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Post by skyhawkdon on Oct 6, 2009 14:48:17 GMT 12
Actually, slightly off topic, but Don you must have been through 2TTS shortly after I was there. I was an instructor (Instruments, Batteries and ERB areas) Dec 1981 to Dec 1984. I went to NATTS then as NCO i/c Maintenance. I was on Mechs Course Oct 84 - March 85, then Techs Course Jan 86 - Dec 86 (I was a CT). You would probably know my uncle Dave Geddes. I forwarded him the link to this thread as he loves his Bristol Freighters (and Friendships and Andovers)!
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Post by corsair67 on Oct 6, 2009 15:18:53 GMT 12
I've noticed in a couple of these photos that some of the B-170s have an astrodome in the roof near the base of the vertical tail.
Was this something that all RNZAF B-170s had, or was it only on some airframes?
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Post by camtech on Oct 6, 2009 16:06:21 GMT 12
I remember Dave Geddes quite well from time on 1 Sqdn - say gidday from Les Billcliff for me.
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Post by camtech on Oct 6, 2009 16:20:02 GMT 12
Quick glance at some photos - some with and some without. With 03, 04, 06, 07, 10, 11, 12 Without 06, 07, 11 Note that some appear in both lists.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Oct 6, 2009 17:30:43 GMT 12
Hope people are still interested in the mighty B170. ] What was happening here? Did the RAAF bowser run out of fuel Note the tow strop to the Bedford RL
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Post by baz62 on Oct 6, 2009 17:57:49 GMT 12
I've noticed in a couple of these photos that some of the B-170s have an astrodome in the roof near the base of the vertical tail. Was this something that all RNZAF B-170s had, or was it only on some airframes? Al or some other expert might be able to confirm this but I think (at least in CPT at Omaka) there is an escape hatch there?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 6, 2009 17:59:11 GMT 12
It could be just something hin the background perhaps, rather than a tow strop. I assumed the RL was backing up to unload or load something from/to the aeroplane whilst it refuelled.
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Post by camtech on Oct 6, 2009 19:09:22 GMT 12
Baz, there is an escape hatch at that position in all Freighters. The air force ones, if I remember rightly, had a step for the navigator to use a sextant from the astrodome where fitted. I thought that the dual control B170's had the astrodome, while the single control didnt. Perhaps Don could ask his uncle Dave Geddes to confirm.
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Post by camtech on Oct 6, 2009 19:13:46 GMT 12
That is definitely a tow strop. Looks like the Aussies had broken down while refueling the Ugly. The guy on the side is indicating that the strop is nearly tensioned. Note the vehicle loading ramps in the foreground.
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Post by baz62 on Oct 6, 2009 19:28:39 GMT 12
Baz, there is an escape hatch at that position in all Freighters. The air force ones, if I remember rightly, had a step for the navigator to use a sextant from the astrodome where fitted. I thought that the dual control B170's had the astrodome, while the single control didnt. Perhaps Don could ask his uncle Dave Geddes to confirm. Ah thanks for that, proves my brain does retain some things after all! ;D
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Post by xbaggy on Oct 7, 2009 17:26:10 GMT 12
On the single control RNZAF Freighters, the Navigator sat up top next to the Driver. In the Dual control model, his position was downstairs in the nose doors.
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Post by chewy on Oct 8, 2009 19:23:04 GMT 12
Secondry job was to make sure the pilot light didn't go out on the cabin heaters.
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Post by hangartime on Jul 24, 2012 20:16:48 GMT 12
Just read this - as mentioned previous- last flight from Tengah to Whenuapai in detail (if anyone's still keen) Dec 5 '77 - NZ5912 under Sqn Ldr Marbeck flew in a 'Kiwi Black' formation for disbandment Parade .7hrs then onward to final trip home: Dec 7 Tengah to Bali - 6.6hrs Dec 8 Bali - Broome - 4.9hrs Dec 9 Broome - Alice Springs 5.2hrs Dec 9 Alice Springs - Adelaide 5.1hrs Dec 10 Adelaide - Hobart 4.8hrs Dec 11 Hobart - Invercargill 6.1hrs Dec 11 Invercargill - Wigram 2.4hrs Dec 13 Wigram - Woodbourne 1.5hrs Dec 13 Woodbourne - Wellington .6hrs Dec 13 Wellington - Ohakea .8hrs Dec 14 Ohakea - Hamilton 1.6hrs Dec 14 Hamilton - Whenuapai .6hrs 40.9 hrs worth of touring. The last airframe to be retired was 'instructional' airframe NZ5913..... Someone else also mentioned the sextant. I believe this was John Seeward(?) using one.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 24, 2012 21:02:05 GMT 12
Great stuff hangartime. I love the "instructional airframe" beer fridge!
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Post by hangartime on Jul 24, 2012 21:24:14 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 24, 2012 21:34:21 GMT 12
Looks like a lot of fun!
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Post by ngatimozart on Jul 24, 2012 22:00:05 GMT 12
If I remember correctly 41 Sqn had both the B170 and the Iroquois. I do remember one story when the B170 first flew in to Vietnam. It was to the big US Base at Da Nang, I think, and as most will be aware then the USAF used to call up ATC prior to landing and say how many turning or burning and if the gear was down and locked. So this particular day a Kiwi B170 calls up and say B170 yadda yadd two barely turning, none burning and gear down and welded. The yanks in the control tower apparently went holy crap whats a B170? A B52's real big, so they cleared all the traffic for about five miles around and start looking for this really large B170. After a few minutes a Bristol Freighter trundels over the boundary fence and touches down, probably with the aircrew having silly grins all over their faces I remember they used to get a lot of flying hours usually around the holiday periods when one of the Cook Strait ferry unions used to go on strike. Muldoon was a great one for calling in the RNZAF to ferry passengers and cars across the strait. Holiday periods always seemed to attract strikes on the ferries.
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Post by beagle on Jul 24, 2012 22:02:42 GMT 12
i wonder if any of our PM's went for a ride in them.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 24, 2012 22:37:52 GMT 12
Ngatimozart, according to the documentary about Bristol Feighters in NZ service, called "40,000 Rivets in Formation" from memory, when the first B170 arrived in Vietnam an American ath the air base was heard to ask, "Is that the airplane or the box it came in?"
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Post by ngatimozart on Jul 25, 2012 17:10:57 GMT 12
That wouldn't surprise me. Haven't seen that doco so will go & look it up.
I have a query about the final flight back from Singapore. The legs between Bali and Alice Springs. Did they actually go to Broome as in Broome WA? Seems to me a rather extensive dog leg or is it a typo? I would have thought it would have been Bali - Darwin then Darwin to Alice Springs.
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