed when Auckland International was built or when the runway was extended, pray tell.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 8, 2018 16:02:21 GMT 12
Colin Hunter told me about a hill that was removed when they turned Mangere into the international airport in the 1960's. He lived nearby at the time.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 8, 2018 16:07:34 GMT 12
I watched that Q&A interview. I have no idea who the interviewer was but what a complete dick, continually cutting in over Ron Mark while he is trying to make a point, not actually listening to what is being said, and trotting out all the usual bullshit about the cost could be cheaper if they buy civil aircraft, and the billions needed taking money away from hospitals, blah blah. Any Defence money saved never automatically goes into hospitals and schools, those departments have their own fixed budgets just like Defence does. The guy has no bloody clue, who don't they get a defence journalist to do the interview rather than some nobody...
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Post by rone on Jul 8, 2018 16:14:34 GMT 12
There was a scoria dome known as Ellett's mountain that was quarried and the scoria used during construction, it was well away to northwest of the airport though.
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