Australian Gazelles

[HaveQuick2]

A colleague from down under sent me some photo links showing what appear to be Australian Army Gazelles. I'll try and get the links in here.

Does anyone know if this was some kind of evaluation? When and where?

http://www.ukserials.com/images/ukimages/za769.jpg
http://www.ukserials.com/images/ukimages/xz315.jpg

[oldbeefer]

Looks to me like a standard Army Gazelle in UK countryside that some Aussies have got at with some stickers!

[DaveW]

I vaguely remember this. It's at Wallop, and I think the reason was that the Australian military put in a team for the World Helicopter Championships held in the UK sometime in the 80s, but didn't have a suitable airframes in the Northern hemisphere so borrowed some from the AAC.

Something like that, anyway - presumably the Aussies in question were on exchange at the time.

[garyscott]

I would hope the Aussies were not responsible for placing the decals on the airframe . . . . in the first pic the "'Roo" is facing backwards!! STREWTH!!

[timex]

British serial numbers and I think I flew XZ 315 at some stage..

[helimarshaller]

DaveW is pretty close to the mark.

In the 80's & 90's during the week before the Middle Wallop Air Day a competition was held. The Gazelles were used by Austrailian Instructors on exchange at Middle Wallop.

The competition involved a Navex, maneouvering a bucket on a rope and many other activities around the Wallop area. The last day (Friday ) was normally a contest to see who had the best turned out helicopter.

Although the Austrailians borrowed the Gazelles for the competition, the New Zealand Air Force flew in a C130 the week before, inside which was a UH-1H and they used that in the competition.:ok::D

Hope this answers your question HaveQuick2.

HM

[opfixclear]

I flew that airframe on advanced rotary at Wallop in 1985. IIRC the aircraft had been "franged" by someone on 291 APC the week before I first flew it.

[diginagain]

..............the New Zealand Air Force flew in a C130 the week before, inside which was a UH-1H and they used that in the competition.

Would that have been the IAS where the NZ team won the prize for being the most entertaining foreign participants, as well as doing more damage to the airfield than the Luftwaffe with their transport.

Might even have been the same one where we got a phone call from Bristol Airport asking if we had any comms with a French Navy Super Frelon that had just followed the A38 past the end of their runway on a map-reading task.

[MightyGem]

as well as doing more damage to the airfield than the Luftwaffe with their transport.
Ah yes. The one off Middle Wallop ploughing competition. Won by the only entrant. Possibly due to all the duty frees that they had on board. :E

[Brian Abraham]

No Gazelles in Oz defence forces. One did do a demonstration tour though, late 60's early 70's, of Oz defence establishments. Seem to recall a blue/white colour scheme, had a flight back seat while the boss played with it.

[HaveQuick2]

Thanks everyone for your informative response.

[Gravelbelly]

... for the World Helicopter Championships held in the UK sometime in the 80s...

Helimeet 86 or something?

As a young TA lad, I was one of the two pipers who played at the dinner on the Saturday night; IIRC the "free bar" provided by Boeing had its budget of £3k blown on the Friday night.