Old aircraft keep going… and going…

[Swoop]

Bugger it, time to dredge a thread to enliven things around here.


A great little film that showed some sense of humour back in '53!

[Swoop]

Well, it seems the Orion fleet has come to the end of its life.

NZ has placed an order for (up to four) P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft to re-equip with. Commonality with Australia might have influenced this, since they operate this type now too.
A very capable airframe. A bit pricey though - but labour will probably come along and see them as "too war-ey" and fuck everything up.

[pritch]

but labour will probably come along and see them as "too war-ey" and fuck everything up.

Maybe not. I can't recall mention of an Orion actually finding a submarine in a warlike situation. Can remember hearing many mentions on the news of rescue missions though. Presumably rescue is good.

Peacekeeping is OK too, even when there was no peace to keep and peacemakers might have been a better term. Of course the hard left would be happier with no military at all.

[Zedder]

Illegal fishing reduction Indonesian style:http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/...eId=USRTX33UDI

[jasonu]

Well, it seems the Orion fleet has come to the end of its life.

NZ has placed an order for (up to four) P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft to re-equip with. Commonality with Australia might have influenced this, since they operate this type now too.
A very capable airframe. A bit pricey though - but labour will probably come along and see them as "too war-ey" and fuck everything up.

The chances of Labor getting any power to do anything in the foreseeable future is unlikely.

[Banditbandit]

Of course the hard left would be happier with no military at all.

Why would you think that? All Communist countries have large armies ..

The chances of Labor getting any power to do anything in the foreseeable future is unlikely.

But getting more likely each passing hour ..

[pritch]

Why would you think that? All Communist countries have large armies ..

Ah yes but the loony left here haven't noticed that. There have been people in Parliament here who have stated their aim was to have no military. Just as there are people there who think there should be no guns at all, and yet others who would like to do away with motorcycles.

Fortunately the lunatic fringe don't usually get too much say.

[Swoop]

It's interesting to see that the P-8 does not meet RAF requirements.
There is insufficient tea-making facilities aboard!

Also, the microwave makes a "ting!" sound that is exactly the same as detecting something on the system's radar, meaning great excitement by the radar plotter which is followed by even greater excitement in working out his pie is now at an edible temperature!

But getting more likely each passing hour ..

Not at this precise hour though, as the emergency meeting to sort out the list MP's seems to have unravelled another bout of in-fighting.

[R650R]

Is the P3 still available new, googled and found they had wing remanufacturing available in 2015.
Cant see the logic in operating a two engine jet in marine environment safety wise. Jets are efficient at high altitudes.
Most of our P3 work is at low altitude doing resue sAR which props are good for.

[FJRider]

... Fortunately the lunatic fringe don't usually get too much say.

They do in these forums ...

[FJRider]

Maybe not. I can't recall mention of an Orion actually finding a submarine in a warlike situation. Can remember hearing many mentions on the news of rescue missions though. Presumably rescue is good.

They do / can ... find a few subs "in warlike situations" ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fincastle_competition

But Fisheries patrol is their main tasking. The 200 km declared waters of NZ takes a bit of guarding ...

They do plenty of searches for missing boats at sea ... and usually the first to go looking if one is reported missing. Or a distress call has been heard.

Of course the hard left would be happier with no military at all.

But who do they call to haul their asses out of a disaster zone ... ???

[Swoop]

Cant see the logic in operating a two engine jet in marine environment safety wise. Jets are efficient at high altitudes.
Most of our P3 work is at low altitude doing resue sAR which props are good for.

I wondered that some years ago too.
The "loiter time" could be an issue, but the jet can get to an area much quicker at altitude and then descend to the search area, meaning that time on-station is essentially the same.
Low level work isn't an issue, as many countries have found out with the P-8.

[pritch]

They do / can ... find a few subs "in warlike situations" ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fincastle_competition

But Fisheries patrol is their main tasking. The 200 km declared waters of NZ takes a bit of guarding ...

Spoken like a politician.

The primary role of any military force is not to do exercises, although the exercises are good while waiting for the main event. Those exercises probably didn't involve any japanese squid boats either.

The Orion is designed to be a submarine hunting aircraft. Fisheries patrolling? They could probably be used to move a VIP too, but that is not what they are for.

[FJRider]

Spoken like a politician.

The primary role of any military force is not to do exercises, although the exercises are good while waiting for the main event. Those exercises probably didn't involve any japanese squid boats either.

The Orion is designed to be a submarine hunting aircraft. Fisheries patrolling? They could probably be used to move a VIP too, but that is not what they are for.

They are to be whatever the government of the day .. decides they can and will do for the benefit of all tax paying citizens of NZ. I have ridden in an Orion ... and the politicians (or other VIP's) would prefer a 757. If one is airworthy when they want to fly.

They did send an Orion to the Gulf at one stage ... and did you know the Orion is nuclear capable .. ??

To train for "The Main Event" ... those exercises are required. The sub hunting exercises are training for the sub crews too ... and they do their best not to get found.

[pete376403]

Just watched the Last Flight of the Vulcan Bomber with Guy Martin. He gets around some nice stuff. Magnificent plane, from an era when Britain could still do stuff. [in 1992, the RAF sold off the last airworthy Vulcan, XH558, and it was bought for £25,000 by a private owner]
Guy Martin: Twenty-five thousand pounds! You do think, initially "God. Pay £25,000 and get a Vulcan bomber. Great." But then you've got to think "How am I gonna explain that to the missus".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5256700/