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By: - 19th April 2012 at 20:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Photos of NZ6255 (the ex RAN Skyhawk) at Christchurch airport this week:
http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Airshows&action=display&thread=16076&page=1
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By: Daniel - 19th April 2012 at 14:51
In April 2012 a few historical movements have taken place at HMAS Albatross , the Royal Australian Navy's base for its air operations. The base located at Nowra south of Sydney, is also home to the Fleet Air Arm Museum (FAA) and houses a large diverse and interesting aircraft and helicopters, dating from WW1 to current.
In early April the delivery from a nearby hangar to the museum of a Sea King Mk 50A helicopter callsign Shark 07, took place thus honoring the work undertaken by the Sea Kings of HS-817 Sqn from 1976 to 2011 - 35yrs. Shark 07 is in a grey scheme and represents its role at time of decommission. See the news here for photos of the move - http://www.faaaa.asn.au/index.htm
See some photos of Shark 07 and the last 2 other Sea Kings to fly at my webpage, when i visited HMAS Albatross and HS-817 Sqn on their 2nd last day of flying for a exclusive story for Australian Pilot magazine - last December 2012 - http://philbuckleytravels.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/sneak-peak-sea-king-retires.html
The other big museum move is the keenly awaited "return" happening April 20 via a C-17 Globeemaster, is the return home of a former RAN TA-4G Skyhawk fightrer bomber as once used to train the pilots for the RAN's A-4G Skyhawk. The Skyhawks were used aboard the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne which was sadly retied in early 1980s.
The RAN's Skyhawk fleet was retied in 1984 and all sold to New Zealand. Finally one has returned home to sit next to another A-4 already on display (actually a ex US Navy A-4B Skyhawk). The A-4B Skyhawk as a lease aircraft on display may be returned to the US Navy but no outcome been confirmed yet publicly.
See information here on the return - http://www.navy.gov.au/TA-4G_Skyhawk_arrival_at_HMAS_Albatross
The more interesting development which has been in the works for a while as confirmed elsewhere, is that the Royal Australian Navy is expecting to shortly hand over to the local aviation society - HARS Museum, the RAN's Historical Flight aircraft. This will to allow HARS to fly the RAN's heritage aircraft in the future with co-operation from the RAN. This new plan will be beneficial for both HARS and the RAN in a number of ways, thus preserving the RAN's flying heritage which includes a S-2G Tracker, C-47 Dakota, Fairey Firefly and others.