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Post by phil on Feb 23, 2010 16:51:14 GMT 12
I know this forum attracts a lot of plane spotters, but van spotter? :-)
The NMV (Non Military Vehicle) fleet is currently all sorts of colours.
The Utes tended to be dark metalic green with a flat coat applied, or white, but silver is pretty common at the moment. We have a red ford courier at Ohakea that the armourers use. The vans are now appearing in all sorts of colours, the Army have had red ones since the days of the hi-ace, but now we are seeing silver quite frequently. This is the first blue one I've seen but it's hardly surprising.
The army actually manage the NMV fleet for the whole NZDF.
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Post by phil on Feb 16, 2010 11:13:05 GMT 12
delayed indefinitely?
That's interesting.
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Post by phil on Jan 13, 2010 20:21:10 GMT 12
I know Bags.
Caught up with him in the mess in WB last year.
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Post by phil on Jan 7, 2010 14:59:56 GMT 12
Some are a bit hard to make out: Top row I'm not sure about, (?), followed by what could be a BEM or MBE. Second row: DFC, AFC, 39-45 star, Atlantic star, Third row: (?), (?), (?), Air efficiency award, Fourth row: GSM, Vietnam medal, South Vietnamese campaign medal, possibly a LSGCM? (should be an AFA, he's an officer after all!), Fifth row: South Atlantic medal 1982, Can't make out the ribbon after that, Bottom: 75SQN Miniature.
He's missing his OSM.
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Post by phil on Jan 1, 2010 20:53:49 GMT 12
Not to mention a few notable 'air to air' victories over a variety of quite large birds.
There were two I remember from my time, one was on Ex Greyghost in OCT 97 at Whenuapai, when on approach a seagull flew down the barrel of one of the 20mm cannons.
The other was far more dramatic, the aircraft took a fairly large bird down the intake, which smashed through the intake and went down the inside of the fuselage taking out numerous components and making a very smelly mess. Don would probably recall that one, as most of the damage seemed to be to various avionics components.
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Post by phil on Dec 31, 2009 23:04:24 GMT 12
I've got the official RNZAF Drawings at home, but I'm away on holiday at the moment, are you in a hurry for them?
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Post by phil on Dec 31, 2009 11:13:15 GMT 12
There would certainly have been a court of enquiry, national archives should have files relating to the crash.
I'm pretty sure I know where the data plate from the ejection seat is, if any of the S/N data is of any interest to you.
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Post by phil on Dec 20, 2009 18:54:49 GMT 12
It's a shame the photog didn't remove the chairs from the background of that group!
Nice to see the Maverick on the door, very appropriate.
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Post by phil on Dec 13, 2009 13:46:51 GMT 12
I know Glen Turner (Secretary 75 SQN Association) had an article (the one above I think) plus photographs of the plaque - it was a decent size too, but he has not been able to locate the plaque itself.
I'd be interested to know if anyone remembers it, I certainly don't (even after seeing the old photos Glen has), and I helped photograph all the plaques, paintings and memorabilia on SQN at the time of disbandment. A couple of us spent hours going around the SQN photographing everything to catalogue all the items.
My theory is that someone half inched it many years ago.
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Post by phil on Nov 28, 2009 12:13:14 GMT 12
what about combining all the forces into one "marine" corps type situation, where theres a lot less hq's, one rank structure, and a lot less paperwork and red tape Then you would have even less people. All three services have quite different cultures, and for good reason. An AC in the Air Force is not only required to think for themselves and question everything, they are encouraged to. That's what stops aircraft falling out of the sky. A private in the Army on the other hand is not permitted to question things. The Army trains to go to war, the airforce carries out it's role everyday, in much the same way whether they are on operations or at home. To fly and maintain an aircraft is no different no matter where you are, you do it for real every time. Different cultures for different roles. Try combining all three services and it wont work. A point to note however, operational control is already combined under one HQ and command.
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Post by phil on Nov 22, 2009 19:52:58 GMT 12
Perhaps they could buy flock house.
Lots of barrack accommodation there, MQs, Gym, Pool (which needs quite a bit of work), a large gym, mess etc etc.
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Post by phil on Nov 22, 2009 9:12:12 GMT 12
Just as well it wasn't a shipment of something useful like 7.62 or 5.56. Or semtex...
No one can do much with 105mm blanks, but SAA or plastic explosives might have tempted a less scrupulous person.
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Post by phil on Nov 22, 2009 8:42:03 GMT 12
Rotary bay is helicopter things.
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Post by phil on Nov 21, 2009 21:34:10 GMT 12
Given that the largest building ever built by for the NZDF is currently under construction at Ohakea, specifically designed for the needs of the NH90 and A109s, I can say with some confidence that the Helicopters are not moving away from Ohakea.
Especially since the new 3SQN hangar will only hold the record as the largest building for a couple of years, until the new Maintenance Support SQN building next to it is opened. That one is 12000 square meters, and is designed to meet the ILM maintenance requirements for the next 60 odd years.
Oh, and the sim building going up next to that building might be another clue that the helicopters are staying at Ohakea.
Given the infrastructure requirements needed for the NH90s and the costs involved, J shed just wont cut it.
As for what goes into the current and soon to be empty 3 SQN hangar.... who knows.
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Post by phil on Nov 20, 2009 18:03:34 GMT 12
For those that wish to attend, Andy's funeral will be at 1400 at the OH Gym.
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Post by phil on Nov 19, 2009 16:42:50 GMT 12
We are a small trade and today's loss has been taken hard.
I worked with Andy right from my first posting off mechanics course, when he was my SGT on 75 SQN, on and off over the next 13 years until as recently as last month - he was my F/S at TS ARM.
Although most of us managed to hold things together at work, I would be surprised if I am the only one shedding a few tears now I am at home and have time to reflect. It was a shock opening up the stuff website and seeing his pre deployment portrait staring out at me.
After surviving a 6 month tour in Afghanistan, to be killed at Waiouru is hard to accept.
All our thoughts go out to his wife and family.
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Post by phil on Nov 14, 2009 8:16:59 GMT 12
no money for a global hawk Umm... not that far out of left field.
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Post by phil on Nov 13, 2009 16:53:31 GMT 12
Force?
AGM-65D(NZ) is quite a bit of force.
Mk82 is still fairly forceful.
Depth charges, torpedos... all exert many tons per square inch of force when they go off too.
Tired of this 'No Force' bullshit. There are more weapons platforms than just the A4. Less force perhaps, but no force? Hardly.
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Post by phil on Oct 22, 2009 21:19:32 GMT 12
It's in Wellington. They fire the salutes for various ceremonial things from there.
And we still do most of our measuring in imperial. Most things are in thou still!
Until we get rid of US aircraft it will probably stay that way too. Worse was the macchi, some things were in both metric and imperial!
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Post by phil on Oct 22, 2009 19:37:01 GMT 12
Even less known is that we still use it.
As a saluting gun at Point Jerningham.
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