ANNIVeRSARY AIR SHow! - Royal New Zealand Air Force

Rear Admiral Steer, VcdF and AVM Stockwell assess
the cockpit of the NH90.
oPPoSITe: AVM Stockwell is interviewed by TV3
chaplain Hight blesses
the new helicopter
The first all-NZ crew: SQNldR chris
Andrew, FlTlT Mike Garrett, F/S
chris Jowsey & F/S chris Mitchell
The NH90’s first flight in New Zealand took place on
14 February from ohakea. That flight, and a number of
subsequent ones, each had an NHI company pilot on board,
as the RNZAF transition aircrew underwent re-familiarisation
training. It had been eight months since the RNZAF team
completed their NH90 conversion-to-type training in France.
SQNldR Andrew commented that, “The first all-RNZAF
flight was the first in a series to develop our Standard
operating Procedures as well as increase our proficiency and
experience with the new aircraft.”
w/o Pete barker is the Maintenance w/o for the NH90. He
explained that two RNZAF Training officers went to France
last year to assess the NH90 training courses and adapt them
for the RNZAF. All the training manuals are electronic and, as
well, there are NHI Field service representatives working with
the Helicopter Transition Unit, w/o barker explained. “we
ask lots of questions and, with the time difference, we get an
overnight service from NHI in France. The helicopter is proving
to be reliable; in less than a month we have achieved over 30
hours flying time. but we are still in the crawl phase, before we
can learn to walk or run with it,” w/o barker says. “It’s really
enjoyable—it’s still like christmas!”
“Ka pu te Ruha, ka hao te Rangatahi”
“As the old net retires, the new net goes out fishing”
NH90 TECH SPECS
Nato Helicopter Industries (NHI) was formed in 1992
through an inter-company agreement between four partner
companies: eurocopter (France), eurocopter deutschland
(Germany), Agusta westland (Italy) and Stork Fokker
(Netherlands). other nations flying the NH90 are: Australia,
belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the
Netherlands, Norway, oman, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Dimensions: 19.56m (rotors turning) x 4.62m (width)
x 5.23m (height)
Crew: Two pilots and one or two helicopter
crewmen
Capacity: 18 passengers, 12 troops with
equipment, or
9 stretchers plus medical staff.
3,200 kg cargo
Engines: Two Rolls-Royce Turbomecca RTM
322-01/9 turbine engines, 2,227shp each
Max speed 300kph (164 kts)
Range 780km (420 nm)
Endurance 4.45 hours.
Armament Two MAG 58 machine guns (7.62mm).
Specialised equipment Goodrich twin electric rescue hoist
Cargo hook
Fast roping/rappelling system.
Removable ballistic armour
The most advanced helicopter the Air Force has ever
had, the NH90 will considerably improve our defence
Force’s capability to conduct military, counter-terrorism,
disaster relief, search and rescue, and tasks in support of
Government agencies (Police, customs, Maritime NZ, civil
defence, and the department of conservation).
our fleet of eight NH90s is being acquired with a logistics
and support package comprising training, software,
publications support and equipment. The package includes
a ninth airframe, purchased for replacement parts, and
ongoing provision for spare parts. The total cost of eight
NH90s and the full support and logistics package is
$771million. The support and logistics costs represent over
a third of this total. The budget has been allocated through
the ten-year defence long Term development Plan.
New infrastructure has been built at ohakea under
Project TAkITINI to enable the NH90 to be supported
effectively. This has provided facilities that are second to
none and are the start of a first-class synthetic training
capability for the helicopter force.
Air Force news 7