ANNIVeRSARY AIR SHow! - Royal New Zealand Air Force

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operational capability No. 40 SquADRoN’S ANTARCTiC SEASoN ICE CUB The RNZAF’s Hercules have been flying to the Antarctic each summer since 1965. with the introduction of the b757, our big jets have joined the annual airlift commitment. This summer of 2011/12 was typically busy for both the boeing and Hercules Flights of No.40 Squadron. 14 Air Force news c-130 Hercules Flight by FgoFF Alex Tredrea The ice season for our c-130s started in November last year. Much planning goes into the season from an early stage with regards to the number of flights, aircraft, and crews who will be flying. The crews complete many briefings and lectures about the ice within the Squadron, as well as hearing the odd ‘war story’ from the more seasoned operators. Then there is the survival training the crews have to be current in, due to the potential dangers from the extreme weather that can take hold down there. once that is all complete, the aircraft and crews were off to christchurch to be based with deep Freeze, our aircraft on the apron alongside the United States Antarctic Programme. A lot of planning goes into every flight to Antarctica, involving all crew members and our support units. The amount and type of cargo carried, fuel loads, calculating the points of no return, revising cold weather procedures and assessing weather limits, are all part of the planning process. The night before, we run our fuel plans and look at the forecasted weather and winds. A usual day will consist of a ‘skeleton crew’ for that morning’s flight getting up at around 0430hrs to examine the weather and conditions down at the Ice. If it is suitable for a ‘go’, the rest of crew will be woken up and our push to the aircraft via the pie shop commences soon after. once out at the deep Freeze apron the load Masters and Air
Antarctica seen from a c-130 cockpit E! it engineers will be busy loading and pre-flighting the aircraft for the trip while the pilots and navigator receive a weather brief from an American forecaster via a web cam. The Navigator will then start plotting fuel graphs and calculating a point of no return based on the winds and cargo/fuel load, while the pilots examine airfield conditions and complete flight plans. This is a critical part of the planning stage as the c-130 cannot carry enough fuel to make it all the way to Antarctica (about an 8 hour flight)—and return home with cargo onboard. Thus there is a point along the way that if we proceed past, there is no turning back! As there are minimal options, if the weather turns for the worse or the runway becomes unusable for any reason, it is important that the decision to continue is well thought out and made with as much information as possible. It is for this reason that Antarctica flights are considered by some to be the most dangerous flying No. 40 Sqn undertakes—Antarctic weather can be extremely fickle. Some trips will be conducted as a ‘down and back’. At McMurdo we remain on the ground only for as long as it takes to offload and refuel. These can be long days for all involved, when you take into account getting up at 0430, fly for 8 hours, add turn around times, fly for 8 hours more, and then clear customs once home. crew duty limitations often play a large part in planning the day. on some trips the crew will stay the night down there, usually in the American base at McMurdo. This provides other challenges that come from leaving the aircraft exposed for is an amazing experience to be able to fly to the most remote continent on earth Pre-flight preparations at McMurdo, note the hot air being piped into No. 3 engine an extended period in sub-zero temperatures. we operate a cold weather checklist and change our procedures to reduce damage to the aircraft from thermal shock [ie. rapid changes of temperature on the aircrafts systems] and to conserve the fragile ice runway. You can appreciate that the pre-flight takes a bit longer, when you have to carve massive chunks of ice off the aircraft! There are many challenges with flying to the ice, and the conditions for landing can change quickly. Some days it is absolutely breathtaking—clear blue skies, pristine snowcovered mountains, and not a breath of wind. other times there are strong winds kicking up snow and reducing visibility. That makes things tricky for a crosswind landing on a runway made of ice! we conduct our ice flights each year to not only help out with the delivery of supplies and equipment to the scientific teams down there, but also to keep up our training and procedures for when they are needed in a hurry. This could be in the form of a medical evacuation or a rescue mission, such as the airdrop of pumps and equipment to the damaged fishing vessel SPARTA [see AFN 133 February]. This year we made five scheduled flights to McMurdo, plus two to assist the SPARTA. I know that anyone’s first trip to Antarctica is memorable; mine certainly was. It is a wonderful experience to stand and see this so-untouched land. Although the days are long and the conditions sometimes tricky it is an amazing experience to be able to fly to the most remote continent on earth. Air Force news 15
Page 1 and 2: ANNIVeRSARY AIR SHow! FIGHTING SPIR
Page 3 and 4: First word First Word By Air Vice-M
Page 5 and 6: The chief of defence Force has laun
Page 7 and 8: Rear Admiral Steer, VcdF and AVM St
Page 9 and 10: SECoND P-3K2 ACCEPTED on 16 March P
Page 11 and 12: The tail of Hercules NZ7004 checker
Page 13: Air Movements personnel at work: lA
Page 17 and 18: celebrating 75 Years of service to
Page 19 and 20: wwI dogfight; the Fokker dVII ( r)
Page 21 and 22: The c-17 on a slow pass with flaps
Page 23 and 24: A No.3 Sqn Iroquois is crowded with
Page 25 and 26: one of the warbird stars of the RNZ
Page 27 and 28: y simon gault ThunDER MuSTAnG! why
Page 29 and 30: Air Force Photographers corporals b
Page 31 and 32: dUMbo dIARY, RoYAl New ZeAlANd AIR
Page 33 and 34: y FlTlT lee bradford RNZAF personne
Page 35 and 36: Activity camps for young offenders.
Page 37 and 38: Avionics Pirates meet a watery end
Page 39 and 40: The 75 Years of the RNZAF stamp iss

ANNIVeRSARY AIR SHow! - Royal New Zealand Air Force

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