Clint,
We got there! Well done! For more info on the Footy Field click on,
Air Charter Taupo Hunting Trips
It has an interesting story from when it was made. This was told to me by Graeme, the Chief Pilot of Taupo Air Charter as I wasn't around at the time it happened.
'After the decision was made to open up the area for fixed wing operations a new airstrip needed to be formed. An impossible lack of 4WD access meant that everything had to be airlifted in by chopper. A small Bobcat bulldozer was chosen but unfortunately it couldn't be lifted by a Hughes 500 and there were no heavy lift helicopters available.
No problem, says the team. We'll take it apart and split it into two pieces. This they did, but the Hughes couldn't quite manage a straight lift even then.
No problem, says the team. We will put a half Bobcat on the back of a flat-bed truck, connect the helicopter strop and set off down Taupo airport runway so the chopper can get enough translation to hoist it into the air. This worked fine.
No problem, says the team. While we have it airborne we might just as well take it to the strip site in the hills. This was accomplished safely, followed by a repeat of the flat-bed truck act down the runway for the second half. The two Bobcat halves were re-assembled at the airstrip site and after a while the 'Footy Field' airstrip was borne.
Problem. How do we get it back to Taupo? (No flat-bed truck or long runway). Bugger.
No problem, says the team. We will employ two Hughes 500's to jointly lift the Bobcat halves on a 'V' strop.
Then the second idea came to them.
Before we split the Bobcat into two halves again, lets see if the 2 x Hughes can manage the whole Bobcat. It would save a lot of bother.
This they did, and with a lot of groaning and straining the whole contraption lifted off the Footy Field, got over the end of the cliff and two things happened.
One of the strops broke, freeing up one chopper, and the strop release on the other chopper jammed. This resulted in everything heading downwards despite full collective and power in the 'up' direction. Observers on the airstrip lost sight of the Bobcat/helicopter formation below the cliff level and waited for the bang to occur.
What then happened was the wildly swinging Bobcat banged into the cliff face, which freed up the strop release. Next thing the observers saw was a Hughes 500 emulating a Phantom F4 in full reheat mode shoot skywards, shake itself, then sheepishly land back at the strip. After much muttering and head scratching it was decided to leave the Bobcat in its final resting place at the bottom of the cliff on the river flats by a nice holding pool of huge Rainbows. It is still there in all its rusted glory today.
End of story - The Footy Field - so named because it is shorter than a football field.
You have control Clint
Barry G