Hi All,
I've looked for commend on this here but there appears to have been none.
RNZAF - A109 Light Utility Helicopter
RNZAF - Air Force Media Release
The NZ Airforce currently still trains ab-initio rotory wing in Bell 47s! However it has finally obtained budget to replace these fine old single piston skid equipped vfr dinosaurs, with ifr twin retractable AW109s.
For ab initio training?
Does this seem bizarre? Does any other military organisation world wide use such a complex and expensive ship for initial training?
Why don't they purchase some squirrels or AW119s instead? Seems like madness to me?