Airforce

In early 1981, Joanie Barclay, wife of the then Squadron Leader Jim Barclay, a Royal New Zealand Air Force exchange pilot with the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing (31 TFW) at United States Air Force (USAF) Homestead Air Force Base (HAFB), located near Miami, Florida, was quick to respond to an invitation from Jim’s 308th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (308 TFTS) to experience a ‘Burner Bust’. Like a number of other USAF squadrons, the 308 TFTS annually invited the wives of squadron aircrew to experience an overview of what their husbands did while away at work. ...

13 April, 2021

RNZAF Hastings in service – The RNZAF operated four Handley Page (HP) Hastings (serial numbers NZ5801 to 5804) CMk3 four-engined transport aircraft from 1952. These aircraft were flown initially by No. 41 Squadron, but they were transferred to No. 40 Squadron when it reformed on......

29 May, 2020

My introduction to flying in Vampires with 75 Squadron (Sqn) began when I was posted to Ohakea in April 1966 as an 18 year old Secretarial Officer.  At that time 75 Sqn aircrew were located in the north western corner of No 2 Hangar at......

15 April, 2020

A4 painted drop tanks – what some may think is ‘useless’ information – a photo of Skyhawk A4K NZ6208 at Ohakea carrying the first set of drop tanks with camouflage paint applied to the top part of the tank. Since we had had the Skyhawks......

23 March, 2020

RNZAF Skyhawks – A Short History Compiled by Jim Barclay with information supplied by ‘Air Frame’ Fourteen A4K aircraft were ordered from the Douglas Aircraft Company by the RNZAF in 1968 (ten A4K single seaters, being ‘tail numbers’ NZ6201-NZ6210, and four TA4K two seaters NZ6251-NZ6254).......

24 April, 2013

Here are a few photos taken in 1973 that you wouldn’t expect to be taken by a recent 75 Squadron Skyhawk pilot! By late August 1973, I had completed nearly 3 years flying Skyhawks on 75 Skyhawk Squadron (Sqn) at RNZAF Base Ohakea and I......

09 November, 1973