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Post by Gavin Conroy on Mar 3, 2008 19:49:16 GMT 12
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Mar 3, 2008 19:57:39 GMT 12
I've sat in the cockpit of that CN-235 - it's normally based in New Caledonia but seems to come here quite frequently for training. Interesting to see the Singaporean Herc, a very equatorial camouflage design too!
Leo P.
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Post by Bruce on Mar 3, 2008 20:08:35 GMT 12
Skytrain is / has been running recently hasnt it?
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Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 3, 2008 23:40:56 GMT 12
The Singaopreans always have very well presented Hercs. I can't recall one that has not had a nice clean glossy finish. Which is more than can be said for that CN235.
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Post by phil82 on Mar 4, 2008 9:07:21 GMT 12
I was living at the former RAF Seletar in 1975, when it had been taken over by the Singapore Armed Forces and the airfield and hangars leased to Lockheed who were doing some regional work on its products.
1975 was, of course, the year Saigon fell, and there were lots of Soth Vietnam military people fleeing the country. Some of them arrived at Seletar in a C130, and the then Singapore leader, Lee Kuan Yew, said "Thank you very much" and claimed the aircraft as customs seized.
Lockheed stepped in and said that, as the aircraft hadn't been paid for, it technically belonged to them! They were arguing with the wrong guy however, as Lee Kuan Yew quickly pointed out; "it's here illegally and is now the property of the Singapore Government".
It seems that Lockheed were in a difficult position, and as Singapore were aquiring Hercs at a later date, some arrangement was agreed. so that Herc in the photo may well be a 'freeby"!
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Mar 4, 2008 20:09:48 GMT 12
Just found out today that exercise Skytrain is being held at WB so it will be nice to see some low flying heavies around the place over the next few days
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Post by beagle on Mar 4, 2008 20:30:19 GMT 12
They often take reporters up etc so you might want to go and see who the liason officer is for the exercise.
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Post by beagle on Mar 4, 2008 20:36:29 GMT 12
The Singaopreans always have very well presented Hercs. I can't recall one that has not had a nice clean glossy finish. Which is more than can be said for that CN235. yes that 235 is in a very untidy state, not saying anything wrong about it serviciability, but the pride form the painters is very lacking. My first 6 months on 40 Sqn was spent working weekends and nights etc preping the aircraft and repainting most of the fuselages. If it looked shabby, we were quickly told to do something. As for the singaporean herk, I am wondering if the gloss finish is due to it being operated in a subtropical monsoon environment all the time and is there for mainly protection purposes.
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Post by sniff on Mar 4, 2008 20:39:34 GMT 12
Cap, you will mainly see Singaporean and French low flying heavies.........
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Mar 4, 2008 20:55:29 GMT 12
There is also the RNZAF Hercules and they said a second aircraft will arrive on Saturday.
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Mar 4, 2008 21:03:50 GMT 12
well we are NZ of course and I would expect to see our boys as much as the other nations
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 5, 2008 10:41:12 GMT 12
I'd guess the CN-235 probably sees a fair bit of severe tropical weather too, so that's why the paint job looks so shabby. Probably doesn't get to spend much time in a hangar either.
Looks great - reminds me of the RNZAF Corsairs in WWII! ;D
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Post by Kereru on Mar 5, 2008 11:46:09 GMT 12
They often take reporters up etc so you might want to go and see who the liason officer is for the exercise. Gavin maybe you could get a seat on one or better still a harness on the ramp? ;D Colin
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Post by vgp on Mar 5, 2008 12:15:37 GMT 12
depends when it is in for depot level maintenance next usually when it will get a repaint(no point in painting it if is near time for C or D check) just looks shabby usually nothing wrong with the line maintenance, I remember seeing a few strikemasters wearing the shabby shiek paint scheme near the end of their service life and a C-130 wearing an oil over scheme in the early ninties
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Mar 5, 2008 18:24:44 GMT 12
They often take reporters up etc so you might want to go and see who the liason officer is for the exercise. Gavin maybe you could get a seat on one or better still a harness on the ramp? ;D Hi Colin, Yip did that yesterday. Went on my first flight which was a low level Tac flight through Nelson, Wesport with touch and go, through to Hanmer low level, up to Molesworth, pushed a load out the back at Seddon touch and go at WB then landing. Bit over two hours spent most of that time in the cockpit apart from standing on the ramp while watching the load descend, quite a lot of fun and must get the photos out of the camera.
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Mar 7, 2008 19:19:56 GMT 12
Here are a couple of photos from today, check out the shine on the C-130, it looks great in the gloss finish!!! The Kingair was just passing through.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Mar 7, 2008 20:30:32 GMT 12
Great photos Gavin, I too like that gloss finish on the C130.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 8, 2008 11:03:59 GMT 12
Nice photos Gav! The Kingair looks cool!
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Post by Gavin Conroy on Mar 8, 2008 14:57:50 GMT 12
Here are a few taken about an hour or go. Will put up a Skytrain thread when the exercise is over and I have picked the photos for the story I will write on the exercise. Has been great watching the big boys flying around and thats something we dont see here very often.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 8, 2008 15:12:46 GMT 12
I really like the last two shots.
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