KIWI BLUE

[planeimages]

Here are some shots of RNZAF Kiwi Blue members showing how it is done to the Red Berets at Canberra's V.P. day in 2005.

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Does anyone want to put some names to the guy and lady?

[Dave Homewood]

The lady is Barbie Collins, who i believe is in charge now of the Parachute training and Support Unit, but who way back in January-March 1989 was the senior Corporal GSI in charge on my 'A' Flight at General Service Training School, RNZAF Woodbourne, when I did my basic training. She and I (and everyone else) had one or two run ins, she was quite a fearsome woman in those days.

I will always remember the look on her face of absolute shock, bewilderment and then almost pleasure when after our passing out parade, when we were dismissed from a GSTS parade for the very last time, and everyone was rushing off to the barracks to get their gear and flock off, they were all passing her by without a word. However I walked right up to her, held out my hand and said "I just want to thank you for all the hard work you did in getting us through this excellent course, especially me." And shook her hand. Though I meant it, my tongue was somewhat in cheek because usually when she ever talked to me or anyone else in the Flight it was a huge bollocking of some sort, and usually uncalled for. So she was quite stunned and I think almost touched that I thanked her. I met my Dorm Cpl again two years ago - now a F/Sgt - and found he's a great guy and not the total sadist we all thought. So maybe she has a heart too which we never saw. This photo is the first time I've ever seen her smile, that's for sure.

Great photos! Thanks for sharing them.

[corsair67]

Peter, do you have any other photos from the VP Anniversary display, especially Simmo in Hornet A21-26?

[planeimages]

Dave,

Wow, that brought back some memories for you. Barbie certainly has some fortitude to be jumping out of aeroplanes and nailing landings on postage-stamp sized parade grounds. The Canberra site was covered with gravel and some of our guys had fun gaining a foothold. I will post shots of a couple.

As I am sure you are aware that people sometimes perceive the need to be overly aggressive when they need to assert authority. I would think that, particularly some years ago being a female in a male-dominated world she would have felt the necessity. You must have melted her heart.

Corsair67, Sir: I will go through the files of VP day. I wasn't too happy with my ground to airs as the height was greater than I would have liked. My better shots of Simmo in the 50th anniversary Hornet was posted a little while ago in the Avalon thread.

[Dave Homewood]

At the time none of us would have believed she had a heart!

Even back when she was a General Service Instructor, before she remustered to become a Parachute Training Instructor, she used to jump a lot on weekends at Woodbourne. She is a fantastically accurate jumper and just the right one to lead the team.

[planeimages]

Here are the promised shots:


“Simmo” in the Anniversary Hornet over Canberra on VP Day 2005.



R.D.Smith slips in over the photographer’s parachute. He told me later at Tyabb inj 2006 that he realised that he made the job harder for himself when he pulled on the lines to lift himself over the canopy. The resultant landing does not appear in the text book!







Skating along on the gravel.

[Dave Homewood]

Brilliant photos!!

He looks like a marionette puppet! Is that an RAAF team or civil?

[corsair67]

Peter, thanks for posting that photo of Simmo in action. I agree with you about the height: there's too many big buildings around LBG.

Did you get any shots of his vertical climbs or high-g turns?

The light wasn't too good on the Sunday afternoon either, plus it got pretty chilly later on too. Mind you, the F-111s certainly warmed things up later that evening.

Mr Smith looks like he was lucky not to have broken an ankle.

[planeimages]

Dave,

Yes, someone was pulling his strings! Wash your mouth out please, the "Red Berets" are the Australian Army Parachute Display Team.. They are based at HMAS Albatross at Nowra where your Skyhawks were located.

Yes, his foot is at a peculiar angle but he said he wasn't concerned as there was no load on it.

Corsair67: Sorry no shots of the F/A18A at Canberra doing any of his high G turns. I had a 300mm with a 1.4 extender on the Canon with 1.6 multiplier as it was! That's at least a 600 odd mm lens equivalent. He was too far away when he pulled his turns.

I missed the "banker" shot of the F-111 pair. I have sinceseen a photo taken from Mt.Ainslie of the pair laying their firestreaks across the lake and into the sky above the Capital.

Funnily I went up to Ainslie early in the weekend to check out shots form there. Clearly someone was in the know.

Hoping this is kosher here his a low-res pic nicked from a Govt. site.




www.defence.gov.au/media/download/2005/Aug/20050815a/20050814cpa8099747_041_th.jpg

[planeimages]

This is Simmo at Avalon with a high aoa manoeuvre similar, I believe, to a Rusky "Cobra" but probably not as "over centre" as their.

[corsair67]

Great shot that one, Peter: shows off the ectoplasm beautifully.

Thanks for posting.

[planeimages]

Thanks for the compliment. I knew there was a name for that!

[corsair67]

I borrowed the "ectoplasm" term from Wg Cmdr Al Clements, as that's what he said it was called by the fighter pilots, at Temora on the 6th August.

I thought if it's good enough for the Knucks to call it ectoplasm, well it's good enough for me too. ;D

[planeimages]

Wikkipaedia defines "ectoplasm" thus:

# n cell biology, ectoplasm ("outer plasma") refers to the outer regions of the cytoplasm of a cell. Ectoplasm typically contains a smaller amount of protein granules and other organic compounds than inner cytoplasm, also referred to as endoplasm.
# In parapsychology, ectoplasm is the name given to a hypothetical form of dense bio-energy liberated by living things which is claimed to make possible the materialisation of ghosts and psychokinesis. The term ectoplasm was used in a similar sense in the 1984 film Ghostbusters. In the early twentieth century, photographs claiming to show ectoplasm were occasionally published; these were largely shown to be fraudulent. [citation needed] Often the medium would have concealed cheesecloth or a similar substance about their person to produce at an appropriate moment. [citation needed] Numerous studies were carried out in the 1950s and 60s to attempt to prove the existence of ectoplasm, including experiments by spiritualists who have attempted to show that ectoplasm projects itself from people during meditation. [citation needed]
# Ectoplasm is also a term used to describe the vapour appearing on the wings of an aircraft when it is performing high-energy manoeuvres. Typically this effect is seen by most people at airshows during modern jet fighter aerobatic displays. See also St. Elmo's Fire. This effect also has other names in other parts of the world. The study of this effect was the focus of the famous Philadelphia experiment.
# Ectoplasm is also one of the many cocktails made with vodka. It is an exotic cocktail made by adding vodka to crushed nutmeg, heavy cream, and lemon juice. [citation needed]

So we can take our pick.

[Kereru]

I don't usually take shots of parachutists beacause I am usually too far away. I did get a couple of shots at Wanaka and nice to be able to display here.

[flyjoe180]

I think its a great way of advertising the Air Force; its colourful, eye-catching, and its inexpensive.

[planeimages]

Sorry to be so late to reply to your great submissions. They are nice shots of Kiwi Blue at Wanaka.

[Citabria]

Wow I have been flying tooooo long...

I know everyone in those shot expect for the Army guys.

In fact, I was part of the DC3 crew at Wanaka at the time, p.s anyone have any shots of the old girl.... I have BIG news about her and as soon as I find the right place I'll start a thread.

As for Al and Simmo, they are names from the past. Really good guys, Al in particular and I spent a heap of time with them at 81WG.

Great shots guys I'm always impressed and in awe of the quality..... my only problem is that I always to busy flying/working at the shows to get any good photo... well that and I'm crap at taking pictures ...

Cheers

Andrew

[planeimages]

Better to be crap at photos than crap at flying!

It needs single-mindedness... just like any other endeavour if you wish to progress.

Which DC-3? I shot WB and the civvy model.

Cheers


PF