Tactical Air Services - Anyone Heard of Them?

[Ex Douglas Driver]

...well, they're paying NZ$155 milliion for 34 jet aircraft from New Zealand, and I can't find any information about them.
I acknowledge that NZ$155,000,000 is approximately US$3.95

The government has announced a $155 million sale of its former Air Force strike fleet. The planes will go to an American pilot training company called Tactical Air Services Limited.

They will be used to train pilots.

The Skyhawk attack planes and Aermacchi trainers have been in mothballs since New Zealand's Air Force strike wing was disbanded in 2001.

Prior to the announcement of the sale the National Party said that the money made from the sale would be offset by other costs.

It said information from parliamentary questions shows $7.1 million was spent on storage and maintenance for the decommissioned aircraft until January this year.

In addition, $677,000 had been given to Ernst and Young for handling the deal until March last year. The final cost is unknown.

Defence Minister Mark Burton says some of the $155 million will be used for sale costs as well as for the costs of maintaining, storing and regenerating the planes.

He says after that process is finished, the Defence Force will be left with $120 million, which will be available for the purchase of new military equipment.

[Maple 01]

$120 million? You could prolly get some second-hand A-4s and MB339s for that - would make a nice little strike force, why not call is something punchy like .....oh I dunno, RNZAF.......no, wait.......

[Ex Douglas Driver]

Who are Tactical Air Services?

The fleets’ new owner, Tactical Air Services, was founded by two retired US Navy captains each with over 30 years’ experience comprising combat fighter squadron command, fighter weapons school instructors and experimental test pilot roles.

The recent successful introduction of the giant European aerospace company Finmeccanica as the company’s major shareholder had meant Tactical Air Services was now able to complete the purchase of the RNZAF’s previous air combat force aircraft. Finmeccanica is also the parent of Aermacchi SpA, the manufacturer of the RNZAF Aermacchi aircraft, Mark Burton said.

[Runaway Gun]

Got youself a Green Card yet mate?

[Washington_Irving]

So who will they be training? Is it a PMC-type arrangement or is it aimed at catering to the vast number of American Walts with too much time and money on their hands?

[Runaway Gun]

It seems that next to nothing is known about this company, hence ex-DD's question. My own extensive Googling revealed nothing either.

Surely there aren't THAT many obscenely rich Americans eager to fly high performance aircraft that would make a NZ $155 million deal worthwhile.

It's bound to be a contract service for the military.

[ImageGear]

This yo man..

http://www.sunrisehelicopter.com/

Intruder connections

Imagegear :ok:

[Runaway Gun]

Actually, that is incorrect.
This company is a different Tactical Air Services - I've checked it out. ;)

[ImageGear]

I see that ex-employees refer to this company:

http://www.atsifightertraining.com/

as "Tactical Air Services"

Imagegear.

[brickhistory]

In the June/July 2004 issue of the Smithsonian Air & Space magazine, there was a lengthy article on a company out in our West that provided DACT training to the USAF and USN. This company used A-4s, mainly ex-USN/USMC stock.

I was unable to find the article on-line and I've thrown out the hard copy, but the cover did feature one of their birds. In the text if I recall correctly, the company saw a bright future in providing contract training for years to come.

As my own USAF gets smaller ("more with less!"), a lot of things normally taken for granted as useful - USAF and USN Aggrssor squadrons flying F-5s, Kfirs, etc, now with painted up F-16s - are being phased out.

I would suspect that the RNZAF jets, with their modern avionics will provide a much better threat simulator than the older A-4s who probably will become spare parts bins for the 'new' K models.

For what it's worth.....

[ganDerMan]

Hoss Pearson (now with TAS) used to be teamed with John McBride at ATSI.

ATSIs web makes no mention of Hoss now. One of the sale press stories suggested there were internal company issues last time the sale almost happened: that may have been State Department stuff.