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Great to see our 1970s A4s with their avionics hump and SE Asia camouflage. I reckon our A4s looked much better with the hump.

NZ6201 A-4K 14084 Bu157904 N/A 16/06/70 First flight from Douglas factory at Long Beach on 10 November 1969. Arrived at Auckland aboard the helicopter carrier USS Okinawa on 17 May 1970 and towed by road to Whenuapai. Test flown at Whenuapai on 25 May 1970 before being ferried to No.75 Squadron, Ohakea. While on an exercise from RAAF Base, Williamtown on 26 June 1975 the aircraft suffered a disabling hydraulic failure. Although almost uncontrollable the US Navy exchange pilot, Captain Ed. Carter managed to land the aircraft safely. Awarded the AFC. Hit high tension power lines in the Buller Gorge on 19 March 2001 while on a low flying exercise and suffered damage to the tail. Emergency landing made at Woodbourne where the aircraft was later repaired. Took part in the farewell flyover of the North Island to commemorate the closure of the RNZAF Air Combat Force during the morning of 11 December 2001. Took part in the farewell flyover of the South Island to commemorate the closure of the RNZAF Air Combat Force during the afternoon of 11 December 2001. Took part in the final flypast at Ohakea to commemorate the disbandment of the RNZAF Air Combat Force on 13 December 2001. Flown from Ohakea to Woodbourne for storage on 17 December 2001. On display Classic Flyers Museum Mount Maunganui

Hi, could I use part of this footage inside my next video on my youtube channel? Thanks a lot 😊

Amazing that when these aircraft could at least have replaced the ancient Strikemasters at Ground Training Wing, some clown decided it was all too hard. Apparently they didn't want to change the existing training, but given the very tired state of the old Strikemasters, their hopeless manuals, and lack of spares, replacing them with the Macchi's should have been a no-brainer. This would have at least given the ground trainees something more modern than the totally steam driven Strikemasters with gaps in the instrument panels because they couldn't source replacement parts, and manuals up to date rather than looking like escapees from WW2. Some people in the RNZAF really weren't doing their jobs back then. Hope that has changed. The Strikemasters should have gone to museums, not the Macchi's.

kiwi skyhawks in the euro 1 pattern , all business , such a shame though one of the best strike wings on the planet and we dont have them anymore

So much talent, wasted when the ACF was disbanded. From the ground crew to the pilots, engineers, etc. Just because of a politicians hatred for the military.

Wheels up landing or no wheels landing due landing short of the runway on first approach?

All because one protestor who became the PM. I bet in her mind getting rid of the air combat capability in the RNZAF is her greatest achievement. Although she would never admit to it.

I have a fond ( at the time slightly alarming) memory of puttering south down the desert road in a Cessna 172, low level VFR on a rather murky day when from behind two A4s shot past close enough to hear them, they then turned up a valley to the east. I would have been reluctant to follow them up that valley at 100 kts, let alone at 400. Of course if there no exit visible they just pull back on the stick and go vertical, not an option in a C172.

I watched another RNZAF Skyhawk wheels-up landing at Townsville somewhere between '84-'86 - literally wheels-up. The Skyhawk tried to land on a very wet runway without a drag chute and flipped over. I was up on the wing of a Caribou refuelling it at the time on the 35 Sqn flight line.

The ole unipower was a bit late to the party...

Jessh I didnt know that happened!! Thanks!!

So sad we dropped our jet fighters :((

No doubt about it the New Zealand military are true professionals what ever branch they serve in. I still miss the sound of a jet fighter training over the forest while putting hay in the shed

Awesome! 👍✈️

Brilliant! Reckon our National party should reinstate our NZ strike wing!

Great clip! Some terrific shots, especially aerial shots.

Before David Lange and his anti nuclear policy

Is when they sold off their fleet?

It likely never got published as it promoted a capability that would very soon be thrown by the wayside. An obvious detractor to the short sighted leadership that idiotically championed a force structure without front line air power.

Why haven’t the National Party Governments since 2001 reversed the decision and restarted the squadron. What happened to leasing the F16s from the Americans. At least one squadron of fighters could compliment the Aussie fighter squadrons.

👍Don🏆

Well done Mr Beasley your engagement with the defence force in the 1980s has stuffed the military. A military that no one wishes to serve now.

Thankyou

NZ has a population roughly 20% the size of Australia's population. RAAF has around 100 jet fighters. Therefore, the RNZAF could commit to attaining a solid squadron of say 20 jet fighters, comprising 16 single, and 4 dual seat, or, 20 dual seat, increasing the role flexibilities of each unit. Perhaps the Rafale, orhold out for the British Tempest? Either way, would make for Australia/NZ to integrate more closely.

Made the Yankees look ordinary once.

I miss them so much.

💪🏽

Before the Kaha upgrade project

What flyers wow!

Now DRAKEN international owns this A4 I reckon 🤔❓

Funnily enough I cannot find "Soft as Sunlight" by Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull member) on youtube, go figure. Nice sound track for the tail end of that.

Thanks for this NIce soundtrack for bits of it; th-cam.com/video/5HDPenYIPtg/w-d-xo.html Thought I knew what tension was, til I got to the aar bit.

The ending of the video was pure magic.

I had a media flight in probably the mid 90's in one of these. It was the best thing I ever did in a g suit lol. All very low level Invercargill to Qtown, Te Anau, back up high & then strafed the Stewart Island school a few times, some aeros over Foveaux Straight and back to Invers in 55 Min. The Pilot was Brendon someone, I forget. Thanks bud

No no no. Kiwis used to fly. Then politics happend

Reminds me of the Impala jet trainer of the South African Air Force.?

Betrayed by our own government so many times. A bit angry and a bit sad.

So i learned how to fly this on DCS. i dont think "sophisticated" is the correct term for it lol

It is tragic, NZ hasn't done its share on defense. We stuffed ANZUS in 1987 thanks to Fats Lange, and Helen was more interested in turning the defense Budget into an Employment Programme for the Local Warriors from the North Island Iwis and it worked well in that regard. It is easy to look back and say that we a we are stuffed without ANZUS, China is knocking on Taiwan's Door and Putler and his PutiniZm regime is murdering people in Ukraine daily. The P 737 will improve our lot a great deal.!

With the world being what it is maybe we need to get some more fighters say a few F-18 Hornets and tack them on to the Aussie airforce.

DCS world brought me here.

Great group of pilots and support betrayed by the socialist Clark govt because we live in a benign enviroment yeah right !

NZ should reinstate it's srike wing 👍✈️🇳🇿

Awesome!... they ended up with Draken International 👍🇳🇿✈️

Thanks mate👍🇳🇿

I spent a week with 75 Sqn.. Skyhawk is a cool plane.. I think we should reinstate the Strike Wing... The Skyhawks ended up with Draken. International.👍

Thanks for this... I just been watching the series Test Pilot.. Steve Moore was on the course👍🇳🇿

It's over!!!

Our strike squadrons betrayed by the socialist Clark govt we live in a benign enviroment yeah right!