RAAF Mirage Aircraft

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28th Jan 2008, 01:19

#41 (permalink)

komac2

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Quote:

The Mirage was indeed an awesome bit of kit - when the fan was turning.

When I was in NZ in the mid-80s I visited the Control Tower at Ohakea Airforce Base, home of the then NZ Skyhawk fighter squadron. Every couple of years the Aussie Mirages would arrive there for joint exercises.
Apparently it became something of a tradition for them to depart for Oz via the space between the Control Tower and its neighbouring hangar - below the level of the Control Tower windows.

One NZ CO decided to put a stop to this practice, so he strung a wire from the Control Tower to the hangar, and so it would be obvious, he strung some of those plastic propellors, that anyone of my vintage might remember used to be a common decoration of used car yards, along the wire.

You guessed it! The next time the Mirages were in town, one of the Aussie pilots just could not resist the challenge and departed for Oz in the usual way - between the Control Tower and the hangar - UNDERNEATH the wire - full afterburner.

Story goes that the MPs were waiting for him on arrival back in Oz.

A Photo of that prior to the wires being added has been posted on this website thread :

http://rnzaf.proboards43.com/index.c...e=2#1201484335

Last edited by komac2; 28th Jan 2008 at 02:06.

28th Jan 2008, 06:08

#42 (permalink)

gsf

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komac2: Not so.
The Mirage in that pic is about to fly just to the east of #3 hangar (the half round shape) and above #4 hangar; which you may notice, is nowhere near as high as number 3.
There never were any wires or aerials between 3 and 4.

The only aerials/wires were the two strung from the tower to #2 and #3 hangar.

As I said earlier in this thread, the only wire strike was with an Iroquios between the tower and #3.

28th Jan 2008, 20:59

#43 (permalink)

komac2

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Gsf very aware of the location i.e old 75 sqn hangar now 3 sqn hangar and roof is now Black (has been since 1988) and the no 4 AMS hangar etc and were the wires are strung between the tower etc - what I meant by the post or left out completely is that it is more likely to be where the mirages (as pictured) departed as opposed to between the tower and no 3 hangar like all things a large bit over exhagerated especially the under wire post - sorry wasn't very clear in my post-cheers.

Last edited by komac2; 28th Jan 2008 at 21:18.