Does anybody know how many fighter pilots the RNZAF has?

N

nz enthusiast

New Member
Most of them left either to the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia or Australia. From what i know a whole squadron went to Britian.
A few did stay, the only female fighter pilot we had now flies Hurcleus (i saw her at the last air force open day). There two or three who stay here and still fly the air machi and the skyhawks, they help maintain them to in the event that someone will actually buy them.
I don't know what happened to all the maintaince crew after they got made redundent.
Pretty much we don't have enough people there now to bring back air combat capability.
 
J

Jason_kiwi

New Member
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They do have a reserve. How many would be in that.
I think they could bring a strike force back if they got in to gear. if they have around 8 pilots, they could train up more.
 
N

nz enthusiast

New Member
Why don't you phone them up and ask? although i have never been bothered to ask them anything.

I seriously doubt there is any fighter pilots in our reserve, Helen the air force destoyer would have made sure thigns are as hard as possible to get air combat capability back.
 
P

pepsi

New Member
In the event that NZ does get an air combat capability e.g. the F-16s, would they pull the skyhawks out of storage and use them for training?

How come they don't use them for training now anyway (i assume they dont), surely its good to keep all your pilots skills up and everything
 
N

nz enthusiast

New Member
One single seat and one two seater skyhawks are kept in a fly state so they can be shown to potionial customers, the same thing with the machis.

Helen Clark wants air combat capability completely killed, so there is no pilot traing what so ever.

Since they have been matined so badly it would be more cost effective to go buy some hawks and us them for training, than have the Skyhawks go through a very expensive refit and upgrade.
 
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