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The
RNZAF McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk 1970 – 1997 |
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Kiwi Red |
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1990
Kiwi Red Team
In true military professionalism, within two days of the accident the remaining five members were back in the air as an RNZAF Court of Inquiry was convened under Wing Commander Bruce Ferguson. An immediate ban was place on the continued practise or use of the roll-under-break manoeuvre and not withstanding the findings of this military court an announcement made that the 1990 Kiwi Red display schedule was to be maintained. No sooner airborne when once again the glare of publicity focused on Base Ohakea and the Kiwi Red Aerobatic Team. In what would have normally have passed as a precautionary escorted landing by Red Six following a suspected bird strike on this occasion featured on the television national network news. Returning to base after completing this day’s session the four members of the team performed a brief display for those assemble below. Within a week fellow squadron member Flying Officer Craig Mitchell was selected to fill the position of Red 4. Protected on this occasion from the blaze of publicity suddenly focused on the team the new member was worked into the team. Initially being made comfortable working in the close proximity demanded by the aerobatic routines in four aircraft formations then the entire six jet routine. Back as a six man team for the first time since the October crash, November 6 also provided a first for Red 4, Flight Lieutenant Mitchell, in being his first performance over home Base Ohakea as a member of the Kiwi Red aerobatic team. Congratulations from fellow team members greeted him following this display. The training now in full swing continued, Commander Bates building the trust so vital in making team aerobatics work successfully. On Friday 17 November modifications to the drop tank of the Skyhawk were successfully tested at Base Ohakea. A modification, which would enable the aircraft to fly inverted with the familiar display smoke. The Motorcycle races at Manfield over the weekend the of the 18th and 19th of November saw the Kiwi Reds airborne over the racetrack on the Sunday with overcast conditions restricting the performance to the flat show. Following this performance, a reception that stunned the pilots of the team. Accepting an invitation to return to the track, the pilots were driven on a lap of honour in the rear of a utility before a cheering crowd. Friday 30 November Kiwi Red meets the nations press on their home turf with photo opportunities, interviews and presentation of the flying display.
With the Kahu Update programme accounting for a number of Skyhawks out of active duty, the loss of a further two aircraft became a major drain on Air Force resources while maintaining a six aircraft aerobatic team. Its was therefore necessary to transfer NZ6211 to Base Woodbourne for urgent repair; a task which was successfully achieved by the Repair Maintenance staff having the aircraft returned to Ohakea by mid-January 1990. In 1988 Wing Commander Frank Sharps Kiwi Red team had
performed their routine from the Australian Bi-centennial Airshow
during the lunch time break at the Nissan Mobil 500 Wellington Waterfront Race
and in 1989 the current team staged a return performance over the weekend 2 /
3 December. The original plan was for the Kiwi Red party ,
consisting of eight aircraft and thirty seven personnel to deploy to On the Friday the 10:30am display over the The weather forecast proved accurate and as television audiences joined the team for the first time in this performance season Red 1 brought the team over the display area in wild conditions to complete the six ship bomb burst. Shortly thereafter the Wing Commander was forced to abandon the display and return to Base Ohakea. With this flurry of activity behind them the team's practise sessions out of Ohakea continued, such was the intensity of activity that even the Christmas holiday period barely caused a reduction in the training schedule necessary to keep the team at the very pinnacle of performance standards for the very large undertaking of the forthcoming year. Thursday January 18 saw the team transit north in a brief trip to Base Whenuapai, with NZ 6262 as a photoship, for a PR sortie over Auckland Harbour and on their return to Base Ohakea later that day a flypast by the ‘vic’ of five over Mount Smart Stadium.
That evening the full dressed rehearsal for the
Commonwealth Games opening ceremony brought the team back over Spectacularly completed they withdrew from the public eye
for two days of practice; to return in their full glory at 7:45am on
Wednesday morning with the entire 15 minute routine amidst the cultural
festivities on the Wednesday night at the opening of the Commonwealth Games was to hold in store not only one of the major highlights of the evening but the entire tour. The 'vic' of five aircraft in the pitch black evening sky, landing and navigation lights ablaze, trailing white display smoke which reflected the lights as they swept over the packed Mount Smart Stadium at 500 feet and at 700 miles per hour. The plan for the Kiwi Red's participation in the evening’s proceedings had been to lay a smoke screen over the stadium upon which a laser display would be shown, however, on the night the laser show was cut from the programme which was running late. To achieve the smoke screen the chosen formation was that of 'vic' utilising five aircraft, this choice also meant that the sixth man was able to passenger with Red 1 to assist in the difficult tasks of navigating and arrival timing over Mount Smart Stadium. The Television One commentators exclamation "What a show this is !!" as he appeared lost for words summing up "the magic of this moment." By now Kiwi Red was on a roll, with Wednesday’s performances still vivid in everyone's memory they were strutting their stuff again over Base Whenuapai in front of base personnel, the television cameras and the public, officially starting their 1990 Tour. Both TV One Network News and the Holmes Show could not resist the magic and carried major items on these magnificent men in their flying machines. Over the following days the team was to establish what became the pattern of the roadshow - tiki tours overflying as many towns as possible in low level formation using display smoke to paint the skies in patterns unique to aerobatic display teams. Medium centres received some special attention with a number of aerobatic manoeuvres and for the main centres or special events when the weather permitted the full fifteen minute routine. For those days where low cloud restricted the routine a back up performance or 'flat display' was available in their repertoire. January 26 the Kiwi Red road show, including the two spare
aircraft NZ 6252 and NZ 6256, left Base Whenuapai
transiting to Two tours on the the following day brought a cameo performance at Tauranga, and over Te Puke followed in the afternoon by appearances over Raglan, Te Kuiti, Tokoroa and the Hauraki Plains. Finally, on Sunday the 28th, after witnessing the teams comings and goings Hamilton witnessed the Kiwi Red display.On the fifth of the deployment the team returned north to Base Whenuapai along a route that followed State Highway One. The closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Saturday February the 3rd brought Kiwi Red back over Mount Smart Stadium. On this occasion display commentator Flt Lt Jackson flew in the rear seat of NZ 6256 assisting Red 1 in navigation to the stadium. In the yellow fading evening light the team arrived, holding a tight altas formation the six A-4'spulled up into the vertical directly over the stadium. Topping out at about 7,000ft each team member rolling his aircraft onto its back and heading to the different points of the compass in a perfect bomb burst. Still the events in Monday February 5, a working day between the weekend and New Zealand's National Day saw the pilots of the 75th still on duty, on this occasion with an approximately one hour sortie to present the display to Orewa. Final feature of this leg of the tour and final
intentional live television appearance had the team in an airborne deployment
to Waitangi on Tuesday February the 6th. This year’s celebration took
on a special significance being the 150th anniversary of the original signing
and included an attendance by Queen Elizabeth II. Usually a predominantly
Navy affair the 1990 remembrance included a
additional pageantry and speech making, and to show the flag for the Royal Vacating Waitangi airspace Kiwi Red returned for the last time to Base Whenuapai to refuel before undertaking the one hour return journey to home base Ohakea.
February 12 and the team were airborne again with daily
practices of approximately one hours duration over the next three day period.
As well as the normal team practise on the Tuesday, popular Radio New The Royal New Zealand Aero Club Championships and Pageant at the Richard Pearce Airport near Timaru saw the Kiwi Reds departing Ohakea for a short deployment to Christchuch from where they would provide the highlight performance in what was already a very spectacular line up and presentation by the Royal New Zealand Air Force.On the transit flight south on Friday 16th Corporal Nixon was tasked with the taking of air-to-air shots of the team. Runway loading limitations prevented the use of the Timaru facilities and the team operated out of Christchuch. After the display however, the pilots were
transported back to Timaru by an The 50 minute flight to return to Ohakea was undertaken on Sunday 18th. The planned display over Wanganui to follow the practise session on Wednesday 21 February was called off when at the last minute when one of theSkyhawks, NZ 6204 piloted by Red 3 developed a flying control problem. Abandoning the trip Red 3 accompanied by Red 5 returned to Base Ohakea for an uneventful landing. With only six aircraft on the squadron and a six ship routine an aircraft going 'u/s' created, although temporary, an insurmountable problem. The next day however all six aircraft were back in the skies again this time undertaking an hour long tiki tour. Sorties out of Ohakea saw the team undertaking a display over Taupo before returning to complete the display they had been unable to perform over Wanganui on the 23th The 24th saw displays over Woodville, as part of the Woodville Festival, Bulls as part of the Bulls Anniversary Celebrations and Appiti on the 24th. A two break over the 25th and 26th was followed up a by a 40 minute practise session prior to returning to the 'road' and undertaking cameo's at Wairou and Napier on the 27th. The last day of February saw the presentation of displays to Hastings and Dannevirke in a one hour sortie ex-Base Ohakea. On March 1 and 2 the team executed another two sorties of approximately one hours duration each to take the performances to New Plymouth and Marton respectively. Accompanying the trip on the 1st were Flying Officer Nicholls piloting NZ 6252, with Flight Lieutenant Jackson in the backseat to video the display. The re-scheduled New Zealand Warbirds
Airshow at On this occasion the
Delta Dirty
Pass (Invercargill) After a week in which two one hour practice sorties were flown on March 7 and 11 it was back to the capital. The itinerary had planned a display for the Crippled Childrens Association at Palmerston North on the 10th, this display was however cancelled and the team did not fly on that day. Originally it had been planned for Kiwi Red to display as
part of the Wellington Sesi-Centennial Carnival on
Sunday 11 March. The carnival had however collapsed in the week leading up to
this event but it was decided to proceed with the Kiwi Red display. But once
again the
Tuesday March 13 saw the commencement of what must have been one of the most ambitious tours undertaken by the R.N.Z.A.F and its McDonnell Douglas Skyhawks. This deployment would see them operating from a number of civilian airfields with no military facilities under circumstances that would require the aircraft to be maintained to top standards for their daily performances. Tuesday the team made a very welcome arrival at Invercargill storming in after a one and a half hour flight from Ohakea with a short 'hello' to the Southland city and on Wednesday morning, despite heavy overhead cloud the team shattered the early morning peace as the rumble of six J-57 engines reverberated beneath the cloud as the team departed for half hour tiki tour of the district. Along for the ride was a reporter from the Southland Times who was to later report brought the short display over Balclutha had brought the entire town to a halt. The cloudy conditions persisted as the team departed
Prior to leaving Invercargill NZ 6204 went unserviceable and in a quick change of arrangements Red 3 joined Red 1 in NZ 6252 for the trip to Dunedin. Rapid maintenance by the ground crew enabled Flt Lt Jackson to bring ‘04’ to Dunedin later in the day as FO Nicholls delivered ‘08’ down to Dunedin. Problems with 04 forced a delay in the 12:30pm planned
performance in 11:05am March 16, the team departed Arriving over Wigram Air Base at 11:50 Kiwi Red was able to present a special performance before the Royal Air Force Chief of Air Staff , Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Harding who was currently touring the country. Good news travels fast so they say, and this was proven as numerous members of the public lined the security fences to catch this additional show. Later in the day Flight Lieutenant Keightly
made a return journey to Dunedin to deliver a small part that was able to get
the stranded ‘04’ airborne again. Flying Officer Nicholls
delivered the troublesome aircraft to Saturday March 17 Base Woodbourne hosted the 'Ultrascan Appeal Airshow' and
once again Kiwi Red was to provide the star turn of a very polished R.N.Z.A.F
contribution to this community fund raising event. The anticipation and
warmth of welcome being evident from the moment the team stormed up the
valley mid-morning close on the heals of Air New Zealands special flightseeing
737 also from Sunday March 18 was a big aviation day for ‘04’ was again proving troublesome requiring addition work before receiving the all clear on Monday the 19th. Also accompanying the team on this day was NZ 6255 flown by Flying Officer Nicholls and passenger Mr McLeod of ProVideo to obtain air-to-air action for the planned video documentary ‘KIWI RED - Six Of The Best". Monday saw a scheduled stand down, for the aircrews at
least before returning to public displaying on Tuesday March 20 as the team
presented cameos and flypasts in Northern Canterbury in the morning and Meanwhile Kiwi Red undertook a cameo display over Hokitika and Final display of the
With the highly successful tour of the mainland behind them, Kiwi Red departed Base Woodbourne to undertake the final performances of the 1990 tour. Weather permitting; this would include a presentation of the display to the capital city. Deploying back to Ohakea the team and associated entourage were soon on the moved again, on this occasion to Gisborne on Sunday March 25 for the final airshow of the season. Arriving over the airfield the team slipped into their segment of the program treating the gathered crowds to another spell display in weather conditions that once again permitted execution of the full routine. Landing post display the team remained overnight prior to undertaking the forty minute flight to Ohakea. Third time lucky the old saying goes and on this occasion
it proved to be true. Determined to show the capital the spectacle of the
latest Kiwi Red routine the team squeezed another display into their schedule
on Wednesday the 28th. As the television news broadcasts were to later to
report, the capital ground to a halt to gaze up at the aerial ballet.
Television cameras at the Richard Hadlee Benefit
Cricket match at the Basin Reserve turned skyward as the Skyhawks
cavorted overhead, and international carillonist Milford Myhre
was forced to postpone his performance for 20 minutes. Around the city every
vantage point was occupied for a display which was described as the best yet,
Appropriately the final performances for Kiwi Red came on Friday March 30 over RNZAF Base Ohakea and then again on Saturday March 31st as part of the 75 Squadron Reunion, an opportunity for the modern day pilots of the 75th to display their skills to their squadron forefathers. As well as those gathered for this reunion the general public were invited on to the base to view this final performance, an opportunity that was not to be missed by many enthusiasts and 'Kiwi Red fans'. After the final fan-break of the display, and ultimately that of the 1990 Kiwi Red Aerobatic Team, Wing Commander Bates called the team together again for a final fly past - the missing man formation - a tribute to a lost comrade.
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Meetings |
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The A-4K Skyhawk |
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Created : Thursday, 01 January 2009 |
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The Show
Rolls On
Once
again over the 
Wednesday
they bid farewell to Invercargill and headed for 
