RNZAF Andover Visits Motueka Aerodrome

[markrogers]

Hi there, many years ago a RNZAF Andover and its crew landed at Motueka Aerodrome. I believe it was the largest and heaviest aircraft to have ever visited Motueka Aerodrome as it has a 2400ft x 98ft grass runway and an asphalt runway of roughly the same length but narrower at 40ft, both runways were parallel to each other, and it was quite a small airfield with just GA light aircraft and had kiwifruit orchards and houses surrounding it right up to the airfield boundaries. The Andover visit was front page news in the local newspaper possibly the Nelson Evening Mail with a photo of the aircraft and the RNZAF pilot. I'm trying to pinpoint the date of that occasion and the aircraft serial number as I remember seeing it in the paper at that time and I'm a local Nelson lad, so I'm wondering if anyone here might know of it or remember it. It's possible that the Andover landed on the grass strip due to its size. I can't remember if the asphalt runway was in existence at the time, perhaps would have been too narrow for the Andover if it was there. It was either the 1980's or early 1990's. Did the RNZAF retire their Andovers in the 1990's?

[lirda01]

Somewhere in my files I think I have something about this event. If no one comes up with details, I'll check when back in NZ.

[tbf2504]

The Andovers were retired in 1998

[Dave Homewood]

I asked about this on the RNZAF Past And Present Facebook page. Craig Symmans just replied,
"27 Feb 1984. Jeff Harris was Captain, I was Co."

[Dave Homewood]

Craig Symmans has added, "It was part of a multi-stop trip during a Woodbourne deployment. Definitely a “red pages” STOL operation but not too challenging. Wally Wagtendonk (ex CFS) invited us for coffee at his Nelson Aviation College and put the word out (tongue in cheek) that we were visiting him for advanced training."

[Dave Homewood]

More from Craig:

"Exercise Birdseye: NZ7620. My logbook says "Area Famil, STOL, WB, OM, MK, CL, WB. 2.0 hrs". Can't recall where CL was, these days NZCL is listed as Cloudy Bay but I don't think it was then. Clarence? Can't recall who the Nav and Loady were sorry."

[markrogers]

Fantastic, great information from the guys that were in the Andover! By "red pages" that would mean just touching on the limits of the Andover's STOL performance? Motueka was and still is a pretty small aerodrome for an aircraft of that size. Thanks Dave and Craig.

[flyinkiwi]

I was flying at the Central Area Rally at Te Kuiti on Saturday. In their clubrooms there was a lot of interesting old photos on the wall, but the one that caught my eye was a black and white sequence showing an Andover landing and operating on the airfield. I took a photo but I won't post it because I couldn't find someone of authority at Waitomo Aero Club to ask permission first. I needed quite a bit of runway to get a fully loaded 172 off the ground (the rain last week made the grass very spongy), there must have been a few moments of strong pucker factor for the Andover crew.

[Antonio]

Also watched couple of Andovers at Taumarunui airstrip many moons ago.
Looked great landing towards the north-west and uphill

[camtech]

Just found an photo (in PDF format) published in Reveille April 1984, showing NZ7620 at Motueka, with Rick Cullinane sitting in the seat of a a microlight aircraft. During Exercise Birdseye. Can't up load at the moment, but will try later.

[markrogers]

It would be awesome if you could upload it here.

[camtech]

Here you go:

Andover NZ7620 at Motueka by Les Billcliff, on Flickr