|
|
Post by lesterpk on Mar 3, 2007 18:32:51 GMT 12
|
|
|
|
Post by beagle on Mar 3, 2007 18:43:24 GMT 12
Good shots Les.
Was wondering there for a while if we were going to be all sprite shots but yes a good variety.
Love the Boeing in a vertical climb, great shot.
Just been to mess for a few quiets have ya.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 3, 2007 19:53:29 GMT 12
Great shots Les! Especially the jighly damatic Boeing 757 climb out! Especially neat as the other Boeing is also seen.
It was great to meet you today. thanks for the schedules and tips for us all.
It was also excellent to meet Peter Lewis, Colin Hunter, Sam Hall, and Stu Russell, and also to see Damon again. As well as all them Bruce and I were there, and late in the day we stunbled across Simon Gault too, who said he was sorry he missed the 12.30 forum meet but he fel asleep and didn't wake till 1pm.
What a great show. I have seen a few RNZAF shows, including working at them. But this was the best I'd ever seen. Really well organised, very good clear and helpful commentary.Really excellent ground displays by the various trades and clubs. A well laid out flightline, though standing on the hot tarmac of the apron was hard on the legs after a while. But it was great to be so close to the runway. And to put on an incredible show like that for $5 when other organisations are happy to charge $50, that's all to the RNZAF's credit.
The staff of the RNZAF and ATC I must say also did a very good job in controlling the carparks and other aspects of the show. Everything done with the usual RNZAF dignity, skill and efficiency. Great work team.
The flying displays? Simply superb.
The first item was the drop of the winner of the Air Force Special Ops game from a Hercules by tandem chute. I now see where the recruiting aspect came in with the game which seemed otherwise pointless. The publicity it generated I'm sure helped to draw in the large crowd there.
Then the show opened with the Roaring Forties Harvard Team, who as usual were excellent. This was followed by a breathtaking display of aerobatics in a Tiger Moth by Dave Phillips. A lot of people were talking about it, it was so low and so crisp. It's wonderful seeing the grandaddy aircraft still showing the young-uns how to do it.
The scheduled display of the Thunder Mustang was cancelled due to mechanical problems with the aircraft. Simon was very disappointed he was unable to display the plane. It was certainly missed, but the show went on - and boiy did it ever heat up with Doug Brooker's sensational aerobatics in the Giles 202.
Another cancellation was the Dakota which failed to show. Any idea why anyone? That was sad, I'd hoped to see the new paintwork. I'll have to wait till Omaka now I guess.
A battle then ensued between the Bf108 and the Kittyhawk and Mustang. This was really neat, that Taifun is a great little performer. And the fighters, well what more needs to be said? The P-40N was flown by Frank Parker, the P-51D by Graham Bethell. I didn't catch the name of the Bf108 pilot, Colin someone.
Next came the Dragonfly jet - and boy did that jet noise stir the crowd. A wonderful display was put on by Gavin Trethewey, one of our more experienced display pilots.
The seven-ship Yak Team was great as usual next, and i was particularly impressed with the yellow and red solo aircraft.
A break ensued where the forum members met up, and then the Air Force display. It was really refreshing to find that the RNZAF had put in some real work on this portion of the show. Little additions to almost every routine were noticed. An Orion accurately dropping supplies to a liferaft (cast adrift in the middle of the airfield), followed by a 6 Sqn Seasprite rescuing the stranded refugee in the raft. A great scenario.
The Orion take off was steep and sharp and only surpassed by the Boeing, as seen above.
The 757 is so impressive, and the display pilot shows it to be a very capable aircraft.
There was a great Airland battle scenario with a Hercules, three Hueys and some grunts and Pinzgauers.
The Herc had a nice surprise at the end of its solo routine pulling straight up and then firing the spectacular chaff pyrotecnics that make the famous smoke angels. Marvellous, I think a first at a Kiwi airshow.
Also new to me was the two-ship helicopter routine. Not the wonderful Seasprite pair that did a great display, but their new rivals - two Iroquois displaying in a pair routine too. This involved some hard out low and loud runs at the crowd and much more.
The show stopper was the F-111 with it's maximum volume makiing everyone stop and look, and the dump and burn was just as jawdropping to the masses there.
What an amazing show. A huge thanks to the RNZAF for providing such an entertaining and educational outing as this. I hope the many Aucklanders who attended have taken to heart the importance of the Air Force and of their base, which i hope will have more such shows before they lose it to a housing development in the near future.
Final notes, also in attendance was the French Air Force with a CASA CN-235, much appreciated to see up close. And as well as the Thunder Mustang and the Dakota, the C-17 also cancelled for some reason.
|
|
|
|
Post by steve on Mar 3, 2007 20:24:17 GMT 12
It was a great day...was looking out for you guys around the seasprite and recue choppers at 12.30pm...no luck...then had lunch at the old terminal buiding chatting to local staff...i noted a fair amount of attractive female ranking staff!. The highlight for me was the low and fast F111 orion and 757...What a warm day to at 27c. First time my wife has been to such a display...she was spellbound..
|
|
|
|
Post by Kereru on Mar 3, 2007 20:33:15 GMT 12
Excellent shots Les and great to meet some of the forum members. A couple I have edited thus far of the F-111. Others will follow later.    As Dave said a great display and well done by all those involved. Colin |
|
|
|
Post by xr6turbo1 on Mar 3, 2007 20:41:58 GMT 12
WOW, that shot of the 757 is pretty cool, I dont think I have seen it any steeper than that on take off.
Good to hear it was a great day and after going to the Wigram show, the standard has been raised by the RNZAF, I just wish they would bring the show to Woodbourne as it sure has been a while.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Mar 3, 2007 20:47:51 GMT 12
|
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Mar 3, 2007 20:49:45 GMT 12
Now to soak the sunburn, then get to bed - I'm Stuffed!  |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 3, 2007 22:29:06 GMT 12
Perfect weather for the day, great to meet Dave and the guys at 10am. Didin't get back for the second meeting, but I got stuck loading kids through the Tobago. All you latecomers missed the early event - fomation hot-air balloons over Greenhithe at 7.45am (as seen from Whenuapai):  |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2007 10:56:27 GMT 12
Colin, awesome F-111 shots mate!
A nice selection from Bruce too, and thanks for the early event we all missed Peter.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2007 10:58:18 GMT 12
I meant to add that I took a few photos which I'm yet to download and add here - it may take me a few days. I also filmed a number of the displays, and have yet to look at it to see if any of it is usable.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2007 13:29:12 GMT 12
|
|
|
|
Post by xr6turbo1 on Mar 4, 2007 14:23:19 GMT 12
Any one get some photos of the C130 deploying flares?
|
|
|
|
Post by Bruce on Mar 4, 2007 14:49:41 GMT 12
Outside of my lens range sorry - certainly looked great though!
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2007 15:16:58 GMT 12
I caught it on video, no photo though sorry.
|
|
|
|
Post by Marcus on Mar 4, 2007 17:29:47 GMT 12
Hi all Thought you might appreciate the following short video clip I put together.... Marcus  |
|
|
|
Post by xr6turbo1 on Mar 4, 2007 18:17:33 GMT 12
Great job on the vid and those flares are pretty spectacular, would look great head on  |
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2007 20:18:55 GMT 12
Great video Marcus! I didn't see the Pinzgauer being despatched from the Herc as i was a little behind the crowd. As my battery was getting low on the video camera my only shot I took of the Hercules was the low fast run with the pull up and smoke angel, a good shot to choose i think as it was bloody spectacular.
I ordered a new longer life battery today!
|
|
|
|
Post by beagle on Mar 4, 2007 20:28:43 GMT 12
brilliant, never seen it live before with the herk shooting out it's flares.
When you first said about it I thought it was going to do it on the way up vertically with a lot more but that was aok.
|
|
|
|
Post by phil82 on Mar 4, 2007 21:13:25 GMT 12
Marc; excellent! I would bung that onto Youtube if I were you [if not already there!]
|
|
