ANNIVeRSARY AIR SHow! - Royal New Zealand Air Force

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celebrating 75 Years of service to new Zealand MATES ACRoSS ThE DiTCh—ThE RoyAL AuSTRALiAn AiR FoRCE The links between the RNZAF and RAAF go back to the First world war when a number of kiwis joined the Australian Flying corps. The two air forces were further linked during wwII with our shared commitment to the british commonwealth Air Training Plan. From 1949 our commitments under ANZAM and, later, the commonwealth Strategic Reserve, ensured the two air forces deployed side by side for collective defence in our region. Today our air forces share a number of facilities and undertake personnel exchanges, as well as join in regular combined exercises. The two air forces share an exchange posting for Qualified Flying Instructors – the kiwi at RAAF Pearce western Australia, the Australian at ohakea with No. 42 Sqn. No.5 Sqn personnel undertake P-3 Simulator Training at RAAF edinburgh near Adelaide, for three Instructors and about 5 students each year. Similarly No.40 Sqn personnel have access to the RAAF c-130 simulator at RAAF Richmond, west of Sydney. 24 Air Force news A d b c with the new NH90 tactical helicopter entering New Zealand service, we have pilots and technicians on secondment to the Australian Army (which flies the AdF’s land-based helicopters) In addition, two RNZAF personnel undertake the AdF senior staff course each year, while one other is conducting a fellowship year there. An RNZAF officer is appointed to the Joint operations centre in canberra and other RNZAF personnel are working at the RAAF base in darwin, in support of operations in Timor leste. with such close links, the RAAF— which was formed in 1921— sent a strong contingent to the RNZAF Anniversary air show. A: F/A-18A hoRnET The Hornet is a multi-role fighter designed for both air-to-air and air-toground missions. The Hornet was developed for the US Navy and Marine corps and is also used by canada, Finland, kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. The RAAF’s fleet has just undergone a major avionics upgrade equipping them for the next 10 to 15 years. B: C-17 GLoBEMASTER iii The RAAF operates five c-17 Globemaster heavy transport aircraft, operated by No. 36 Sqn from RAAF base Amberley, near brisbane. The c-17 has three times the carrying capacity of the c-130 Hercules, allowing Australia to rapidly deploy troops, combat vehicles, heavy equipment and helicopters anywhere in the world. It significantly enhances the RAAF’s ability to support national and international operations, and major disaster relief efforts. C: B737 WEDGETAiL The boeing wedgetail airborne early warning and control (Aew&c) aircraft entered RAAF service in 2010. Six are being acquired, equipped with sophisticated mission systems and an advanced radar to increase Australia’s surveillance and air combat capability, and assist in civil operations such as border protection or search and rescue. The key sensor is a multi-role electronically scanned phased array (MeSA) radar with range in excess of 400 km. The wedgetail Aew&c aircraft are operated by No. 2 Squadron from RAAF base williamtown, near Newcastle. The first two were modified by boeing in the USA, with the remaining four modified at RAAF base Amberley, near brisbane. The wedgetail eagle is a native of Australia, and is one of the largest eagles in the world. It has extremely acute vision, ranges widely in search of prey, protects its territory without compromise and stays aloft for long periods of time. D: C-130 hERCuLES No.37 Squadron RAAF operates two models of the ubiquitous Hercules, the c-130H and the c-130J, based at RAAF base Richmond, near Sydney. The Hercules provides medium to long range transport capabilities with an excellent short dirt runway capability. The c-130H, introduced in 1978, is recognised by its four-blade propellers. The c-130J Hercules, introduced in 1999, has a longer, stretched, cargo area and the engines power six-blade propellers. The J needs only three crew – two pilots and a loadmaster.
one of the warbird stars of the RNZAF 75th Anniversary air show was the Grumman Avenger, which has recently returned to New Zealand and is now owned by brendon deere and based at ohakea. The Grumman Avenger was developed by the Grumman company, of long Island, New York, in response to a US Navy request for a torpedo bomber to operate from their aircraft carriers. Powered by a big 1900 hp radial engine, the Avenger had three crew—pilot, radio operator/bombardier and turret gunner—and carried a torpedo or four 500 lbs (220kg) bombs in a roomy internal bomb-bay. Most importantly it had a relatively low landing speed, necessary to constrain the stress on an aircraft carrier’s arrestor gear. Grumman were holding a public launch for the new aircraft, the TbF, on 7 december 1941, when news of the Pearl Harbour attack came through. The name Avenger was thus appropriate. The aircraft was rushed into service, first seeing action from Midway Island, during the battle of Midway. General Motors took over production so that Grumman could concentrate on the new Hellcat fighter; the GM-built Avengers were designated TbM. by August 1942 the Avenger was the standard torpedo bomber on US aircraft carriers, and it played a full part in the naval victories in the Pacific. From 1943 it was in service in the british Fleet Air Arm, where a number of New Zealanders flew the type. The RNZAF was allocated Avengers during late 1943 and they saw active service in bougainville with No. 30 and 31 Squadrons, March- July 1944. during 1945 some of the RNZAF Avengers were re-allocated to the british Pacific Fleet to make up for losses in action from the british carriers. brendon deere’s aircraft is a TbM, bu. No. 91110 built by celebrating 75 Years of service to new Zealand ThE GRuMMAn AvEnGER the eastern Aircraft division of General Motors at their plant at Trenton New Jersey. It flew for the first time on 5 July 1945 before delivery to the USN. It is now registered in New Zealand as Zk-Tbe. brendon and his pilot, Guy Stevenson, flew the Avenger from Queensland via lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island to kerikeri. After customs and MAF processing they flew direct to Taihape where the Harvard from the RNZAF Historic Flight met the TbM and escorted the historic bomber into RNZAF ohakea. brendon appreciates that not many people cross the Tasman in a single-engine aircraft: “The adventure had taken us 3,200 kms over the Tasman Sea and 9.5 hours flying time.” The Avenger was displayed at the RNZAF air show in its current colour scheme, representing an aircraft of US Navy squadron VT 83, based on the USS eSSeX (cV9, the ninth US aircraft carrier). After the ohakea air show it was due to appear at warbirds over wanaka. brendon now plans to have the Avenger repainted as NZ2518 ‘Plonky’ of No. 30 Squadron, which was piloted during the war by Fred ladd, who became a famous aviation personality in post-war New Zealand. Guy Stevenson & brendon deere after arriving at ohakea, 24 February Air Force news 25
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 and 14: Air Movements personnel at work: lA
Page 15 and 16: Antarctica seen from a c-130 cockpi
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: A No.3 Sqn Iroquois is crowded with
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

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