A-4K Skyhawk Refuels Another Skyhawk Fighter Air-To-Air
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2016
- Due to New Zealand's relative isolation, the RNZAF's No 75 Squadron McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawks would periodically travel immense distances for their deployments. Former squadron Commanding Officer John Lanham describes how visitors to the squadron headquarters would often be 'gobsmacked' at the fact that the unit could relatively easily deply over distances greater than that of the UK to eastern Siberia.
In the late 1960's the Royal New Zealand Air Force was looking to upgrade its strike force which at the time consisted of de Havilland Vampire FB5 fighter-bomber jets. Air Force personnel were hopeful that the New Zealand Goverment would purchase a two-seat, twin engine aircraft that would provide good strike capabilities, with a good range to ensure that New Zealand's relative isolation did not impact the effectiveness of the force. The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom was one option that the Air Force favoured while other types such as the Blackburn Buccaneer were also considered.
In 1970, somewhat unexpectedly, the Government informed the Air Force that they would be purchasing McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk aircraft to replace the ageing de Havilland Vampire fleet. Given that the Skyhawk was a small delta wing, single seat and single engine aircraft this lead to considerable consternation within the Air Force, who were concerned that it was not a good fit for the force.
However, in typical 'Kiwi can-do' style the Air Force adopted the new aircraft, and then proceeded to operate them very successfully for over 30 years. Periodically during this period No 75 Squadron would be required to deploy to locations outside of New Zealand, and the Kiwi pilots became very adept at flying their aircraft over vast distances, often to the amazement of onlookers from other countries military forces.
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As I understand, 75 Squadron was the first to do aerobatic displays at air shows with two aircraft linked with a refuelling line.
The A4 could be called back to service to relieve the F15, F16, A10s. And thus taking the pressure off the budget to buy new multi million dollar aircraft.
Still waiting for those f16s 😢
I was in RNZAF just when Labor announced they were scrapping it.... worse day of my career that soon after ceased with the RNZAF
I heard many RNZAF pilots joined the RAF and RAAF after they heard that the F-16s were cancelled.
@@e0o9kii A RAAF FA-18 put on a display at the Classic Fighters Omaka air show at Easter. Low altitude tight turns on afterburners - not good for the tinnitus, no it is not - followed by a run across the airfield at 300 feet and barely subsonic then a vertical, rolling climb to 15,000 feet to end the display.
I was sitting in the stand surrounded by enthusiastic Australians, one of whom said he had never seen a FA-18 put on a display like that in Australia.
It probably helped that the the pilot, who is also the squadron CO, is a New Zealander and ex Skyhawk pilot.
I miss seeing these jets screaming past I remember hunting once and being on a ridge then all of a sudden one of these screamed by as he banked I was looking down at the piolet he was so low
Ah the old school days when jets used to fly everywhere! Especially off the southern NSW coast. Now its like they dont even exist unless your at an airshow...
Thank you John Lanham.. awesome vid👍
Glad you enjoyed it
It's a pity New Zealand scrapped its fighter/attack capability. This otherwise great air force needs back this capability, there are plenty of low cost options out there such as the Textron Scorpion.
Am I right when I say the RNZAF has no ground attack aircraft? If so why didn't the government acquire some T-6 Texan wolverines together with those eleven T-6 B trainers?! I mean yeah they aren't exactly fighters but at least you can hit ground targets. The RNAF has turned into a mockery despite the proficiency and enthusiasm of all its members to serve and protect New Zealand and abroad . They and New Zealand as a whole deserve the honor and assurance of knowing they have the tools to actually fulfill this task.
While I do support the RNZAF buying those new T-6C Texan II trainers, I don't see the point in getting trainer planes if the RNZAF doesn't have combat planes as well.
The point of having trainer planes is to make them accustomed to flying so they can transition to actual combat planes like the F-16s (which the RNZAF were about to get until Labour cancelled it), the F-18s or JAS 39s.
Also, I think the T-6C Texan IIs the RNZAF ordered were unarmed.
Yep totally agree. Hope a reformation of a strike force is on the agenda. With the army getting the new LMT MARS-L and their new marksman rifle and cammo.. thought the air force would be first on the list. Yeah it got new trainers..but um..why trainers?! we had those already! :-(
The reason for the purchase of the T-6C Texan II is because after the upgrades to the C-130s and P-3s and the purchase of the NH90s the difference in technology between the CT-4 Airtrainer and the rest of the fleet was too great. The digital cockpit of the Texan allows pilots to train to a level where the step up to the operational squadrons is easier and more familiar
Very cool video and very cool aircraft, i saw one of these at the Oakland Aviation Museum, sadly it wasn't open cockpit day and the plane had no engine :\
Some of the New Zealand Skyhawks have been dispersed to various museums around the country but the one on display in the foyer of the RNZAF Museum at Wigram is on long term loan from the US Navy. It was officially handed over by Captain Pete Conrad, who commanded Apollo 12 and has been modified to represent a Skyhawk that crashed near Bulls on 18 October 1974 after suffering an engine failure in the Ohakea circuit. Wing Commander Fred Kinvig ejected but broke his leg on landing. So the story goes, the engine failed because of an improperly assembled oil pump and the fitter who had overhauled the pump could not be called to account as he had fallen off a mountain somewhere in the South Island.
The display aircraft has no engine to reduced the loads on the concrete floor and the weapons pods fitted are fibreglass.
Auntie Helen's gone now, get some fighters back.
She should go down in history as achieving something that the Luftwaffe, Imperial Japanese Air Force and various other brush fire conflict air forces could not. The destruction of the combat wing of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Love it 👍❤
I wish I got to see a skyhawk. I was born after they were removed.
Look in museums - that's where some of them are, now.
Every year around August they used to fly over Waihi on the north island very fast, usually 2 days in a row. I remember one year 2 A4's did mid-air refueling over Waihi. Growing up in NZ in the 80's and 90's Skyhawks were a regular sight.
I'm not understanding something here. Why have a Skyhawk tanker for the squadron instead of having the individual elements of the squadron carry external fuel tanks?
Could be a situation where the strike aircraft need to carry external weapon stores for a mission and therefore cannot carry external tanks as well. A 'buddy' A4 tanker can then be used to keep up with the strike force, then suitably re-fuel them at some point throughout the mission in order to ensure they have the necessary range to complete the mission with the other external stores.
That's about what I thought. So this tanker wouldn't necessarily refuel the whole squadron, but the various elements that had to take more of a weight penalty in bombs than gas. Thanks for the response.
Am I the only one who heard something funny at 1:40?
Interviewee's cell phone notification! :-(