RNZAF A4's up for sale or gift to a good home
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RNZAF A4's up for sale or gift to a good home
Mothballed NZ Skyhawks find new homes
5:46 PM Friday Apr 22, 2011
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A Skyhawk in flight.
Six of the Air Force's mothballed Skyhawk fighter bomber fleet have found new homes.
One will go to Tauranga aviation museum Classic Flyers, one to Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim, two will go to the Air Force Museum at Wigram and another to the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland and one will be sent to the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum in Nowra, New South Wales, Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said today.
Homes for the remaining three aircraft will be announced as decisions are made.
Dr Mapp said earlier this month that up to nine of the 17 Skyhawks had been earmarked for display in appropriate museums, on permanent loan from the Government.
"The Skyhawks are a significant part of New Zealand's military aviation history. The Government is ensuring that all New Zealanders will have the opportunity to enjoy seeing them up close in the years to come."
On Tuesday the Ministry of Defence put eight of the Skyhawks up for sale by tender, along with 20 spare engines and truck loads of spares.
The Skyhawks were mothballed by the Labour Government in 2001 when it disbanded the Air Combat Force and also canned an earlier National Government deal to replace the Skyhawks with a fleet of F16 fighters.
The Skyhawks were on the market for nearly 10 years but in spite of one potential American purchaser signing a contract to buy them for $155 million, no money changed hands. The sale fell over and the aircraft chalked up a maintenance bill of more than $34 million.
Last year the Government abandoned plans to sell them as a going concern.
On Tuesday the eight aircraft were offered for sale by tender on an "as is, where is basis without any warranty as to fitness for purpose or air worthiness".
The Skyhawk package includes five single seaters and three two seaters used for training, up to 20 spare J52 engines, an extensive inventory of ground support equipment and tooling, technical training and maintenance books.
The Ministry of Defence said while it preferred to sell all the aircraft and spares to one buyer, it might also divide the package and sell selected parts to different buyers.
It set a deadline of 4pm on May 16 to register for the tender package. The sale cannot be completed until the buyer has the approval of the US State Department.
The Government bought 14 new Skyhawks in 1970 and 10 more second-hand aircraft from Australia in 1984. Several crashed over the years.
They were flown by No 75 Squadron in New Zealand but in 1991 three single seaters and three dual-seat aircraft were assigned to No 2 Squadron at the Nowra naval base in New South Wales. They were highly regarded by the Australian Navy because they were fast, small and well flown and posed a significant challenge to the air defences on Australian warships during exercises.
The Skyhawks had a top speed of 1160km/h and a range of 3200km. They could carry a combat payload of 3700kg of rockets, bombs, missiles and cannon ammunition.
The Government is also selling its 17 Italian-made Aermacchi jet training aircraft which were taken out of commission at the same time as the Skyhawks.
They were not included in the tender package offered today but an announcement about them is expected soon.
- NZPA
5:46 PM Friday Apr 22, 2011
Expand A Skyhawk in flight.
Six of the Air Force's mothballed Skyhawk fighter bomber fleet have found new homes.
One will go to Tauranga aviation museum Classic Flyers, one to Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim, two will go to the Air Force Museum at Wigram and another to the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland and one will be sent to the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum in Nowra, New South Wales, Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said today.
Homes for the remaining three aircraft will be announced as decisions are made.
Dr Mapp said earlier this month that up to nine of the 17 Skyhawks had been earmarked for display in appropriate museums, on permanent loan from the Government.
"The Skyhawks are a significant part of New Zealand's military aviation history. The Government is ensuring that all New Zealanders will have the opportunity to enjoy seeing them up close in the years to come."
On Tuesday the Ministry of Defence put eight of the Skyhawks up for sale by tender, along with 20 spare engines and truck loads of spares.
The Skyhawks were mothballed by the Labour Government in 2001 when it disbanded the Air Combat Force and also canned an earlier National Government deal to replace the Skyhawks with a fleet of F16 fighters.
The Skyhawks were on the market for nearly 10 years but in spite of one potential American purchaser signing a contract to buy them for $155 million, no money changed hands. The sale fell over and the aircraft chalked up a maintenance bill of more than $34 million.
Last year the Government abandoned plans to sell them as a going concern.
On Tuesday the eight aircraft were offered for sale by tender on an "as is, where is basis without any warranty as to fitness for purpose or air worthiness".
The Skyhawk package includes five single seaters and three two seaters used for training, up to 20 spare J52 engines, an extensive inventory of ground support equipment and tooling, technical training and maintenance books.
The Ministry of Defence said while it preferred to sell all the aircraft and spares to one buyer, it might also divide the package and sell selected parts to different buyers.
It set a deadline of 4pm on May 16 to register for the tender package. The sale cannot be completed until the buyer has the approval of the US State Department.
The Government bought 14 new Skyhawks in 1970 and 10 more second-hand aircraft from Australia in 1984. Several crashed over the years.
They were flown by No 75 Squadron in New Zealand but in 1991 three single seaters and three dual-seat aircraft were assigned to No 2 Squadron at the Nowra naval base in New South Wales. They were highly regarded by the Australian Navy because they were fast, small and well flown and posed a significant challenge to the air defences on Australian warships during exercises.
The Skyhawks had a top speed of 1160km/h and a range of 3200km. They could carry a combat payload of 3700kg of rockets, bombs, missiles and cannon ammunition.
The Government is also selling its 17 Italian-made Aermacchi jet training aircraft which were taken out of commission at the same time as the Skyhawks.
They were not included in the tender package offered today but an announcement about them is expected soon.
- NZPA
and one will be sent to the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum in Nowra, New South Wales
but in 1991 three single seaters and three dual-seat aircraft were assigned to No 2 Squadron at the Nowra naval base in New South Wales. They were highly regarded by the Australian Navy because they were fast, small and well flown and posed a significant challenge to the air defences on Australian warships during exercises.
Seriously, what a bargain for a latter-day warbird enthusiast.
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And I know just the bloke to fly one.....mind you we would need a couple as he has a habbit of ejecting out of them into the ocean 
Go nicely with his Yak 
Go nicely with his Yak
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It does, however, expose the utterly moronic nature of a certain previous PM. She managed to spend hundreds of millions (if you look at the whole cost) of taxpayer's money, simply to indulge a desire to carry through on a university protest.
She is surely the worst thing that ever happened to NZ.
She is surely the worst thing that ever happened to NZ.
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Originally Posted by Remoak
She is surely the worst thing that ever happened to NZ...
Sadly the chances of NZ ever having a credible strike-force again in future grow ever slimmer. An unconscionable betrayal of all those that went before IMO.
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Whadaya reckon the chances of seeing one tear up Wanaka if not next Easter, then in 3 years time?
Will the Alpine FC move to get one, now that they are warbirds?
Will the Alpine FC move to get one, now that they are warbirds?
IMHO we have not had a creditable strike capability since the end of the Vietnam war!
Maybe Comrade Helen did us a favour, and we were just kidding ourselves that we could afford flashy jets, instead of buying good gear for the people that we actually send into harms way. Oops we didn't even get decent gear for them either!
We stayed in 1972 and the rest of the world moved on! (A4, C130, P3, UH1 all Vietnam era)
Maybe time to get over the fast jet thing and buy some decent gear for those that actually are at war on our behalf now!
Maybe Comrade Helen did us a favour, and we were just kidding ourselves that we could afford flashy jets, instead of buying good gear for the people that we actually send into harms way. Oops we didn't even get decent gear for them either!
We stayed in 1972 and the rest of the world moved on! (A4, C130, P3, UH1 all Vietnam era)
Maybe time to get over the fast jet thing and buy some decent gear for those that actually are at war on our behalf now!
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Ten years later - Skyhawks finally sold
Updated 1:07 PM Wednesday Nov 16, 2011
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The eight remaining Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Skyhawks have finally been flogged off, albeit for a fraction of the amount they were previously to be sold for and the millions it has cost to keep in a saleable condition since they were grounded 10 years ago.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp has announced that United States company JDI Holdings is going to pay $NZ7.9 million for the aircraft, which have been gathering dust at Woodbourne, Blenheim, since the Labour Government decommissioned them in 2001.
The deal, which includes engines and spare parts, depends on approval by the US State Department.
"This is the resolution of what has been a long process,'' Dr Mapp said.
"It is expected that JDI Holdings, which intends to fly the Skyhawks, will take delivery of the planes within six months.''
Dr Mapp also announced that the Aermacchis and Strikemasters, no longer needed by the RNZAF, would go to aviation museums around New Zealand.
The Labour Government had all 17 Skyhawks jets on the books at $NZ155 million in 2005 and said a deal had been done with a US aviation training provider to sell them, but this fell through because of the time it took for the State Department to grant approval.
Stephen Hoadley, associate professor of political studies at the University of Auckland, told Newstalk ZB today that, given this figure, the current sale was not a very good deal.
Mr Hoadley said the company which secured the deal, Ernst & Young, would also get a finders fee of about $1m, and there would be legal fees of about $300,000.
"You subtract all the maintenance costs and the transfer costs from the purchase price, New Zealand is actually paying money to send these aircraft off to JDI Holdings.''
The other nine Skyhawks of the original fleet of 17 have been permanently loaned to museums around New Zealand and one museum in Australia.
Aermacchis will go to six aviation museums, with a further three museums still to confirm their acceptance.
Some Aermacchis will stay at the RNZAF's Ground Training Wing in Woodbourne and may be used as non-flying training aids replacing the Strikemasters used for that purpose.
One Strikemaster will be offered to MOTAT, and three to other museums.
In December, Dr Mapp said the Skyhawks and 17 Aermacchis had cost $34m to store and maintain since they were decommissioned, NZPA reported in April.
Updated 1:07 PM Wednesday Nov 16, 2011
Expand The eight remaining Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Skyhawks have finally been flogged off, albeit for a fraction of the amount they were previously to be sold for and the millions it has cost to keep in a saleable condition since they were grounded 10 years ago.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp has announced that United States company JDI Holdings is going to pay $NZ7.9 million for the aircraft, which have been gathering dust at Woodbourne, Blenheim, since the Labour Government decommissioned them in 2001.
The deal, which includes engines and spare parts, depends on approval by the US State Department.
"This is the resolution of what has been a long process,'' Dr Mapp said.
"It is expected that JDI Holdings, which intends to fly the Skyhawks, will take delivery of the planes within six months.''
Dr Mapp also announced that the Aermacchis and Strikemasters, no longer needed by the RNZAF, would go to aviation museums around New Zealand.
The Labour Government had all 17 Skyhawks jets on the books at $NZ155 million in 2005 and said a deal had been done with a US aviation training provider to sell them, but this fell through because of the time it took for the State Department to grant approval.
Stephen Hoadley, associate professor of political studies at the University of Auckland, told Newstalk ZB today that, given this figure, the current sale was not a very good deal.
Mr Hoadley said the company which secured the deal, Ernst & Young, would also get a finders fee of about $1m, and there would be legal fees of about $300,000.
"You subtract all the maintenance costs and the transfer costs from the purchase price, New Zealand is actually paying money to send these aircraft off to JDI Holdings.''
The other nine Skyhawks of the original fleet of 17 have been permanently loaned to museums around New Zealand and one museum in Australia.
Aermacchis will go to six aviation museums, with a further three museums still to confirm their acceptance.
Some Aermacchis will stay at the RNZAF's Ground Training Wing in Woodbourne and may be used as non-flying training aids replacing the Strikemasters used for that purpose.
One Strikemaster will be offered to MOTAT, and three to other museums.
In December, Dr Mapp said the Skyhawks and 17 Aermacchis had cost $34m to store and maintain since they were decommissioned, NZPA reported in April.
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They where a bloody great machine:
But wrong for NZ:
NZ defence budgets should have contributed too, and had crews assigned to the RAAF:
In a time of conflict, the airfields they (Scooters) need, or would have been suitable to operate from, would be wiped out along with power generation and communications in the first instances:
NZ topography consists of thousands of strips about the country in the most obscure of places:
NZ needs, Rotory wing, Logistical Transports, and a bunch of BRONCOS, able to land and T/o from any strips:
Any conflict in NZ will be dictated by its topography, hence it would be a huge guerrilla action from remote and on the move assemblies:
Fu 24's with rocket pods is not such a stupid idea:
Any aerial conflict in NZ would be Low level, apart from the high level incoming damage affecting nasties:
As much as I liked the things and would love to have one on my strip, they where as un necessary , as was the burden on the tax payer:
Chr's
H/Snort:
NZ defence budgets should have contributed too, and had crews assigned to the RAAF:
In a time of conflict, the airfields they (Scooters) need, or would have been suitable to operate from, would be wiped out along with power generation and communications in the first instances:
NZ topography consists of thousands of strips about the country in the most obscure of places:
NZ needs, Rotory wing, Logistical Transports, and a bunch of BRONCOS, able to land and T/o from any strips:
Any conflict in NZ will be dictated by its topography, hence it would be a huge guerrilla action from remote and on the move assemblies:
Fu 24's with rocket pods is not such a stupid idea:
Any aerial conflict in NZ would be Low level, apart from the high level incoming damage affecting nasties:
As much as I liked the things and would love to have one on my strip, they where as un necessary , as was the burden on the tax payer:
Chr's
H/Snort:
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The deal, which includes engines and spare parts, depends on approval by the US State Department.
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' IMHO we have not had a creditable strike capability since the end of the Vietnam war!'
What about all the fibreglass waka's and sharp sticks?? that should be enough to scare away any baddies, and be ethnicallly and politically correct enough to even make uncle Helen happy.
What about all the fibreglass waka's and sharp sticks?? that should be enough to scare away any baddies, and be ethnicallly and politically correct enough to even make uncle Helen happy.
