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The First 14 Years of Kiwi Skyhawk Operations 1969-1983 Most of these photos aren't mine. Most are credited to the owner. If these credits are incorrect please advise me. |
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_Official_New_A-4K_and_TA-4K_USA_1970.JPG) |
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RNZAF Skyhawks on a Pre Delivery test flight in the USA (Boeing (Mc-Donnell-Douglas) | ||
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These photos show RNZAF Skyhawks at Cecil Field in 1970. (USN Official & Pat Leggitt, colour) . |
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This series of photos show the new aircraft on the deck of USS Okinawa.
This is how they were delivered to New Zealand. (RNZAF Official & Pat Leggitt, colour). Pat was one of the 6 RNZAF personnel who travelled with the aircraft to New Zealand |
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The Skyhawks were off loaded from USS Okinawa and towed through Auckland , up the motorway to RNZAF Base Whenuapai. A small group of protesters welcomed the aircraft on their arrival, urban legend has it that one of the protests was a certain Ms H Clark (I don't know whether that is true, I suspect it's an urban myth). The last shot shows after the protective coating has been removed. (RNZAF Official). |
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Skyhawks on the line outside 75 Sqn Hangar. (Colour Pat Leggitt, B & W RNZAF Official) |
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Vampires, Bristol Freighter and Canberras with the new A-4Ks (RNZAF Official) |
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Some shots of A-4s being maintained (RNZAF Official). |
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Early RNZAF A-4 Operations (RNZAF Official) | |
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First arrested landing (RNZAF Official) | |
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RNZAF A-4Ks and a British AVRO Vulcan in 1971. (RNZAF Official) |
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RN Blackburn Buccaneers from HMS Eagle attack Ohakea with RNZAF A-4Ks . RNZAFA-4Ks over fly HMS Eagle in Wellington. (RN Blackburn Buccaneers from HMS Eagle attack Ohakea with RNZAF A-4Ks (RNZAF Official) | ||
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RNZAF and RAN Skyhawks during Tasman Exercise 1975 (RNZAF Official) |
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RAAF Mirage, F-111, with RAN A-4Gs and RNZAF A-4Ks during Exercise Spanish Dollar 1975(RNZAF Official) |
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Remnants of NZ6207, and 14'Sqn's take on the accident. (RNZAF Official) | ||
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The 1st and 2nd show an A-4 that was towed over grass and the 3rd a buddy store drogue that wouldn't let go. (RNZAF Official) | |
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The RNZAF deployed their A-4s far and wide throughout their long career. From the earliest days they regularly deployed to Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. Other destinations included the Philippines, Indonesia and even Hawaii prior to the ANZUS rift in 1984. These photos show A-'s operating and being maintained on some of these deployments. (RNZAF Official via John Guinan) |
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RAAF F-111's with RNZAF Strikemasters and A-4Ks near Ohakea 1975 (RNZAF Official) |
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Skyhawks armed and being loaded with various weapons.
Note: some pf these shots may not actually be in the time frame
for this page. (RNZAF Official) |
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In 1976 a A-4K was called on to stop a Taiwanese Squid boat that had been fishing illegally in NZ waters. (RNZAF Official) | |
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Exercise RAAF Amberley Oct 1976 (RNZAF Official) | |
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Triad 1976 ((RNZAF Official) |
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(RNZAF Official) |
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Exercise RAAF Butterworth 1978 (RNZAF Official) | |
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NZ6208 with the nose gear retracted. The handle was left in the up position, when power and Hydraulics' came on, up when the nose leg. After this the gear pin was always left in until the engine was started. (RNZAF Official) | |
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NZ6204, (Source Unknown) | |
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Exercise RIMPAC 1978(RNZAF Official) | |
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1. RNZAF Strikemasters as seen through a
Skyhawk Minipan camera. 2. In 1978 the RNZAF sunk the burnt out freighter Kemphann. 3. F-15A and A-4Ks(RNZAF Official) |
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Exercise Kangaroo 81. 75 Sqn operated from RAAF Townsville. Obviously there was not OH & S in those days :-) (RNZAF Official) |
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NZ6253 was the RNZAF's 2nd Skyhawk lost. It Crashed 25/03/81 in Ruahine Ranges, North Island NZ, unfortunately with the loss of it's pilot. (RNZAF Official) | ||
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(RNZAF Official) |
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75 Sqn Aerobatic Team 1981 and 1983 (RNZAF Official) |
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RNZAF A-4Ks at Nowra in the early 1980's. Who would have thought then that they'd back there for 10 years, 1991-2001 (Dave Masterson) | |
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The first three show NZ6204
loaded with 16 Mk81 and Mk82 GP bombs, (5 Mk81s on each of
stations 2 & 4 and 6 Mk82s on station 3), unfortunately the Mk81s on stations 1 & 5 had been removed before Des got to the aircraft. (Des Sullivan) |
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Photo's 1 and 2 show RN Sea Harriers at
Ohakea. (RNZAF Official) Photo 3 is RMAF and RNZAF personnel at Butterworth (RMAF Photo) Photo 4 is a night time recruiting photo. (RNZAF Official) |
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Photos 1 and 2 show 75 Sqn Line cicra
1982.(RNZAF Official) Photo 3 shows a RAAF Canberra on it's delivery flight to the RNZAF Museum. (RNZAF Official) Photo 4 shows 3 RNZAF A-4Ks over Mount Taranaki (Egmont) (Ross Ewing) |
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This site is owned by Calum Gibson |
