Royal New Zealand Air Force

Zero Alpha said:
Since facetious comments seem be the order of the day -the answer to your first question is probably as many as the RNZAF do. The USCG has sunk more submarines than the NZDF has.

I'm struggling to see the logic behind the tremendous faith people have in Boeing's ability to create an ASW platform from an airliner, with very little experience at MPA development, and at the same time dump manure on the concept of Lockheed extending the capability of a proven surveillance platform, when Lockheed has a hell of a lot more experience at MPAs than Boeing does.
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Do you know what the P-3 is based on? If Lockheed can build a MPA around a relatively unsuccessful airliner Electra (150 sales) then Boeing should have no trouble doing it with a 737 (over 6000 jets). However Boeing won't beat the MPA to commercial ratio as Lockheed sold 3 times as many P-3s as they did Electras.
 
John Fedup said:
I came across this article by a pilot who shared his experiences on flying P-3s and P-8s. As I don't have much knowledge about these platforms I found it quite informative. It has lots of links which I haven't explored yet.

Confessions Of A US Navy P-3 Orion Maritime Patrol Pilot
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thats a nice OSINT snapshot of the capability

the comment about no MAD stinger is the current Ford, Chev/Holden argument in public circles. Other AP3C pilots I've spoken to have not been as concerned as they believe other onboard capability more than fills the gap. The overall sensor suite and management of that suite is a golden mile ahead of the P3/AP3
 
NH90: Retrofit of New Zealand

Members of the NH90 team in New Zealand have a lot to celebrate: They have just completed the retrofit of four NH90 TTH helicopters at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) operational base in Ohakea.

The purpose of the retrofit was to upgrade the first four NH90s from initial to final configuration. The RNZAF operates a fleet of eight NH90 TTH, four of which were delivered already in the final form. With the retrofit, RNZAF’s current NH90 fleet has reached its final configuration.
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Short article about NZ's NH90's from the Eurocopter home site.
 
T6C 01 & 02 almost here

HKB170 (aka NZ1401) & HKB177 (aka NZ1402) due out of Brisbane this morning to Norfolk Island - 2hours 24min scheduled for transit. They've been trackable via FlightAware since entering Aussie airspace late last week.

AFAIK they were due at Whenuapai Thurs 21st but looks like with an apparent change of plan for trans-tasman leg they could well hit our shores tomorrow!?!

They remain civvies till Novemeber whilst Safe Air get trained up, so I guess there will be very little flying after they arrive, until Nov.
 
Gibbo said:
HKB170 (aka NZ1401) & HKB177 (aka NZ1402) due out of Brisbane this morning to Norfolk Island - 2hours 24min scheduled for transit. They've been trackable via FlightAware since entering Aussie airspace late last week.

AFAIK they were due at Whenuapai Thurs 21st but looks like with an apparent change of plan for trans-tasman leg they could well hit our shores tomorrow!?!

They remain civvies till Novemeber whilst Safe Air get trained up, so I guess there will be very little flying after they arrive, until Nov.
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They are due into Whenuapai today - which was always the plan - drop tanks removed and a bit of a clean - and then arrive Ohakea Friday.
 
Reaver said:
They are due into Whenuapai today - which was always the plan - drop tanks removed and a bit of a clean - and then arrive Ohakea Friday.
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Ah yes thanks, I see now in FlightAware they're going to do the last leg this arvo - scheduled in around 1800hrs, just after dark :-(
 
Gibbo said:
Ah yes thanks, I see now in FlightAware they're going to do the last leg this arvo - scheduled in around 1800hrs, just after dark :-(
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Norfolk Island > Whenuapai leg has been removed from FlightAware - do we assume this is now to happen tomorrow!?! Might get to catch their arrival after all!?!


.......okay scrub all this, I see on 'another forum' that they both landed at whenuapai about 4pm-ish.
 
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Gibbo said:
Norfolk Island > Whenuapai leg has been removed from FlightAware - do we assume this is now to happen tomorrow!?! Might get to catch their arrival after all!?!


.......okay scrub all this, I see on 'another forum' that they both landed at whenuapai about 4pm-ish.
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Managed to skive-off @ lunchtime after being told by phone that 1300hrs was e.t.d. for Ohakea. On arrival I found the ogre on the gate knew nothing but the 'smartly attired' media girl waiting for her pass knew all the details! ;)

Sorry no photos but can say 'wow' - they look sooo cool in the black livery! After a very spritely taxi down to the north-end they were airborne before they came into view 'over the hump'! Awesome... very quick on the take-off & VERY quiet!

Roll on the airshows!:p:
 
Gibbo said:
Managed to skive-off @ lunchtime after being told by phone that 1300hrs was e.t.d. for Ohakea. On arrival I found the ogre on the gate knew nothing but the 'smartly attired' media girl waiting for her pass knew all the details! ;)

Sorry no photos but can say 'wow' - they look sooo cool in the black livery! After a very spritely taxi down to the north-end they were airborne before they came into view 'over the hump'! Awesome... very quick on the take-off & VERY quiet!

Roll on the airshows!:p:
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Read elsewhere that they were keeping things quiet until today so that the Minister could have his photo op at Whenuapai. Just as an interest was the ogre service or rentacop?
 
ngatimozart said:
Read elsewhere that they were keeping things quiet until today so that the Minister could have his photo op at Whenuapai. Just as an interest was the ogre service or rentacop?
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Stuff having a photo, I'd be demanding a flight if I were DefMin. Mind you if I was DefMin......

The ogre was in service blues, but she's probably a lovely person, it's just that the media chick was cute & had all the gos :-)
 
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general curiosity question

what's safe airs history/relationships like with the french?
 
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I've been following the Textron Scorpion purely out of interest and another thought bubble.

We know that short of a very major scare, fast jet days for the RNZAF are to all intents and purposes history. However I do think that within the AU-NZ context there is a need for a niche ISR / comms platform that has the advantages of being cheap to procure and operate, is manned so not prone to jamming like an UAV, doesn't tie up the resources of a fast jet, cheaper to operate than rotary wing, can be armed, can be placed in areas of higher risk than would be willing to place a P3 / P8 and has good loitre capabilities amongst other things. Hence my thought bubble is would this aircraft fit this niche capability and if so would it be a feasible aircraft for the RNZAF? Since it is built mostly from M/COTS components spares and maintenance shouldn't be a major issue, and if we got it we could integrate the AGM 65 Maverick missiles that we (possibly) have with it.

Anyway as I say a thought bubble.
 
ngatimozart said:
I've been following the Textron Scorpion purely out of interest and another thought bubble.

We know that short of a very major scare, fast jet days for the RNZAF are to all intents and purposes history. However I do think that within the AU-NZ context there is a need for a niche ISR / comms platform that has the advantages of being cheap to procure and operate, is manned so not prone to jamming like an UAV, doesn't tie up the resources of a fast jet, cheaper to operate than rotary wing, can be armed, can be placed in areas of higher risk than would be willing to place a P3 / P8 and has good loitre capabilities amongst other things. Hence my thought bubble is would this aircraft fit this niche capability and if so would it be a feasible aircraft for the RNZAF? Since it is built mostly from M/COTS components spares and maintenance shouldn't be a major issue, and if we got it we could integrate the AGM 65 Maverick missiles that we (possibly) have with it.

Anyway as I say a thought bubble.
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An interesting idea would not want to be the first customer and any integration issues would soley be by New Zealand, you would have to compare it with the SK F/A-50 its already Maverick certified but the ISR package dunno about.

Would have its advantages in training for the overall NZDF, but if it's main job is for ISR I'd opt for putting that money aside for P8 or failing that MH-60R or a NH -90 version in the future.
 
ngatimozart said:
I've been following the Textron Scorpion purely out of interest and another thought bubble.

We know that short of a very major scare, fast jet days for the RNZAF are to all intents and purposes history. However I do think that within the AU-NZ context there is a need for a niche ISR / comms platform that has the advantages of being cheap to procure and operate, is manned so not prone to jamming like an UAV, doesn't tie up the resources of a fast jet, cheaper to operate than rotary wing, can be armed, can be placed in areas of higher risk than would be willing to place a P3 / P8 and has good loitre capabilities amongst other things. Hence my thought bubble is would this aircraft fit this niche capability and if so would it be a feasible aircraft for the RNZAF? Since it is built mostly from M/COTS components spares and maintenance shouldn't be a major issue, and if we got it we could integrate the AGM 65 Maverick missiles that we (possibly) have with it.

Anyway as I say a thought bubble.
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As far as thought bubbles go I'd probably hold forth the Beechcraft AT-6 as a less "risky" and easier to absorb solution if such a debate came up. You could buy a small number and integrate the training in next to the T-6 Trainers very smoothly. Anyway .... a thought bubble from me to toss in next to yours!
 
ngatimozart said:
I've been following the Textron Scorpion purely out of interest and another thought bubble.

We know that short of a very major scare, fast jet days for the RNZAF are to all intents and purposes history. However I do think that within the AU-NZ context there is a need for a niche ISR / comms platform that has the advantages of being cheap to procure and operate, is manned so not prone to jamming like an UAV, doesn't tie up the resources of a fast jet, cheaper to operate than rotary wing, can be armed, can be placed in areas of higher risk than would be willing to place a P3 / P8 and has good loitre capabilities amongst other things. Hence my thought bubble is would this aircraft fit this niche capability and if so would it be a feasible aircraft for the RNZAF? Since it is built mostly from M/COTS components spares and maintenance shouldn't be a major issue, and if we got it we could integrate the AGM 65 Maverick missiles that we (possibly) have with it.

Anyway as I say a thought bubble.
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Its not cheap to procure at US20mil. Thats KAI T-50 money. I wouldnt want to be the poor guy in it in an area of high risk area. I would rather lose a sub million dollar RQ-7 than a pilot and a $20mil aircraft. Textron already makes the RQ-7 Shadow and you can buy the whole system for the same money and the ADF already has it. Lets save the money for a proper 2nd tier multi-role light twin that can do MEPT, Maritime ISR, and fly the PM to Invercargill.
 
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