Iroquois Flight Pics/Vids

[ardypilot]

I was fortunate enough to have my name drawn for the prize RNZAF Iroquois flight at Whenuapai airshow yesterday.

Normally, I never usually enter competitions (except our good old monthly screenshot ones ), let alone win them, so this was a real treat for me.

However, for all those who entered and didn't win, here's a little photographic journalism to show what I saw- defiantly the best scenic flight around town that I've ever been on... mainly because the Huey's slider doors were pinned open and there was nothing but fresh air between myself and the 2500 drop below

Takeoff from the show- how many aircraft can you spot?


Construction of the new north western motarway extension burrowing it's way across the countryside


View across nearby fields


Those look like nice houses down there...


Suburban North Shore


Over SH1 towards Takapuna


The Crew


Gun aimers view of Rangitoto


And a quick vid over the Gulf:


North Head (I think of the houses down there belongs to 'Creator2003')


Sharing the sky with ZK-DAK


Westhaven Marina


Returning to the airfield


NZ3015 from the front after landing


And the panel- check out that old school AH!


Big thanks to the RNZAF base staff at Whenuapai, the crew from 3 Squadron and particularly Squadron Leader Tony Collins for making this all happen.

[spongebob206]

Awesome Andrew,

Stoked for you, what an experience, thanks for sharing.


Cheers Mate

[Naki]

Cool shots/vid! Glad somebody from NZFF won it so it can be shared here. An experience to remember - especially considering the Hueys wont be around for too much longer. Did your brother go as well?

[AlisterC]

How lucky are you!?! Nice!! And thanks for the pics You should have got them to drop you home then you could avoided all the traffic

[Alex]

I am green Andrew..... a very vivid green.

Alex

[ardypilot]

Yeah it was good fun... apparently I'm going to be featured in an upcoming RNZAF publication along with some photos and an interview too!

QUOTE

Did your brother go as well?[/quote]
Unfortuantly not- along with the two pilots, traffic cop and a lady from a radio station, there didn't take any others on for some reason. Maybe they could not exceed previous planned fuel:weight calculations or something- however, my brother did get one of the best views in the house of all the planes taxing in after landing, so we were both happy chappys by the end of the day

[NZ255]

So how are you held in then? Strap? Is it safe? Looked great fun! Lucky

[ardypilot]

QUOTE (NZ255 @ Mar 23 2009, 11:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So how are you held in then? Strap? Is it safe? Looked great fun! Lucky

Yeah pretty much- just a waist belt with a saftey lock, similar to those found on commercial airliners- No fancy harnesses or anything.

[Chairman]

Some people have all the luck - full time pilot course, no dead relatives to keep you away from the airshow, and now this !

Way back when I was a vollie fireman all the rural brigades had a day out at Bethells which included playing with an Iroquois and a monsoon bucket. We all got a short ride at some point just to get us used to it. Because they had to get so many of us through in such a short time they never closed the doors and to save time when changing passengers we weren't allowed to tighten the seat belts (this was really way back, before we had this poofy 'osh' claptrap).

So there I was in one of the sideways facing seats which I think is where Andrew was, very loosely strapped in with the door open, two inches of floor in front of me and then nothing ... and we went straight up from the beach then sharply banked, with me on the downhill side. I probably only slid three inches before the seat belt stopped me but holy hell that was a bloody scary three inches !!!!!

Wasn't all bad, we had great fun playing with the Iroquois and the bucket, and at the end of the day two of us hitched a ride back to Hobsonville in it (the Iroquois, not the bucket) so that was even better. Didn't even mind having to walk home from Hobby

Gary

[cambridgedan]

hey im glad someone from nzff got it, thanks for sharing man, it was a great day wasnt it.

[mfraser]

Congrats! You're one of the few civilians that have managed to get a ride without having to spend 4 days lost in the bush!! Nice photo's - they remind me of the cool view I used to have from the 'office' when I was in 3 Sqn. Incidentally, my ATC job is sucking HARD at the moment and I'm considering re-enlisting to fly on the NH-90's next year. Thanks for the extra motivation!!