Air Force News Issue 95 - Royal New Zealand Air Force

AIRFORCENEWS 

AIRFORCENEWS 

royal NEW ZEalaNd aIr forcE // ISSuE #95 // aug/SEp 08 www.airforce.MiL.nZ 

cdf frEEfallS 

It all comES back 

aftEr 23 yEarS 

c-130 upgradE 

tESt flIghtS IN 

caNada 

officers 

graduate 

pIkI akE 

aIr forcE 

challENgE 2008 

StudENtS StEp up 

loadmaStErS 

oN tImE, 

oN targEt 

Three ServiceS aS one force, being The beST in everyThing we do

2 

coNtENtS 

OUR MISSION 

To carry out military air operations to advance New 

Zealand’s security interests, with professionalism, 

integrity and teamwork. 

OUR VISION 

We will be an Air Force that is the best in all we do. 

He Tauarangi matou ko te pai rawa atu i to matou 

mahi katoa. 

The official journal and forum of the Royal New 

Zealand Air Force established for the information, 

education and enjoyment of its personnel and 

other people interested in RNZAF and associated 

matters. 

Published by 

Defence Public Relations Unit 

HQ NZ Defence Force 

Wellington, New Zealand 

P: (04) 496 0289 F: (04) 496 0290 

Editorial Authority 

Ian Brunton 

Editor 

Grant Carr 

Email: grant.carr@nzdf.mil.nz 

Design and Layout 

Amy Trlin 

Email: amy.trlin@nzdf.mil.nz 

Printed by 

Keeling and Mundy Limited 

PO Box 61, Palmerston North 

Editorial contributions and letters to the editor are 

welcome. All contributions may be sent direct to Air Force 

News and do not need to be forwarded through normal 

command chains. Letters are to be signed with the 

writer’s name, rank and unit although, unless requested 

otherwise, only the rank and geographical location of the 

writer will be published. The editorial staff reserves the 

right to abridge letters. Anonymous, offensive or abusive 

letters will not be published. Opinions expressed in Air 

Force News are not necessarily those of the RNZAF or 

NZDF. Nothing in NEWS should be taken as overriding any 

Defence regulations. Readers should refer to the relevant 

Service publication before acting on any information given 

in this periodical. No item is to be reproduced, in part or 

whole, without the specific permission of the editor. 

ISSN 1175-2327 

afN95 auguSt/SEptEmbEr 08 | www.airforce.mil.nz 

AIRFORCENEWS 

royal NEW ZEalaNd aIr forcE // issue #95 // Aug/sEp 08 

AK 08-0336-23 

CdF REtuRns tO 

thE sky 

For the first time in 23 

years CDF freefalls. 

03 

05 

07 

10 

12 

15 

16 

fIRST wORD 

PADRE Ants Hawes 

AIRFORCENEWS 

AIRFORCENEWS 

ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE // ISSUE #95 // AUG/SEP 08 WWW. AIRFORCE.MI L.N Z 

OFFICERS 

GRADUATE 

PIKE AKE 

CDF FREEFALLS C-130 UPGRADE AIR FORCE 

LOADMASTERS 

IT ALL COMES BACK TEST FLIGHTS IN CHALLENGE 2008 ON TIME, 

AFTER 23 YEARS CANADA 

STUDENTS STEP UP ON TARGET 

THREE SER VICES AS ONE FORCE, BEING T HE BEST IN EVERY T HING WE DO 

08 18 20 

Nz TROOPS RETURN 

From Solomon Islands 

wOAf cOLUMN 

Service before self 

wB 08-0110-06 

MODERNISED HERc 

Passes first tests 

AIR fORcE cHALLENgE 

Never a dull moment 

qUEENS SERVIcE MEDAL 

SQNLDR Shane Cole 

RnzAF OFFICERs 

gRAduAtE 

The 08/1 Initial Officer 

Training Course. 

wINgED ALL bLAck cAPTAIN 

Inspires Team Air Force 

23 

24 

26 

28 

30 

32 

34 

AK 07-0013-08 

COntents 

aug/sep 2008 COVeR 

PHOTO WB 08-0110-06 

lOAdmAstERs 

On time. On target. 

Loadmasters are hitting 

the spot. 

cURE kIDS cHALLENgE 

Travelling light the way to go 

wINgS cOURSE 07/01 

Graduating Officers 

40 SqUADRON HANDOVER 

WGCDR Darryn Webb 

bUSy TIMES 

For Base Auckland Multisports 

INTERbASE RUgby LEAgUE 

The annual tournament 

DRAgON bOATINg 

Competing in Hong Kong 

NOTIcES 

Farewells and events 

Precision timing. The General salute at the recent 

08/01 Initial Officer Training Course graduation as 

CT-4 Airtrainers and a Harvard flies overhead.

PAdre Ants HAwes 

OHAKeA 

it dOesn’t 

matteR 

hOw flash 

the tOys 

aRe...at the 

end Of the 

day, it will 

always be 

peOple that 

use that 

geaR and 

implement 

that plan 

‘can i invite you 

fIrSt Word 

to forget about the air force for a while?’ 

Recently, I was privileged enough to receive 

an invitation to attend the annual ‘Air Force 

Leadership Forum’. It was a pretty inspirational 

event full of bright people and some really good 

words. The problem I had though was staying 

awake. I’d just flown in from the States the day 

before so I kept falling asleep. Despite that, my 

ears picked up something pretty interesting. It 

was this… Presenter after presenter gave us 

the obligatory PowerPoint presentation and as I 

said, really good words, and then they all seemed 

to finish by making it clear that the key to our 

succeeding or not was down to our people. 

CAF summed it all up in his closing address 

when he said, ‘The one we’ve all got to keep 

working on is the people one.’ I think what he 

was saying was, we’ll either succeed or fail on 

our people. By people he means everyone, 

either in uniform or not, who works in or around 

the RNZAF - everyone from the GPCAPT who sets 

direction to the poor old Padre who keeps falling 

asleep in the back row. 

So what does all this talk about people mean? 

I think that it is an acknowledgement that you 

can have all the best ideas in the world and 

all the best gear in the world, but at the end 

of the day, it will always be people that use 

that gear and implement that plan. And if the 

people aren’t up to speed or aren’t happy then 

it doesn’t matter one bit how flash the toys are, 

‘that boat just ain’t going to float’ (well, it may, 

but probably not at full speed or perhaps just 

around and around…). 

Now here is a very good saying, and one that I 

have adapted slightly for our situation. ‘Don’t 

try to build a big Air Force. Build big people and 

big people will build a big Air Force.’ 

What is a ‘big person?’ 

• A big person is someone who is comfortable 

enough with themselves (self security) and 

comfortable enough in their job (content and 

capable) to be a self starter. 

• A big person knows how to “let the problem 

be the problem” rather than getting into 

personalities and pettiness. 

• A big person doesn’t get overly defensive 

when their competence is questioned. They 

hear the challenge and work on the skills all 

the while holding their dignity and values. 

• Big people don’t insist on getting the credit 

or fish for compliments. 

• Big people know their turangawaewae (place 

to stand) and are at home with themselves. 

And finally, big people attract big people! That 

means that when the confident and capable 

young people of The World see our confident and 

capable people, they’ll want to join them. 

So can I invite every one of you to forget 

about building a big Air Force for a while, and 

concentrate on building big people? And here is 

the kicker… This starts with each of us looking 

at ourselves and asking if there is any area of 

our lives we need to work on! Further to that, 

can we then help the person next to us, develop 

the person below us or support the person above 

us? What’s that acronym? TEAM – Together 

Each Achieves More. 

Great talking with you and I’ll leave you with a 

bit of poetry from Longfellow; 

Not in the clamour of the crowded street, 

Not in the shout and plaudits of the throng, 

But in ourselves, are triumph and defeat. 

www.airforce.mil.nz | afN95 auguSt/SEptEmbEr 08 

3

4 

AK 02-0414-15 

brIEf NEWS 

rNZaf’s eYes iN the sKY 

Head to darWin 

A P-3k ORION cREw fROM NUMbER 

5 SqUADRON Of THE ROyAL NEw 

zEALAND AIR fORcE DEPARTED ON 

26 JULy fOR DARwIN TO PARTIcIPATE 

IN THE ROyAL AUSTRALIAN NAVy’S 

MOST SIgNIfIcANT ExERcISE fOR 

2008, ExERcISE kAkADU Ix. 

The exercise featured Naval and Air 

capabilities and was designed to develop 

multilateral maritime operations in an 

international coalition environment. 

The last Air Force Iroquois - equipped 

detachment to serve in Timor-Leste departed 

from Palmerston North airport on Monday 14 July. 

The 30–strong team of No. 3 Squadron personnel 

will spend three months in Dili before withdrawing 

their personnel and two Iroquois helicopters. 

Detachment Commander SQNLDR Ben Pryor 

previously served in Timor-Leste during 2000 

and again in 2001, and he is looking forward to 

seeing the changes that have occurred in the 

region since then. ‘I’m definitely looking forward 


Together with members from the RNZAF, the 

exercise saw around 2000 defence personnel 

from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Papua 

New Guinea, Pakistan, Japan, Thailand and 

the French Armed Forces – New Caledonia; 

with observers from India, the Philippines 

and Indonesia. 

The two week exercise provided participating 

countries the opportunity for training activities, 

weapons practice and promoting a shared 

understanding of maritime security issues. 

to returning to Timor-Leste and continuing to play 

a part in the rebuilding and stabilisation of this 

small nation. The current New Zealand mission 

has been very successful, but we realise the 

East Timorese still face a significant number 

of challenges to ensure their own peace and 

stability. For that reason I’m also very interested to 

see what progress has been made in the 7 years 

since I last deployed there.’ The No. 3 Squadron 

personnel and two Iroquois helicopters support 

the Combined Joint Task Force in theatre. 

An RNzAf Orion conducting 

maritime surveillance. 

Detachment Commander FLTLT Cameron 

Brownlee said the exercise provided the 

Orion crew with the opportunity to hone their 

maritime surveillance skills. 

It also exercised the skills of RNZAF logistics 

and operational support personnel. 

‘New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone is 

one of the largest in the world and we also 

conduct maritime surveillance for a number of 

Pacific countries, so the opportunity to improve 

our maritime operations was welcome.’ 

fiNal heli DetachMeNt to tiMor leste 

They work alongside Australian Defence Force 

assets and carry out personnel movement, 

aero medical evacuation and air logistics 

support tasks. Support from the RNZAF was first 

requested by the Government of Timor-Leste in 

1999, where it was maintained for three years 

and then again for an 18-month period from April 

2007. This deployment is scheduled to come to 

an end in October 2008 to allow the beginning of 

the RNZAF transition to the new NH90 helicopters 

that will come into service 2010 to 2011.

New Zealand troops return 

froM soloMoN islaNDs 

LcPL Libby McMurdo 

of 2nd Health Services 

battalion (Linton), 

treating a local child at 

Mangia Village. 

fORTy-fOUR NEw zEALAND DEfENcE fORcE PERSONNEL ARRIVED 

HOME fROM A fOUR MONTH DEPLOyMENT SUPPORTINg THE REgIONAL 

ASSISTANcE MISSION TO THE SOLOMON ISLANDS ON SATURDAy 19 JULy. 

They were greeted at Auckland Air Force 

Base, Whenuapai, by Chief of Army MAJ 

GEN Louis Gardiner and Territorial Force 

Advisor BRIG Anthony Howie, as well as 

their family and friends. The majority of the 

personnel are made up of Territorial Force 

soldiers from the 3rd Auckland Northland 

and 6th Hauraki regiments. The Kiwis have 

worked alongside Australian, Tongan and 

Papua New Guinean military personnel 

from left: bob Andrews, Trevor butler, 

ken wells, and bruce Donnelly. 

and police during their time in the Islands. 

They have been replaced by the seventh 

rotation of NZDF personnel who arrived 

in theatre earlier this week. Operations 

such as RAMSI offer TF members the 

opportunity to take on the challenges that 

you would experience full-time in the Army 

and the civilian skills members bring are 

often invaluable when working with the 

local population. 

wn 08-0043-80 Photo: Gael Butler 

brIEf NEWS 

no 42 pilots 

course reunion 

During the Tribute 08 weekend in 

Wellington during Queen’s Birthday 

weekend, four graduates of RNZAF 42 Pilots 

Course (graduated June 1966) met prior to the 

Saturday march to Parliament which in itself 

was a moving experience for them all. 

From left: Bob Andrews, No. 41 Squadron 

(Singapore based) flew Bristol B170 freighters 

in and out of South Vietnam regularly between 

1968 and 1970. He now runs his own energy 

supply business. Trevor Butler was attached 

to No. 9 Squadron RAAF based out of Vung 

Tau, South Vietnam, flying Iroquois from 

1968–1969 and is now an Air New Zealand 

fOuR gRaduates 

met pRiOR tO the 

satuRday maRCh 

tO paRliament 

whiCh in itself 

was a mOVing 

expeRienCe fOR 

them all... 

A320 Airbus captain. Ken Wells was also 

attached to No. 9 Squadron RAAF based out 

of Vung Tau, flying Iroquois between 1968 and 

1969 and is now a flight examiner (helicopters) 

with the CAANZ. Bruce Donnelly was attached 

to the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron 

USAF, based out of Cu Chi, South Vietnam, 

as a forward air controller (FAC), flying OV-10A 

Broncos from 1969–1970. He is now a 

B747-400 captain with Air New Zealand. 

Bruce Donnelly writes: ‘We had a great 

weekend and then all met up with the rest of 

our old course members the following weekend 

in Wellington for a ‘42 years for 42 Course’ 

reunion which was even better. ‘ 

Reproduced with the kind permission of NZ Aviation 

News Editor John King. 


5

6 

pErS corNEr 

pers 

corner 

GPCAPT KEVIN McEVOy 

ASSISTANT CHIEF OF AIR FORCE PERSONNEL 

DcM eMpoweriNg You to MaKe iNforMeD career choices 

FLtLt CArsten Grimm CAREER MANAGER (AIRCREW) 

This month sees the launch of the new-look DCM website which provides more 

information than ever before to enable you to make informed career decisions. 

The new look and new tools have been developed to give you what you need 

to be able to plan out your future based on relevant career information. 

The newest addition to the DCM toolbox is the Established Post Search. As 

the name suggests you can now find posts in the RNZAF and wider NZDF 

based on defined search criteria. You can refine your search by Trade, 

Rank, Region or specific location or by a plain text keyword (eg, anytrade, 

anytech etc). 

All results are taken straight from ATLAS so you can see what rank positions 

are established at and what any alternate conditions might be. For example, 

if you were interested in a F/S ANYTRADE job in AUCKLAND the search would 

return the following results: 

Established Posts Applicable to RNzAf Non commissioned Ranks 

We have included in the results whether the post is filled or vacant and what 

date the posting notice was entered to give you an indication of when the 

post might become available next. This is intended to help you plan ahead 

and forecast when you might expect to be able to apply for the position. 

Important to note with this information is that the posting date is a guide and 

will only display the latest posting notice (so if someone had been away on 

deployment and returned to the same post then the most recent date will 

be displayed). For more detailed information on post availability it is always 

best to talk to your career manager. 


bALANcED PARTNERSHIP 

The Established Post Search has been designed to enable a more 

constructive dialogue between you, your command and your career 

manager. Based on a 3-year posting cycle you will be able to plot 

when your future job will come up and be prepared to apply for 

it—maybe not this cycle or the next, but when the timing is right for 

you and your situation. It is hoped this will assist you to make your 

career decisions easier and for all to uphold their responsibilities 

under the Career Management Partnership. 

IndIvIduAl 

honest reporting 

dCm shared responsibility 

transparent communication 

COmmAnd 

THE DcM wEbSITE: 

yOUR cAREER MANAgEMENT PORTAL 

The new look and new tools supercede the original People Portal 

concept as a separate source of career information. The idea of a 

one-stop career resource has always been a good one. People Portal 

in its original form differed from what has now been identified as 

needed to meet the requirements of our evolving RNZAF. Your career 

management ‘portal’ is now the DCM website—your one stop shop 

for all your career related information. We will be rolling out more 

functionality as it becomes available, all in order to empower you 

to make informed decisions. 

More information than ever 

before to enable you to make 

informed career decisions.

you should now have received your 

individual Military Remuneration System 

(MRS) letter, and will have seen your Defined 

Total Fixed Remuneration (DTFR) amount. 

As CDF and ACPers have stated, this 

change is not a pay rise but a fundamental 

transformation of the NZDF pay system. 

Remember that the amount indicated in your 

letter is only your Defined TFR – which is 

your old salary plus what you received under 

the levelling of the Superannuation and 

Accommodation Assistance playing fields. 

w/O KeitH GeLL 

wArrAnt OFFiCer 

OF tHe Air FOrCe 

stepping 

up is abOut 

COmmitment 

and dOing 

the extRa 

metRes, but 

Really it’s all 

abOut seRViCe 

befORe self 

This figure does not give an indication of 

which step you personally are placed on the 

remuneration tables. The only exception to 

this is where a person’s DTFR was lower than 

Step 1 of the Sector and Tier they should be 

on. In that case, the person’s remuneration 

was moved up to the Step 1 amount. Step 

1 is 85% of the market rate for the relevant 

Sector and Tier. 

Determining where each Service person 

fits on the salary scales, and how people 

progress along the steps is currently being 

wOAf cOLUMN 

Woaf columN 

fOllOw-up afteR intROduCtiOn Of the new mRs 

service before self 

Service before self is not common to the 

Air language. More often we use the term 

commitment, however I think it is time we 

started being more frank about what this 

commitment means, and to put it frankly, its 

about ‘service before self’. 

I strongly believe also that we should not be 

afraid to talk openly in the public arena about 

serving our country. We are very patriotic when 

it comes to sport, but we should also be the 

same about being a member of the RNZAF 

and the New Zealand Defence Force. Some 

folk believe this type of talk is too hyped up 

for our culture, however I disagree and these 

people need to re-recruit themselves. 

I am glad also that these people are a minority. 

Being a member of the profession of arms is 

a dangerous business. It requires people with 

outright courage and discipline. It requires 

people who put service before self and it 

requires people who join this profession for 

the right reasons. If these reasons come 

down to plain old ‘self, well you need to have 

a re-think. 

Our brand is ‘step up’, and yes I am seeing 

plenty of that in many work areas. Stepping 

up is about commitment and doing the extra 

metres, but really it’s all about service before 

self. Some believe because they have reached 

a certain rank or served a certain amount of 

time, they deserve more from the system, or 

worse still, the system owes me. My word of 

worked on by the project teams in Personnel 

Branch and each Service. This means that 

a number of people could see an increase 

in salary on Full Implementation, which will 

be back-paid to 4 July 2008. However, as 

we work through the legacy of the old pay 

system, it is a reality that some people will be 

on standstill rates. Remember as CDF and AC 

Pers have said no-one will be worse off but it 

may be some time before they are better off 

as it will take time (no later than 1 Jul 09) to 

fully implement the new system. 

wisdom to those folk is service before self 

does not end until you hand in your ID card. 

Service before self requires sacrifice and that 

sacrifice ends when you cross the finish line. 

It is also a key tenet of being a member of the 

profession of arms. Without this ingredient 

we lack teeth. 

So where do you see yourself? Give yourself 

a pinch and have a think about it. Have a 

look around you also and look at your fellow 

workmates. Have the courage to engage with 

them if they lack that key ingredient, because 

at the end of the day it helps them and it 

helps our Air Force and the Defence Force. It’s 

not about working harder, it’s about working 

smarter. It’s about being passionate and it’s 

about believing in what we do and what we 

represent. 

As the WOAF I am seeing some real good stuff 

when it comes to service, and to be honest I 

am comfortable where we sit as an Air Force. 

However, sometimes I am seeing the same 

old faces popping up when it comes to putting 

service before self, which makes me think that 

perhaps we could do better. 

Make a difference is my advice to those who 

don’t get it. For those that do, I salute you. you 

are the ones that are making a difference. 

Service before self, something we all need to 

talk about more often. Honouring those who 

put service before self, something for our 

Commanders to talk about more often. 

www.airforce.mil.nz | afN95 auguSt/SEptEmbEr 08 7

AK 08-0335-01 

8 

cdf frEEfallS 

The cDf in freefall. 

L-R: wO kevin Pope, cDf, f/S 

Ian Leatherland (picture taken 

by SgT garth Magnussen). 

cdf returns 

to tHe skySgT 

fOR THE fIRST TIME SINcE HE LAST cOMPLETED A fREEfALL PARAcHUTE DEScENT 23 yEARS AgO, 

cDf, LTgEN JERRy MATEPARAE AgAIN TOOk TO THE SkIES wITH THE TEAM AT THE PARAcHUTE TRAININg 

AND SUPPORT UNIT (PTSU) AT RNzAf bASE AUckLAND ON THURSDAy 24 JULy. 

AK 08-0336-23 

L-R: SgT Magnussen, w/O 

Pope and cDf exit the c-130. 


JUSTIN TAMEHANA 

PJI: PTSU 

AK 08-0336-05 

A final brief from 40 Sqn 

Loadmaster f/S Pauline carson.

AK 08-0336-40 

L-R: wO kevin Pope, f/S Ian Leatherland, cDf, 

SgT Rick wadmore, SqNLDR Darryn Pritchard, 

SgT Justin Tamehana, SgT garth Magnussen 

As a trained freefall parachutist, 

LTGEN Mateparae was able to 

complete the freefall instead of a 

tandem descent commonly undertaken 

by visitors to the Unit. Despite the time 

since his last jump all the drills and 

procedures soon came flooding back 

after instruction from PTSU instructors 

F/S Ian Leatherland and SGT Justin 

Tamehana 

After a morning of ground training 

the all clear was given to board the 

RNZAF C-130 Hercules for the 12000 

foot jump. 

A steadying hand was provided by Free 

Fall Instructors W/O Kevin Pope and 

F/S Leatherland as LTGEN Mateparae 

exited the aircraft. On hand to capture 

the historic moment was freefall 

cameraman SGT Garth Magnussen. 

On deploying his parachute LTGEN 

Mateparae was assisted by SGT Rick 

Wadmore through the use of a ground 

to air radio to ensure a safe return to 

earth. 

eVen when 

yOu aRe the 

Cdf yOu haVe 

tO paCk up 

afteRwaRds! 

lEadErShIp 


AK 08-0336-38 

9

wn 08-0035-26 

10 

opEratIoNal capabIlIty 

MoDerNiseD herc passes first tests 

fOLLOwINg THE REcENT RETURN TO NEw zEALAND Of THE NEwLy MODIfIED bOEINg 757, THE fIRST Of THE 

AIR fORcE’S UPgRADED c-130 HERcULES HAS cOMPLETED A SERIES Of SUccESSfUL TEST fLIgHTS AT L-3 

cOMMUNIcATIONS SPAR AEROSPAcE fAcILITIES IN EDMONTON, cANADA. 

The upgrade, described by contractor L-3 

Communications Spar Aerospace as the most 

comprehensive modernisation project ever 

undertaken on a C-130 worldwide, included 

centre wing refurbishment, a major rewire, 

replacement of the aircraft’s communication 

and navigation systems with more modern 

systems and an upgrade to the C-130 selfprotection 

system. 

‘The new aircraft will enhance our ability 

to operate with aircraft from other nations 

and decrease the workload of the crew in 

operational environments. By design, it should 

also make the aircraft easier to maintain and 

improve reliability,’ said RNZAF C-130 test 

pilot SQNLDR Pete Saunders. ‘There will be 86 

hours of Acceptance Test flying which involves 

taking the new systems through their paces to 

confirm compliance. This will be followed up at 

home with further testing to ensure suitability 

during Operational Test and Evaluation,’ said 

SQNLDR Saunders. Two of the Air Force’s 

fleet of five Hercules are being upgraded by 

L-3 Communications Spar Aerospace. The 

remaining three Hercules will be upgraded 

by Safe Air Limited, based in Blenheim. The 

upgrade commenced in 2005 and is part of the 

C-130 Life Extension Project which will extend 

the operational capability of the Air Force’s fleet 

of five Hercules until 2017. 


wn 08-0035-27 

wn 08-0035-26 

The C-130 project and flight 

test team in Edmonton. 

Test pilot Squadron Leader 

Pete Saunders trying out the 

new glass cockpit.

wn 08-0035-35 


caf europe trip 

A REcENT VISIT TO EUROPE gAVE cHIEf Of AIR fORcE AIR VIcE-MARSHAL gRAHAM LINTOTT THE cHANcE 

TO gET UP cLOSE TO SOME Of THE AIRcRAfT THAT wILL SOON bE HEADINg OUR wAy. 

Included in the programme was a visit to the 

Eurocopter facilities in Marseille where CAF 

was able to see first-hand the work being done 

on the NH90 project, touch base with the team 

over there and sign the NH90 simulator training 

wn 08-0035-34 

gPcAPT Davies 

aboard a NH90. 

contract with Helisim CEO Guy Dabadie. While in 

the UK, CAF was taken for a flight in one of the 

RAF’s AgustaWestland 109 helicopters, a similar 

model to the type that will be flown by the RNZAF 

in the training rolex, in coming years. A visit to the 

wn 08-0035-31 

CAF flies the 

NH90 simulator. 

The RNzAf team visit buckeburg. L-R: 

gPcAPT Tony Davies, AVM graham 

Lintott, wgcDR brett Marshall and 

SqNLDR Adam Houston. 

Buckeburg Army Base in Germany saw CAF have 

the opportunity to fly in an NH90 simulator and 

the chance for a flight in the real thing. 

the nh90 pROjeCt 


11

OH 08-0444-26 

12 

aIr forcE challENgE 

group photograph in front 

of a P-3k Orion. 

AIR FORCE ChAllEngE 2008 

never a dull MoMent 

HIgH ScHOOL STUDENTS gOT UP cLOSE AND PERSONAL wITH AIR fORcE wEAPONRy, TOOk ON TEAMbUILDINg 

ExERcISES AND fLEw IN MILITARy AIRcRAfT AT THE ANNUAL AIR fORcE cHALLENgE HELD 

LAST MONTH AT bASE OHAkEA. ONE Of cHALLENgE 2008 ORgANISERS AND AIR fORcE REcRUITER 

SgT MATT cATHcART ASkED fOR cOMMENTS ON THE cHALLENgE cOURSE fROM SOME Of THE 

PARTIcIPANTS. THEy ALL AgREED THAT IT IS A fULLy UNIqUE ExPERIENcE wITH NEVER A DULL MOMENT. 

bEN JOHNSON 

I attended the 2008 Air Force Challenge at 

RNZAF Base Ohakea these holidays and I 

thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Right 

from the start of the day (at 6:30am!) we always 

had something to do. Seldom did we have 

a chance to sit down and rest. But the busy 

schedule was a good thing because it meant 

that we were never bored and it allowed us to 

see a huge range of trades within the Royal 

New Zealand Air Force. Going around all the 

trades in the Air Force gave me a good insight 

to what goes on in the Air Force and that there 

are more jobs available than just being a pilot. 

We got to see things like the metal workshops, 

avionics, composite materials, Safety & Surface 

(S&S), aircraft technical trades, the Fire Service, 

Armourers, Airmovements and Air Security. All 

of these trades had little activities ready for 

us, which kept us engaged as well as learning 

heaps about the Air Force. And let us not forget 

the Physical Training Instructors (PTIs). PT was 


actually not as bad as I had expected and I 

found it quite a nice work out in such freezing 

weather. The Air Force fitness test was quite a 

challenge but it allowed us to experience what 

sort of fitness is required to be part of the Air 

Force. Of course, we also got to look around all 

the different Squadrons, Pilot Training School 

showed us around the Air Trainers; No.42 

Squadron the King Airs; No.5 Squadron the Orion 

and No.3 Squadron showed us the Iroquois. The 

only one we didn’t see was No.40 Squadron, but 

that was okay. The major highlight of the trip for 

me was definitely flying on the Iroquois with No. 

3 Squadron because it was just an amazing 

experience, and a great first flight in a helicopter. 

I also had lots of fun on the Air Security course 

and the syndicate exercises we got to do. They 

were a lot of fun and I enjoyed working with the 

people from my syndicate. Meeting new people 

from all over the country was definitely one of the 

best parts of the Air Force Challenge and the new 

friends that I made in my syndicate just made 

the whole trip more enjoyable. My awesome 

syndicate leader, F/S Jacqueline Doolan-Tindall, 

also made my trip much more enjoyable. She 

was fun and energetic and answered all my 

questions. Everybody loves Drill! Enough said. 

bEN wATTIE 

The best bit was definitely the helicopter ride! 

It was cool to experience pilots flying first hand 

and we got to see that the Air Force isn’t just a 

few old rusty aircraft - even the old Tiger Moth 

was in mint flying condition! Also the leadership 

exercises we did were cool because we all 

really bonded as a group through them. The 

worst things would be the discipline stuff like 

marching, always having to be precisely on time 

etc. But as I thought about how I didn’t like it I 

realised that it is not so bad because when you 

look at history you see that 10,000 disciplined 

soldiers can beat 100,000 barbarians so it’s 

understandable why the military needs the 

discipline. Overall I learnt that there are so many 

different parts to play in the RNZAF even if you 

don’t like flying.

OH 08-0444-12 

cPL Leilani krants 

chats to Air force 

challenge students. 

ELLA bARRETT 

I thought it was great how the entire week was 

packed with activities. There was very little time 

to be bored, and in down time you mostly wanted 

to sleep. It was also awesome how we were able 

to visit almost all the trades in the Air Force and 

get an insight of what life is like living on Base. 

The best tours around the trades were when we 

could be hands-on and try things for ourselves, 

for example the Canadian fitness test and the 

evening activities with Air Security. The highlight 

of the AFC was of course the flight in the Iroquois, 

but also being able to chat with the pilots and 

find out how they got to where they are etc. What 

I learnt while I was away, was that the Air Force 

is more of a life style choice than a job. Thanks 

for the fantastic time away! 

AcE fIRE 

I had an awesome time on the Air Force 

Challenge 2008. I learned so much about 

everything the Air Force does, from drill to 

playing sport. What I really enjoyed was seeing 

all the various trades in the RNZAF, the live-firing 

demonstrations - Steyrs are a lot louder than I 

had originally thought!, the Air Security exercises, 

getting to go aboard an Orion and passing the 

fitness test. The highlight of the trip for me was a 

flight in the Huey, I had never been in a helicopter 

before, and I was really impressed with what 

an Iroquois could do. The experience for me 

was totally different to that of flying fixed wing 

aircraft. All in all I hope the RNZAF continues to 

run this opportunity long into the future, and I 

highly recommend it to all. 

TEgAN TERITA-JOHNSON 

I enjoyed every minute of my time while I was 

at the 2008 AFC at Base Ohakea! There was 

never a dull moment! There were quizzes, skits, 

slideshows, aircraft, weapons, videos, movies, 

food and drink, nice accommodation, positiveminded 

people, physical activities/challenges. 

The list goes on! My highlight was the awesome 

flight in the Iroquois. I also enjoyed the PT. The 

PTIs tired us all out which was great! The fact 

that we went everywhere at the Base was really 

good because we got told a lot of information 

about each trade which was very helpful 

and also allowed us to see the wide range of 

opportunities the RNZAF has to offer. Having 

the syndicates was cool because it meant you 

made friends with a group of people you don’t 

even know, and my syndicate won at the end of 

the week because we rock! Go the Sea Otters! I 

learned that in the RNZAF you make friends with 

everyone and its kind of like you’re all one big 

our rEputatIoN 

family all living at the same place. I also learned 

it’s not just a work place, it’s also a lifestyle. You 

live on the Base and are provided with meals that 

you eat in the Mess with everyone and you work 

along side a lot of friendly people. The benefits 

are so good and there are so many. I can’t wait 

to join! I’d just like to say thanks once again for 

giving me this opportunity, it was truly amazing 

and I will have the memories I gained from this 

experience for a long long time! 

SIMON TITHER 

Ohakea, well, five days of amazing fun is 

probably the best way to start it off! Meeting 

our syndicates and syndicate leaders started 

off some really good relationships. Hemi (Chips) 

and Andrew (Fish) were great providing insight 

and knowledge on all sorts of things, as well as 

many fun stories of life in the Air Force. Tuesday 

started a bit early for some, queuing for showers 

i hOpe the RnZaf 

COntinues tO Run 

this OppORtunity 

lOng intO the 

futuRe... 


14 

aIr forcE challENgE 

adding to the wake-up! Buffet breakfast was 

very well received every day, cooked breakfast 

much more enjoyable than the usual cereal I 

get at home. A highlight for me on Tuesday was 

the Air Security exercise, the stations promoted 

teamwork and lateral thinking. These are 

definitely important qualities for any person in 

group situations. Drill training was an interesting 

time, constantly being yelled at whilst trying to 

maintain a straight face proved a challenge for 

me. But once again it highlighted the need to 

work together to get the job done- if one person 

stuffed up during drill the whole syndicate 

suffered. My syndicate seemed to develop a 

habit of being slightly late to most things, so we 

missed out on a few bits and pieces at different 

times. PT was fun despite being yelled at (moral 

of PT for me- don’t ask questions), instructors 

were very upfront about what we were doing 

and also why we were doing it. Run test was a 

good way to burn off some energy, same with 

the press-up test. All the hands-on activities 

meant that the whole syndicate was involved 

and more likely to take on board what we were 

being told, I can certainly remember more about 

Air Security then I can about the ACFT Trades, not 

because of interest but the involvement we had 

at the different areas. Airmovements was a very 

useful stop off for my syndicate. Because we did 

it later in the week after team building exercises 

OH 08-0454-24 


and everybody knew each other, the tasks were 

completed a lot faster. In terms of the best part, 

personally I enjoyed the No.3 Squadron flight the 

best. A facedown corkscrew in a helicopter only 

being held in by a tiny seatbelt certainly got the 

adrenaline pumping! The Orion visit was also 

a highlight. The drill assessment made a very 

serious part of the military a more competitive 

dRill tRaining 

was an 

inteResting 

time, COnstantly 

being yelled at 

whilst tRying 

tO maintain 

a stRaight 

faCe pROVed a 

Challenge fOR me 

affair without dropping the discipline standards. 

The only suggestion I have is to try and ensure 

as many hands-on activities as possible to help 

ensure minds don’t wander. I think that if you 

allowed half a day for travelling instead of a 

whole day then you would be able to get more 

OH 08-0454-26 

Left and below: Air force challenge 

participants on the range at Ohakea. 

into the week. The Wellington people were 

sitting at Ohakea waiting before the Christchurch 

personnel had even left, and on the Friday, I was 

sitting at home before others had even left the 

Base to return home. The Hercules would have 

been a great experience but I appreciate it had 

more important jobs then ferrying 70 teens 

around. What I learnt? A LOT. The AFC allowed 

me to gain a complete understanding of the 

RNZAF, not just think that there are only pilots 

and technicians, but all the support roles that 

exist to ensure that the Air Force keeps working 

smoothly. Lastly I would just like to say thanks 

for an amazing week that has really changed my 

life and changed my perception of the Air Force, 

allowed me to make new friends and think about 

applying for next years intake. 

AUSTEN cAMPbELL 

I had an awesome time at Ohakea for the Air 

Force Challenge 2008. I really didn’t know what 

to expect but what we did was really cool. I have 

to say that the ride on the Iroquois was probably 

the best thing there. But I also really enjoyed the 

armourers and the PT sessions as it gave me 

an idea of how fit you really have to be. Thanks 

RNZAF for a fantastic week! 

I was also wondering if I could organise a 

meeting with you about some possible options 

for me in the Air Force?

wn 08-0035-37 

rEcogNItIoN 

Queens service Medal 

SqNLDR SHANE cOLE Of NO 

17 (cITy Of cHRISTcHURcH) 

ATc SqUADRON wAS REcENTLy 

AwARDED THE qUEENS SERVIcE 

MEDAL IN THE 2008 qUEENS 

bIRTHDAy HONOURS LIST. 

He has been a member of NZ Cadet Forces for 

over 23 years, initially as an ATC cadet before 

taking on the commissioned officer role in 1989. 

He has progressed through the NZCF ranks and 

is now the Cadet Unit Commander of No. 17 Sqn. 

Of course being an NZCF officer is a voluntary 

pursuit and he is also a veteran professional 

firefighter with the NZ Fire Service, where he 

is now a Station Officer with the Christchurch 

City Brigade. 

This award is in recognition of the significant 

efforts made by SQNLDR Cole in support of his 

community, both in the Canterbury region and 

also nationally. His efforts have extended well 

beyond his exploits with NZCF. In addition to his 

normal employment duties as a Fire Service 

Officer, Station Officer Cole is also a Motor 

Vehicle Accident Instructor, training volunteer 

firefighters around the South Island. Further to 

that, SQNLDR Cole is a volunteer adult mentor 

with Project K, a youth life skills programme 

designed to improve self efficacy in teenagers 

and over recent years, Shane has supported 

nearly 170 Project K personnel. 

SQNLDR Cole has also made a significant 

contribution to the Order of St John, by providing 

outstanding leadership training and logistical 

support to their youth Development programme. 

In support of his nomination, he also received a 

resounding endorsement from the NZ Mountain 

Safety Council for the dedication, loyalty and 

commitment he has shown in support of 

NZMSC outdoor programmes and the training of 

members of the wider outdoors community. 

SqNLDR Shane cole - 

Firefighter. 

squadron leader shane cole, NZcf 

His nomination was also supported by eight 

Members of Parliament, from four of the main 

political parties, including an endorsement from 

the Minister of Defence. 

SQNLDR Cole commands the largest NZCF cadet 

unit in NZ. Under his command, No. 17 Sqn has 

won the Air League Trophy as the most efficient 

ATC Squadron in NZ, for five straight years over 

the period 2002 - 2006, a record never before 

achieved, which is testimony to SQNLDR Cole’s 

planning, leadership and management skills. 

Further, No 17 Sqn was last year awarded a 

CAF Unit Commendation, the first such CAF Unit 

Commendation ever awarded. 

the dediCatiOn, 

lOyalty and 

COmmitment he 

has shOwn... 


15

wB 08-0136-04 

16 

WINgEd all black captaIN 

L-R: SgT Steven creegan, 

Ritchie Mccaw, SqNLDR Nigel 

cooper, fLTLT Aaron Devlin. 

Winged 

all black captain 

gives iNspiratioN to teaM air force 

ALL bLAck cAPTAIN RITcHIE MccAw 

MAy HAVE bEEN SIDELINED wITH AN 

ANkLE INJURy bUT THAT DIDN’T STOP 

THE AVIATION ENTHUSIAST TAkINg 

TO THE SkIES AND INSPIRINg OUR 

yOUNg LEADERS Of THE fUTURE 

wITH HIS TALk Of LEADERSHIP, 

PROfESSIONALISM AND TEAMwORk. 

cPL ROSIE MASTERS ExPLAINS. 

Command and Recruit Training Squadron (CRTS) 

personnel recently enjoyed a spectacular and 

surprise visit by All Black Captain Richie McCaw. 

His day began with a flight from Christchurch to 

Woodbourne in an Air Trainer. Upon his arrival 

at Woodbourne he was ferried by an Iroquois to 

CRTS. His visit was arranged by SQNLDR Nigel 

Cooper, No.3 Squadron and many CRTS Trainee 

Squadron members were unaware of it. 

Richie spoke to a variety of courses and staff 

from CRTS including the 08/2 IOTC, R2/08 


Recruit Course, CPL’s Promotion Course, Physical 

Training Instructors and selected trainees from 

Ground Training Wing (GTW) who have shown 

elements of leadership potential. 

The popular rugby captain’s visit was primarily 

to speak about leadership. He also gave us a 

basic understanding about his role within the 

All Blacks and how the team was structured on 

and off the field. In 2004 the All Blacks hit a 

crisis point and the coaches and management 

recognised they had a problem with leadership. 

To solve this they identified senior players who 

had been in the team for a long time and who 

should have been leading the team but weren’t. 

From there they formed a leadership group and 

came up with some objectives. The biggest 

impact was all of a sudden the senior players 

realised the coaches saw them as people who 

were good All Blacks. At their first meeting the 

coach got up and said, ‘you’re here because 

you’re good enough. you’re here because we see 

you as the best players, and the number one way 

of leading this team is going out and fronting on 

the field.’ The senior players then acknowledged 

this and started playing the best rugby of their 

sporting careers. 

Richie’s job as captain is to ensure that his team 

makes the right decisions and he is there to help 

out along the way if required. He operates in a 

way that allows the players to lead themselves 

and to be in an environment where they can 

speak freely and say what they think, even if 

they are the newest member of the team. He 

identified that they have ideas and strengths 

and their contributions are fundamental for 

their self development as future leaders. 

Towards the end of last year the team had 

become a little bit comfortable and their focus 

was elsewhere. Since the heartbreak of the 

World Cup everything about the All Blacks was

wB 08-0136-02 

wn 08-0038-29 

Ritchie Mccaw boards the 

cT-4 Airtrainer with SqNLDR 

Dan O’Reily. 

negative. When the senior players got together 

this year their challenge was to put that aside 

and be excited about what they were doing. 

They really needed to drive that through the 

team to ensure the new members came in and 

didn’t feel as though there was a huge weight on 

their shoulders. The team needed to be excited 

by the challenge ahead of them. A powerful 

memory that has stuck in many minds is Richie’s 

philosophy: ‘As long as you have an open mind 

and keep learning and be prepared to learn from 

the mistakes made along the way you’re going 

to be in pretty good stead. If you have the team 

believing in you and you believe in yourself you 

can be really powerful with what you do. When 

the chips are down, belief is a huge part of it.’ 

Richie was a fantastic role model and mentor 

to have had at CRTS. He spoke about how 

important it was younger members of the All 

Blacks had the opportunity to put their ideas 

With RNZAF 3 Sqn and 

Airmovements personnel 

at Harewood. 

wB 08-0136-05 

forward, which I believe is fundamental for the 

development of future leaders. What he had to 

say mirrored our values within the RNZAF. 

The All Blacks have grown as a team by buying 

into and applying their values in everything 

the Values he 

was pROfessing 

aRe similaR tO 

what we aRe 

dOing within 

OuR Own 

ORganisatiOn. 

that they do. The values he was professing are 

similar to what we are doing within our own 

organisation. His ideas of leadership mirror our 

lEadErShIp 

Ritchie Mccaw surveys 

base woodbourne from a 

RNZAF Iroquois. 

own. There were several parallels with his job 

as All Black captain and the role RNZAF leaders 

have in guiding their staff to achieve excellence. He 

showed he has a great admiration for the RNZAF 

due to our professionalism, teamwork, integrity and 

discipline. His visit was invaluable and I can assure 

you that both the trainees and staff of CRTS have 

taken something positive away. 

Other comments made by course members 

included Officer Cadet Philip Johnson: ‘I was 

interested in his views on leadership in the 

team and how they created leadership in such 

an informal way. They identified the experienced 

players in the team to give a hand up to the 

younger team members.’ 

Officer Cadet Deborah Haines said, ‘I liked the 

way he spoke about his own experiences. His 

experience of self belief has been passed onto our 

course. We now believe anything is possible.’ 


18 

wB 08-0110-77 

wB 08-0110-68 

wB 08-0110-80 

rNZaf offIcErS graduatE 

rNZaf officers 

graduate 

fgOff Tony beilby receives the 

Officer Training course trophy. 

IOTC graduates await the arrival of the Reviewing Officer, 

Deputy chief of Air force, Air commodore Steve Moore. 


wB 08-0110-66 wB 08-0110-71 

PLTOff brett Mann receives the 

karl Dobson Memorial trophy. 

FGOFF Damien Lea receives the No.2 Officers Mess trophy.

fgOff Tony beilby 

with his father Alan. 

IOTC graduates march past the Reviewing Officer, Air Commodore Moore. 

wB 08-0110-94 

wB 08-0110-92 

fgOff chris Hart with partner 

LAc Jen gray and family. 

wB 08-0110-95 

traININg aNd EducatIoN 

in the last edition of the Air Force news we featured father 

and son officer graduates Mark and Nick Pearson (pictured 

left) who completed training together on 08/1 Initial Officer 

Training Course. For the other 25 officers who also graduated 

on the 11th June the graduation parade marked six months 

of command training at Command and Recruit Training 

Squadron, RNZAF Base Woodbourne. The parade was reviewed 

by Deputy Chief of Air Force, Air Commodore Steve Moore. 

OffIcER TRAININg cOURSE TROPHy - Presented to the 

graduate who demonstrates the most officer potential. 

OffIcERS MESS TROPHy - Presented to the graduate with 

the highest overall assessment in academics, leadership 

skills and PQ’s. 

kARL DObSON MEMORIAL TROPHy - Presented to the 

graduate who displays the most teamwork, sportsmanship 

and determination awarded by the PTI’s. 

www.airforce.mil.nz | afN95 auguSt/SEptEmbEr 08 19 

wB 08-0110-75

AK 07-0029-65 

20 

loadmaStErS 

loadMasters 

hittiNg the spot 

SgT PENE TANUVASA 

During SkyTrain, a Hercules 

Tactical flying Exercise held out 

of Napier Airfield, cargo drops from 

the Herc’s back ramp. 

afN95 auguSt/SEptEmbEr 08 | www.airforce.mil.nz

AK 07-0013-08 

A LITTLE UNDER HALf AN HOUR 

AwAy fROM THE DROP zONE, 

THE NAVIgATOR cALLS fOR THE 

‘PRE-SLOwDOwN cHEckS’ AND 

IT’S TIME fOR THE LOADMASTER TO 

cOMPLETE THE fINAL INSPEcTION 

Of THE LOAD. 

As the captain manoeuvres hard to avoid 

some sporadic Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA), the 

Loadmasters complete the final set of checks 

ensuring that nothing will prevent a successful 

outcome to this airdrop. Tired, hungry and low 

on supplies, the battalion who will be receiving 

the supplies and reinforcements from above 

have been fighting hard to halt the opposition’s 

advance for the past week and are in dire need 

of the payload we have on board. 

Wiping the sweat away from his forehead, the 

Loadmaster lowers his visor, signals to the No 

1, and it’s game on. Less than a minute later, 

the ramp and door are open and warm desert 

air has filled the cavernous cargo compartment. 

The atmosphere is intense with anticipation and 

with merely seconds to go before the drop, the 

Loadmaster affords himself one last mental 

scan through the checklist ‘Emergency Restraint 

Chains – POSITIONED, Load & Extraction System 

– CHECKED, V-Knife – POSITIONED’ 

‘Five Seconds!’ exclaims the Navigator. The red 

of the jump lights provide an eerie, crimson 

glow to the back of the aircraft and after what 

seems to be an eternity, the five seconds 

tick by accompanied by three times as many 

fasteR than 

yOu Can say 

‘lOad CleaR’ the 

CaRgO is gOne 

heartbeats. With the words ‘Green On’, the 

anticipation is replaced by pure adrenaline and 

the first domino is knocked over. The parachute 

- tasked with dragging 28000lbs of platform out 

the back - falls from the ceiling of the ‘Herc’ and 

out into the airflow, inflating with such force, it 

feels like the aircraft is going to be ripped in 

two. Then, faster than you can say ‘Load Clear’, 


Air Loadmasters SgTs Mcqueen 

(right) and Hodges prepare to launch 

a package over the drop zone. 

the cargo is gone and on its way to its grateful 

recipients. 

Although the AAA and troops in the scenario 

above were simulated, the mission itself was 

very real and is a good snapshot of a day in the 

life of a C-130 Loadmaster. On exercises and 

courses such as Maple Flag, Skytrain, and Joint 

Readiness Training Centre (JRTC), scenarios like 

this are conducted in preparation for coalition 

Airlift and Airdrop operations. 

So what exactly does an Air Loadmaster do? First 

and foremost, we are responsible for the safe 

and efficient loading of the Air Force’s C-130 

Hercules and Boeing B757 aircraft. We ensure 

that all cargo is restrained and distributed evenly 

throughout the aircraft in a manner that keeps 

it balanced throughout all phases of flight (not 

too nose or tail heavy) and does not exceed any 

of the structural limitations of the aircraft. This 

includes calculation of the aircrafts Centre of 

Gravity (C of G) and weight during all phases of 

flight. Although this is an extremely important 

part of an Air Loadmasters job, it is also only a 

small element of what we do. 

It is during tactical flights such as that described 


22 

AK 07-0013-19 

AK 07-0387-04 

AK 07-0183-86 

loadmaStErS 

A c-130 Hercules is loaded 

with a Land Rover. 

NzDf Air Movements personnel 

unload aid at Munda Airfield in the 

Solomon Islands. 


Air Loadmaster, SgT fabian 

Mcqueen ensures that all cargo 

is restrained and distributed 

evenly throughout the aircraft. 

above, that the C-130 Hercules truly comes in 

to its own. With the ability to insert troops or 

re-supply units via Airland or Airdrop operations, it 

is the Loadmaster’s job to ensure that everything 

that exits the aircraft has the best chance of 

arriving safely at its destination. This includes 

inspection of airdrop loads, rigging of the loads 

and extraction systems, and the expeditious 

loading and unloading of troops and assault 

groups during ‘infil’ and ‘exfil’ sorties. Because 

the C-130 and B757 are required to work in 

some quite exotic locations, we invariably find 

ourselves trotting around the globe. From the 

desert of Afghanistan inserting and extracting 

the Provincial Reconstruction Team and coalition 

troops, to the lakes of Northern Alberta in 

Canada, conducting aerial delivery of troops and 

cargo under fighter escort aircraft during Maple 

Flag; the motto of 40 Squadron is certainly fitting 

‘Ki Nga Hau E Wha’ – ‘To the Four Winds’ 

yOu COuld say 

we aRe a ‘jaCk 

Of all tRades’, 

it RequiRes 

an ability tO 

wORk undeR 

pRessuRe while 

maintaining an 

eye fOR detail. 

The duties of a Loadmaster are many and varied, 

and include flight planning and facilitation, 

customs and agriculture quarantine liaison, 

search and rescue and casevac/medevac 

operations, among many others. you could say 

we are a ‘Jack of all trades’ it requires an ability 

to work under pressure while maintaining an eye 

for detail. At the end of the day when the task is 

done, the results can be very rewarding. Being 

on No.40 Squadron, you get to see the fruits 

of the Air Force’s labour first hand. If it sounds 

like a career you would like to pursue, talk to a 

Loadmaster next time you’re onboard the C-130 

or B757 (we won’t bite, honest), or keep an eye 

on Base Routine Orders where vacancies for 

NCO Aircrew are advertised when required. With 

a view from our office which is second to none, 

what are you waiting for?

NO-fLy zONE: 

base woodbourne RNzAf 

Pilot Officer Sam McKeogh 

and corporal Lydia Savage 

practise for the Accor $10 

queenstown challenge, 

where they have to travel from 

Auckland to queenstown on a 

$10 budget to raise funds for 

cure kids. 

So far they’re keeping their strategies to 

themselves, but for two air force members 

who have to get from Auckland to Queenstown 

on just $10, one thing is clear: They’re not 

allowed to fly. 

Pilot Officer Sam McKeogh and Corporal Lydia 

Savage of Blenheim are one of three New 

Zealand Defence Force teams taking part in the 

Accor $10 Queenstown Challenge from October 

1 to 3 to raise money for Cure Kids. 

Thirty-five teams have to make their way from 

Auckland to Queenstown with just $10 to 

spend. 

They have to use whatever transport they can get 

to do it. Whatever team has the most points from 

challenges completed along the way will win. 

All teams have to raise $7000 before starting 

the race. The money will be used for medical 

research into life-threatening conditions that 

affect children. 

Ms Savage and Mr McKeogh said they decided 

to take on the challenge because it was a good 

way to have fun for a worthy cause. 

With a five-year-old son of her own, Ms Savage 

said an article she read about the charity and the 

children with illnesses “pulled my heart strings”. 

our rEputatIoN 

travelling light the only way to go for duo 

by MAIkE VAN DER HEIDE 

Courtesy of the Marlborough Express 

the mOney 

will be used 

fOR mediCal 

ReseaRCh 

intO lifethReatening 

COnditiOns 

that affeCt 

ChildRen 

She said she was really excited about meeting 

all the other teams, supporters and anyone else 

they might see on their way down the country. 

The pair were not giving away any strategies 

for travelling south in three days, but reckoned 

they would probably have to rely heavily on their 

hitchhiking skills. 

They would have a day to get to Wellington 

to catch the ferry and then two days to reach 

Queenstown. 

Competitors were not allowed to plan anything 

ahead of time and unfortunately could not call 

on their colleagues for a lift in an aircraft, Mr 

McKeogh said. 

The air force team have raised about half the 

$7000 for Cure Kids by asking around Base 

Woodbourne for donations and holding an air 

force-wide mufti day. 

To donate to the air force team, please visit 

their website: www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/ 

teamairforcestepsup 


23 

wn 08-0016-73

24 

OH 08-0423-70 

WINgS courSE graduatIoN 

The graduates replace 

their gloves just after 

being awarded their 

brevets. 

Wings 

graduation07 

course 

1 

On Thursday 3rd July the eight student pilots of 07/1 wings course were awarded their pilots brevets. The 

brevets were presented by Air commodore Short at the graduation ceremony which followed two years 

of training during which the students undertook Initial Officer Training, survival training, first aid, human 

factors, and finally their wings course, on which they flew the CT4-E Airtrainer and the B200 Kingair. 

Standing on parade was a proud moment for 

the graduating officers who only 18 months 

ago came together in pursuit of their pilot wings. 

The fact that one of them didn’t even know what 

an aileron was bears testament to how far they 

have come. 

The graduates come from a variety of backgrounds 

(Navy, Air Force, Army, straight from school and 

university) and their personalities are as varied 

as their experiences. The usual banter was 


dished out during the course (needless to say 

a disproportionate amount went to the Navy 

students!), but it was all in good spirits and the 

course came together during the more stressful 

times, sharing tips and tricks. Highlights of the 

course for the students were the South Island 

Navigation week, formation flying and of course, 

graduation! Formation flying was conducted out 

of a tented camp based at Masterton aerodrome 

over a two week period on Exercise Wiseowl. 

Along with the brevets presented, Pilot Officer 

Peters was awarded the de Lange Trophy for 

gaining the highest flying mark on the course, 

and Flying Officer Pound was awarded the Wigram 

Trophy for obtaining the highest academic marks 

on course. As well as the pilot graduates, Flying 

Officer Wagstaff was at the ceremony, during 

which he was awarded the Merton Sword of 

Honour following the completion of his Navigation 

course in East Sale, Australia.

OH 08-0423-06 

OH 08-0423-01 

OH 08-0423-77 

PLTOff Peters awarded 

the de Lange Trophy by 

AIRcDRE Short. 

The graduates (from left to right). PLTOff James Peters, fgOff Jonathan 

Pound, fgOff Rud Andrew, fgOff Pete barron, fgOff Dan gregory, 

PLTOff Matt Hansen, SLT Vix Marais, PLTOff george Mcinnes. 

OH 08-0423-67 

OH 08-0423-62 

fgOff byron wagstaff is 

awarded the Merton Sword of 

Honour by AIRcDRE Short. 

traININg aNd EducatIoN 

fgOff Pound is awarded 

the wigram Trophy by 

AIRcDRE Short. 


AK 08-0274-07 

26 

40 SquadroN haNdovEr 

Outgoing CO40 Sqn, 

wgcDR kevin McEvoy 

inspects the parade. 

AK 08-0274-16 

40sQuadron 

Handover 

New C040 Sqn, 

wgcDR Darryn webb. 


DESPITE THE wET wEATHER IT wAS 

A wARM wELcOME fOR wgcDR 

DARRyN wEbb AT THE cOMMANDINg 

OffIcER cHANgEOVER PARADE fOR 

NUMbER 40 SqUADRON. 

WGCDR Webb has taken over as CO of the 

squadron from WGCDR Kevin McEvoy who has 

been promoted and posted to Assistant Chief of 

Air Force Personnel. 

Reviewing officer for the parade was Air 

Component Commander Air Commodore Gavin 

Howse. 

Previously the CO of Flying Training Wing at 

Ohakea, WGCDR Webb is looking forward to the 

challenges of his new role which will see him at 

the helm during significant steps in the Boeing 

757 and C-130 Hercules upgrade projects. While 

it is an exciting time for the Squadron, not to 

mention the whole of the Air Force, the new CO 

is keeping his cool. 

“The challenges ahead are significant in terms 

of managing the introduction into service 

of these aircraft as safely and efficiently as 

possible. Patience will be required on all our 

parts to ensure we follow sound Operational 

and Technical Airworthiness considerations - 

the temptation to run before we walk will be 

ever present.” 

Managing the re-introduction of two types of 

aircraft into service while continuing to provide 

operational support will require additional 

i am luCky that 

the team heRe 

haVe the Right 

skills... 

supervision and support for both operations and 

maintenance personnel to ensure a seamless 

transition occurs. 

“All in all the next couple of years certainly 

promises to provide never a dull moment and 

I am lucky that the team here have the right 

skills and just as importantly, the right attitude 

to make it work,” said WGCDR Webb.

AK 08-0274-19 

AK 08-0274-05 

AK 08-0274-10 

Parade Adjutant 

SqNLDR Lawrence field. 

Acc, Air commodore 

gavin Howse addresses 

the parade. 

AK 08-0274-15 

wgcDR McEvoy hands 

over to wgcDR webb. 

AK 08-0274-18 

lEadErShIp 

wgcDR kevin McEvoy 

chats to cPL (now SgT) 

kate Staunton. 


28 

baSE aucklaNd multISportS 

FLtLt Benny Austin 

busy tiMes 

FOR BAsE AuCklAnd multIspORts 

THE PAST yEAR HAS bEEN VERy bUSy 

fOR THE RNzAf bASE AUckLAND 

MULTISPORTS cLUb, cOMPETINg IN 

EVENTS fROM THE bOTTOM Of THE 

SOUTH ISLAND TO OUR OwN bAck 

yARD. wE EVEN HAD MEMbERS 

cOMPETINg AT MULTISPORT TyPE 

EVENTS INTERNATIONALLy. 

Not satisfied with just competing, club individuals 

and teams have regularly obtained podium 

finishes and admirably represented the club, 

the Base and the RNZAF. 

In September, the club made its annual 

pilgrimage to the Jamis Day-Night Thriller, an 

event we have attended almost every year since 

2001, but this was the first time we brought 

back some silverware. Held at Spa Park in 

Taupo, teams comprising of up to five riders 

compete in various categories and attempt 

to complete as many laps as possible of an 8 


kilometre course, from 1030hrs on Saturday 

until 2230hrs the same day. The teams arrived 

on Friday night and camped out under canvas, 

unless you were in SQNLDR Gowthorpe’s bus - 

aka ‘the Officers Mess’ - which allowed for plenty 

of time to check out the course prior to the start. 

Entertainment throughout the day and into the 

night was provided by the Base’s deployable 

Freeview setup projected onto the side of the No. 

5 Squadron marquee; this proved the clincher 

in us winning the prize for ‘Best Site’ with the 

number of people in the marquee quadrupling 

to watch the All Blacks Rugby World Cup pool 

match against Portugal. Out of the 527 teams 

that entered, Team ‘Low Flying Idiots’ were 13th 

in category and 31st overall; ‘Designated Riders’ 

were 46th with FUBAR 54th and SNAFU 71st 

November rolled around with the inaugural 

Bicyclette 12hrs of Woodhill race, held west 

of Auckland it was technically our ‘local’ 12 

hour race. Due to a number of people being 

Day-Night Thriller – the club tent 

site with the riders out in front. 

wn 08-0038-27 

unavailable, the club only managed to enter 

three teams, a mixed team with three members 

and two open men’s teams of five. With a 

marquee set up and Air Force logos emblazoned 

everywhere providing fantastic PR and recruiting 

opportunities, the teams once again bought 

home the silverware. SGT Jar Millar clinched 

the fastest lap time with an impressive 23m 59s 

for an 8km lap, which contributed to the mixed 

team including CPL Graham Russell and LAC 

Rach Taylor placing 1st in their category and 4th 

overall. ‘Not the Navy’ were also on the podium 

with a 3rd in the open men’s, closely followed 

by ‘Not the Army’ in 9th. 

Taupo was the scene of the next two club events, 

both of which involved circumnavigating Lake 

Taupo. November 24th began as a dull, dreary 

and windy Saturday but soon warmed into a 

glorious day on the Central Plateau as four 

club road riders were amongst the 9500 that 

completed all or part of the 160 kilometre Round

Lake Taupo road race. A 160 kilometre solo is 

no mean feat and requires a lot of dedication 

and training by competitors; the slowest riders 

take up to 9 hours to complete the course but 

all four of the Base Auckland personnel were 

within 90 minutes of the top riders who finish 

in around 4 hours. 

The second event to go around the lake was 

the Great Lake Relay, held on February 16th. 

Twelve club members formed themselves into 

the ‘Whenuapai Flying Circus’ to travel down on 

Friday for the pitch black start at 0200hrs on 

Saturday morning. The course was split up into 

manageable stages with each runner doing 5 to 

10km legs before handing over the reigns to the 

next team member. Teams estimate the time it 

will take to finish the course, thus deciding what 

time they started and after a tussle that lasted the 

entire distance, the Flying Circus placed second 

in the 0200hrs starters; a very impressive 11th 

overall out of 319 teams that competed. 

An early start and high tide just before race start 

didn’t deter five hardy club members and a five 

person relay team from 6Sqn from competing in 

the North Shore City Coastal Challenge in early 

March. Depending on the distance entrants 

chose, ranging from the 33 kilometre ‘Full 

Monty’ to a more sedate 5 kilometre, the start 

line was one of five beaches on the East Coast 

of Auckland. Under the very concise directions 

of the race organiser - ‘keep the water on your 

left and the beach on your right until you hit the 

The inaugural 

bicyclette 12 hours 

of woodhill tent site. 

finish line’ - the course provided fantastic views 

of Rangitoto and multi-million dollar waterfront 

mansions in what was a beach run/rock-hop/ 

swim/wade for all involved. The lure of event 

sponsors products and the promise of a free 

sausage sizzle was consolation for the skin that 

was donated to various rocks that lurked just 

below the waters surface. 

with a maRquee 

set up and aiR 

fORCe lOgOs 

emblaZOned... 

the teams OnCe 

again bOught 

hOme the 

silVeRwaRe. 

Not satisfied with just 12 hour mountain bike 

races, two teams from Base thought they’d go 

for twice as long and entered the 24 hour Cateye 

Moonride, held each year in the Whakerewarewa 

Forest, just outside Rotorua. Heavy rain made 

for a muddy and energy-sapping track with the 

ongoing rain forcing event organisers to make 

changes to the course repeatedly throughout 

the day. The riders alternated between riding, 

warming down, eating, sleeping or warming up 

for the next lap; this cycle was repeated around 

wn 08-0038-24 

tEam buIldINg 

11 times per rider for the duration of the day’s 

race and the results were an outstanding 7th in 

the open category and 8th in the mixed category 

for the teams. 

As well as these club events, keen and eager 

members have competed individually up and 

down the length of the country in a wide range 

of events including Southlands 60 kilometre 

Kepler Track mountain run (yes, that’s nearly 

1½ marathons) to the three race R ‘n’ R 

Mountainbike series in West Auckland, the 200 

kilometre K2 road bike race near Coromandel 

to a full day of physical punishment crossing 

the South Island under the guise of a legendary 

event called the Coast to Coast. Club Captain, 

F/S Grant Winwood also graced the pages of 

the 89 issue of the Air Force News as Base 

Auckland’s Sports Person of the year 2007, a 

year that saw him place 21st in his age group at 

the Florida World 1/2 Ironman Champs. 

The upcoming year doesn’t look like slowing 

down so thanks must go to Base Auckland 

for its ongoing support of the club, to the 

members who organise club events and to all the 

participants who make it worthwhile. The club 

has programmed Wednesday afternoon sports 

where members can attend an afternoon ride, 

run or kayak nearly every fortnight and will be 

hosting Interbase Harriers in 2009 - check out 

the club website on the intranet at: http://org/ 

Auckland/MultisportPages/MultisportHome. 

aspx for further details. 

24hr Moonride. 

cPL graham 

Russell brings half 

the course back to 

the tent site. 


wn 08-0038-25

wB 08-0109-29 

30 

INtErbaSE rugby lEaguE 

cPL Leo wiapo showing his ballerina 

skils while trying to catch Ac Richie 

Staunton. LAc Adam wilson acting as 

his safety man. 

FLtLt mAt rAFFiLs 

iNterbase rugbY league 2008 

THE AIR fORcE IS VERy LUcky TO HAVE wITHIN ITS RANkS SOME VERy gOOD SPORTSMEN AND wOMEN, 

AND EVEN LUckIER TO bE AbLE TO cOMPETE AT INTERbASE TOURNAMENTS IN A wIDE RANgE Of SPORTS. 

THIS gIVES US A cHANcE TO SHOwcASE OUR SkILLS AND LOVE Of THE gAME, AND PERHAPS gO ON TO 

MORE HONOURS REPRESENTINg THE AIR fORcE OR EVEN THE NzDf. AND IT’S ALL PART Of THE JOb! 

This year was no different, as around 60 

players from all sorts of different sporting 

backgrounds converged on Base Woodbourne for 

the annual Interbase Rugby League tournament 

over Queen’s Birthday weekend. Woodbourne 

has been the regular home for the tournament 

for the past few years, so a huge thanks must 

again go to the teams from Auckland and 

Ohakea for their efforts in travelling down to the 

Mainland for the three way showdown. Next year 

should see another Base have the opportunity to 

host and play in front of their home Base. 

The tournament began with a match between 

Auckland and Ohakea, the first chance for both 

teams to show what they’re made of and stretch 

the legs after some early mornings and all night 

bus trips enroute to Woodbourne. The match 


was a fantastic way to start the tournament with 

some great skills being shown by both teams. 

The referees were there, Buck Beveridge had 

done a great job preparing the field, and the 

Woodbourne netball team were cooking up 

a storm on the BBQ and selling some tasty 

sausages. All that was left to kick it off was 80 

minutes of footy, after which Auckland walked 

away the victors. 

The next day saw Ohakea, battered and weary 

from the previous day’s match against Auckland, 

take on the home side Woodbourne. A great 

crowd came down to the fields to watch and 

cheer on the home side, and lucky they did as 

they got to see Woodbourne run in several tries 

and come away with a convincing win. Ohakea 

finished the match tired but happy, as their 

Interbase campaign came to an end. It was 

time to relax and enjoy a quiet refreshment for 

the Ohakea lads! W/O Keith Gell joined with 

the teams that night in the sports bar and was 

present to hand out player of the day awards 

and say a few words. 

The final day of competition was the tournament 

decider between Woodbourne and Auckland. 

The Auckland players were coming off a days 

rest (one of the advantages of winning last 

year’s tournament) hoping that Woodbourne 

would be feeling the effects of their game the 

day before. 

The game was an absolute ripper with the lead 

changing several times throughout the match. 

With ten minutes to go, Woodbourne were ahead 

32 – 24 and it was all looking good, that was

wB 08-0109-02 

wB 08-0109-15 

LAc Rock Johnstone 

tackled by LAc gooch 

Mccullough and LAc 

Adam Van gelder. 

until Johnny Ryan got the ball and Auckland were 

suddenly in the lead 34 – 32 with a quick 10 

points and only 5 minutes to go! Talk about close 

matches, this was one for sure. The Woodbourne 

players kept their heads up, and rallied one 

last time led by Charger Mockford who gave up 

club rugby for the day for the chance to take 

out the tournament. His decision paid off, as 

Woodbourne dotted down in the corner with 

about 2 minutes to go and regained the lead. The 

last minute of the match played out uneventfully 

and Woodbourne took it out 36 – 34. 

Overall the tournament was enjoyed by all, and 

great spirit was shown throughout by all teams. 

Woodbourne won the Cook Strait Cup, awarded 

to the team displaying the highest standard 

of sportsmanship throughout the tournament, 

where off the field conduct is also taken into 

consideration. The tournament referees select 

the recipient of this award. The Keith Gell Cup 

was awarded to the most outstanding player of 

the tournament, which went to CPL Johnny Ryan, 

LAc Alanson 

Smith trying to 

bust the tackle 

of LAc Adam 

Van gelder. 

as decided by the RNZAF Selectors. The RNZAF 

Rugby League Cup went to the winners of the 

tournament, Woodbourne. Congratulations to 

the following players on their selection to the 

RNZAF Rugby League team: LAC Adam Wilson, 

OVeRall the 

tOuRnament 

was enjOyed by 

all, and gReat 

spiRit was shOwn 

thROughOut by 

all teams. 

AC Bryce Hesselin, LAC Ben Farmer, AC Tama 

Eramiha, AC David Miles, LAC Lionel Tiraa, CPL 

Jade Morgan, AC Peter Motuliki, AC Richard 

O’Flaherty, AC Caine O’Shea, CPL Kim Bevins, 

AC Marshall Tepania, CPL John Ryan, LAC Nik 

wB 08-0109-09 

Ac Mike Leonard with wb 

Ac caine O’Shea (No 7) 

preparing to defend. 

tEam buIldINg 

Walmsley, FGOFF Andrew Mockford, CPL Beaufa 

Brown, CPL Parata Ainsley, F/S Roy Robati, AC 

Richie Staunton, AC Mike Leonard, AC Cory 

Gent, CPL Adam Tavave, LAC Doug King, SGT 

Peter Lincoln, LAC Shayne Roberts, LAC Kris 

McCullough. 

Huge thanks must go to WGCDR Jackie Ward 

and her Woodbourne staff for hosting a superb 

tournament. Also, the tournament was lucky 

enough to have very generous sponsorship 

from Mitchell Sports Power, 10 Wynen St, who 

are very keen supporters of many Woodbourne 

sports teams. 

See you all again next year! 

cPL John Ryan going over 

for a try for Auckland. 

TEAM cOLOURS ARE: 

Auckland – Blue 

Woodbourne – Maroon 

Ohakea – Black 

All PhOTOgRAPhS By MRS ReBeCCA WATSON. 


wB 08-0109-21

wn 08-0035-38 

32 

dragoN boatINg 

Hong 

kong Ben 

THIS TRIP wAS A JOURNEy THAT I 

wILL NOT fORgET fOR SOMETIME 

AS yOU cOULD INITIALLy SENSE THAT 

MOST INTERNATIONAL cREwS DIDN’T 

fANcy OUR cHANcES Of gIVINg ANy 

Of THE TOP cREwS A RUN fOR THEIR 

MONEy. 

How wrong they were, especially the Australians, 

where on the first training day, not only talked up 

paddling like season pros, but had the audacity 

to comment to our captain that he didn’t want 

to see his teams doing our technique. 

We raced both their crews twice and all they saw 

of the Air Force in both races was the back of 

our heads. They didn’t recognise us at the motel, 

because while racing didn’t get to see our faces 

front on. A bit hard from the back of the field… 

We would have made a clean sweep of three in 

a row but they didn’t make the Main Mixed final. 

Maybe they will now copy what we and some of 

the other teams were doing. 

The team was a mixture of half experienced 

(paddled last year or longer) and novice paddlers, 

but watching in the heats and finals you would 

have thought that the crew had paddled together 


for a number of years. This is testament to the 

crew’s dedication and willingness to learn new 

techniques, race strategies and being able to 

adapt to my game plans right up to the finals. 

Tu Meke. 

For me as a coach I had set three high goals for 

the team to reach: 

>> Make main final 

>> Be the Best International Team 

>> Win the Final 

ALL TOgETHER: 

Time for a photo shoot 

before the big final. 

FinAu / COACH 

DragoN boatiNg 

We achieved one, which was to make the main 

final. If I put it into context with the hurdles in 

training that the crew had prior to stepping off 

the plane in HK that was a huge milestone. 

This team had not raced competitively for 

nearly 3 months, and water training was limited 

to stationary paddling in a swimming pool. 

Stationary paddling in a pool non-stop for about 

an hour seems like a lifetime when you see no 

progress and the boat just stays in one place. 

I’m sure we would all love to see the boat at the 

bottom of the Base swimming pool. 

Behind the success of any team is key 

management staff, and this management was 

no exception. Huge Tino Pai Nui to Jeremy 

Borgman for his relentless efforts to keep some 

form of coordination for the team. 

To the Captain and Vice Captain – Liz Portas and 

Kirrin Borgman thank you for your valuable input 

that gave me different options with another set 

of eyes. I think you both contributed enormously 

to me pulling out more hair from my already 

receding hair line. 

To our Caller/Drummer Rachel Thomas and 

Sweep Maki – awesome job, especially Rachel 

who in the first race under stress and pressure, 

took the burden for the team’s substandard 

performance personally which was unwarranted 

but bounced back to a fully composed caller in 

the final. 

Finally, thank you to the Air Force team, for 

allowing me to coach you. I have coached the 

crew since the beginning 5 years ago, and every 

year I have raised the bar to a very high level in 

terms of expectation, but true to form the team 

has always reached my expectation and more. 

This year to win medals in HK would have been 

as Jack Rudolph put it: ‘the icing on the cake’, but 

for all the crew to give not only me, but the rest

wn 08-0035-41 wn 08-0035-40 

LA cREw: Nothing like a good warm up (even though the temp is 32deg). 

This O/Seas ex-pat team take their dragon boating seriously. 

OUR POwER HOUSE: w/O Rudolph and gumby Portas (ex RNzAf w/O 

Rtd). The power house of the crew let nothing phase them. 

of the team 110 percent is more than enough. 

This team could lift their heads high after this 

regatta and be proud of their achievements by 

putting the NZ Air Force and New Zealand on the 

map for Dragon Boating and to do it in style in a 

region where the sport originated. 

After our final race in HK, I was a very humble 

and proud coach to see from body language and 

comments that the whole 25 of us gave it our 

all regardless whether we were in the race or 

cheering from the sideline. The reserve paddlers 

openly stated to me that while disappointed in 

not paddling in the final, were there for the team 

and not themselves. 

The Haka on the floating pontoon made my hair 

stand up, hard to put into words but I was very 

emotional shaking and hugging all the paddlers 

afterwards. 

The Aroha (love) for one another on and off the 

water in my pep talks prior to racing was just 

amazing, especially after our last race where 

any minimal mistake by individuals was taken 

ownership by all. We paddled together as a team 

and fielded all blame as a team, with no finger 

pointing throughout this campaign. 

wn 08-0035-39 

wn 08-0035-42 

gO THE STROkES: LAc Amy Hahn and Ms 

Lydia Howe our two pacers ready for first race of 

the tournament. 

tEam buIldINg 

TEAM PIcA: Nothing like a relaxing ride on a traditional Sailing Junk boat 

around the Hong kong Harbour for the team. 

This crew epitomises the word TEAM... 

(Together Everyone Achieves More) 

Once again well done Air Force to another 

successful year. 

Mauri Ora……Ben Finau 

The Air force Dragon boat team would like 

to thank and acknowledge the generous 

contributions and support given to us by the 

following (we apologise if we have missed 

anyone from our list): 

Cathay Pacific; RNZAF Base Auckland Officer’s 

Mess; RNZAF Base Auckland; W/Os & SNCOs 

Mess; RNZAF Base Auckland JR’s Bar; RNZAF 

Base Auckland Base Welfare Fund; RNZAF Base 

Auckland Base Sports Office; Mr Steve Leech; 

Louise – Canteen; Dunninghams Ltd; W/O 

Dave Milne; CPL Pricey Price; Frances and Terry 

– Base Auckland NPF; Glenys young – yASL; 

SGT Otis De Garnham; SQNLDR Glenn Davis; 

Recruiting; Public Relations; Internal Affairs; 

Pulp Sport; Asia Down Under. 

HKDBA; CAF and WOAF for their support; Sugar 

Te Paa; Our families; Our coach - Ben Finau; All 

our FLTCDRs and OCs. 


farEWEllS aNd EvENtS 

fareWells 

due to unforseen 

circumstances, farewells 

for this issue will be 

printed in next month’s 

issue of Air Force news, 

September/October. 

30 sqdn 40th 

AnniversAry 

28 th november 2008 

Email Maureen Kettle at: kettle.klan@paradise.net.nz 

for more information 

AvgAs AvgAs 

thE royal NEW ZEalaNd aIr forcE E-ZINE 

hTTp://org/airforce/avgaS/hoMe.aSpx 

34 afN95 auguSt/SEptEmbEr 08 | www.airforce.mil.nz 

cricKet 

‘reunion 09’ 

If you have a story to share, the process is simple: Just send your photo / picture / 

diagram and a few quick words to your Flight Commander and if they decide to share 

your good news with the wider Air Force they will forward it to the AVgAS point of 

contact: Anna.sussmilch@nzdf.mil.nz. So start sending in all your good news! 

60th AnniversAry of rnZAf interbAse CriCket tournAments 

The reunion will take place, in conjunction with Interbase Cricket, at RNZAF Base Woodbourne over the 

period 29 to 30 Jan 2009. Reunion details and registrations are available at www.airforce where you 

can click on the "whats on" key followed by "reunions and anniversaries" key. Any personnel who have 

played, officiated or just helped out at any RNZAF Interbase Cricket tournament are entitled to attend. 

Point of contact is w/O gary clark on 04 5296131 or by email to gary.clark@nzdf.mil.nz 

air force proMs 

2.00pM, suNDaY 14 septeMber 

Michael fowler ceNtre, welliNgtoN 

ticKets: $30 faMilY $15 aDults $5 chilDreN/stuDeNts 

reuNioN 

warNiNg orDer! 

Initial preparations are now underway to 

hold the above reunion at Arena Manawatu, 

Palmerston North, during Labour Weekend 

24 – 26 October 2008. 

The reunion is open to all ex-cadets, 

ex-cadet staff, and their wives or partners. 

Widows of ex-cadets also welcome. 

please contact the following 

association committee members 

to indicate your interest and to 

request further information. 

seCRetaRy: tRish heikOOp 

ph: (09) 577 4306 e: heikoop@xtra.co.nz 

tReasuReR: dOn ROlle 

ph: (09) 298 8176 e: donald_rolle@clear.net.nz

AK 08-0364-06 

It’s back! 

b7571 TOUcHES DOwN AT RNzAf bASE wHENUAPAI ON fRIDAy 8TH 

AUgUST. THE SEPTEMbER EDITION Of THE AIR fORcE NEwS wILL 

cOVER THE b757 ARRIVAL AND cEREMONy IN wELLINgTON.

Air Force News Issue 95 - Royal New Zealand Air Force

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