Curious RNZAF activity in the Wairarapa

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Geektastic

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#268145 2-Mar-2020 10:29

Yesterday the memsahib and I were out and about around mid-day.

I was surprised when driving between Martinborough and Carterton to see an RNZAF NH-90 helicopter dropping down and landing in what would appear to be a random agricultural area (ie no known bases etc there). Shortly thereafter, I saw a tanker with RNZAF markings turn into a road that would have led to where the helicopter landed.

I thought it odd that they would have a planned fuel stop in the middle of nowhere when Masterton airport would have been only another 10 minutes flight time.

It got even stranger - I was back out that way several hours later around 7pm and saw the same aircraft take off (both sliding doors open because even though it was several kms away I could clearly see the hills through the helicopter side. It then circled round and flew back past where I was, doors closed by then and heading towards Masterton.

I'm not aware of anything happening that would have been responsible - no event etc - and it isn't a normal place for training. Anyone have any idea what they might have been doing?

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#2429972 2-Mar-2020 10:39

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MikeB4

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#2429973 2-Mar-2020 10:41

They have been conducting low altitude exercises including blank round firing around the Wellington region for the last week.

Geektastic

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#2429977 2-Mar-2020 10:45

MikeB4:

They have been conducting low altitude exercises including blank round firing around the Wellington region for the last week.

Could be that I guess - although I saw no warnings and heard nothing like gunfire.

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#2429980 2-Mar-2020 10:52

sittingduckz:

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#2429987 2-Mar-2020 11:05

Geektastic:

Could be that I guess - although I saw no warnings and heard nothing like gunfire.

There were press release statements last week

frankv

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#2430002 2-Mar-2020 11:13

Geektastic:

Yesterday the memsahib and I were out and about around mid-day.

I was surprised when driving between Martinborough and Carterton to see an RNZAF NH-90 helicopter dropping down and landing in what would appear to be a random agricultural area (ie no known bases etc there). Shortly thereafter, I saw a tanker with RNZAF markings turn into a road that would have led to where the helicopter landed.

I thought it odd that they would have a planned fuel stop in the middle of nowhere when Masterton airport would have been only another 10 minutes flight time.

It got even stranger - I was back out that way several hours later around 7pm and saw the same aircraft take off (both sliding doors open because even though it was several kms away I could clearly see the hills through the helicopter side. It then circled round and flew back past where I was, doors closed by then and heading towards Masterton.

An unplanned refueling stop due to having less than 10 minutes fuel left? But then I'd be surprised if the fuel truck arrived within a couple of hours. So I guess it must have been planned.

I think it's pretty normal to take off and land with the doors open, so that the crewmember in the back has a better view of the ground and can warn the pilot of hazards.

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Fred99

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#2430003 2-Mar-2020 11:15

Not directly related, but there's been a trial of a police helicopter in Chch over the past couple of weeks. It's very easy to spot - because if there's a helicopter in the sky without a transponder running that's it. Despite being supposedly a quiet variety of helicopter - that's probably relative - you can still hear it clearly from about 10km away.
They seemed to be zooting around over the Port Hills a bit - possibly trying to nail boy racers, which would be a great idea if the chopper had weapons and the boy racers didn't have cellphones and flightradar / flight aware. Apparently the cameras on board can read a car license plate at 3,000m. A half blind policeman could read a license plate if they were on the roads where the boy racers were - probably a damned sight less expensive method and a better deterrent.

Someone who works out of the same base at the airport told me that the contract for the trial specified that they had to spend several hours a day in the air (3 or 4 - I can't remember), so they're just flying around killing time (at a cost of many thousand $$$ an hour).

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#2430011 2-Mar-2020 11:31

Fred99:

Not directly related, but there's been a trial of a police helicopter in Chch over the past couple of weeks. It's very easy to spot - because if there's a helicopter in the sky without a transponder running that's it.

All NZ controlled airspace (which would include most of Chch city, Port Hills, and Lyttleton, but not Banks Peninsula) is transponder-mandatory. But presumably the Police can get an exemption from CAA. For safety, I'd expect there would be regular radio traffic between ATC and the police chopper, so smart boy racers would listen in on aviation bands.

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#2430019 2-Mar-2020 11:42

So all it would take to keep the ricers quiet would be some bogus radio chat?

BlinkyBill

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#2430063 2-Mar-2020 12:03

The Police are trialling helicopter prescience in Christchurch, see the bottom section of this page: https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/structure/police-teams-and-units/air-support-eagle-uniT

they need to ‘trial’ to give the illusion of evaluating options, but believe me, there will be a permanent deployment in Christchurch arising from the ‘trial’.

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#2430123 2-Mar-2020 14:20

Geektastic:

Yesterday the memsahib and I were out and about around mid-day.

I was surprised when driving between Martinborough and Carterton to see an RNZAF NH-90 helicopter dropping down and landing in what would appear to be a random agricultural area (ie no known bases etc there). Shortly thereafter, I saw a tanker with RNZAF markings turn into a road that would have led to where the helicopter landed.

I thought it odd that they would have a planned fuel stop in the middle of nowhere when Masterton airport would have been only another 10 minutes flight time.

It got even stranger - I was back out that way several hours later around 7pm and saw the same aircraft take off (both sliding doors open because even though it was several kms away I could clearly see the hills through the helicopter side. It then circled round and flew back past where I was, doors closed by then and heading towards Masterton.

I'm not aware of anything happening that would have been responsible - no event etc - and it isn't a normal place for training. Anyone have any idea what they might have been doing?

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empacher48

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#2430126 2-Mar-2020 14:28

frankv:
Fred99:

Not directly related, but there's been a trial of a police helicopter in Chch over the past couple of weeks. It's very easy to spot - because if there's a helicopter in the sky without a transponder running that's it.

All NZ controlled airspace (which would include most of Chch city, Port Hills, and Lyttleton, but not Banks Peninsula) is transponder-mandatory. But presumably the Police can get an exemption from CAA. For safety, I'd expect there would be regular radio traffic between ATC and the police chopper, so smart boy racers would listen in on aviation bands.

You will find that Police 3 does have a transponder and ABS-B, however any private owner has the ability to tell Flightradar24 or Flightaware that their information is not allowed to be broad cast. Can’t fly in controlled airspace without one, no exceptions.

You’ll find it with a lot of private jets, some military aircraft, rescue helicopters and police helicopters are all having their data removed from those services. Flightradar24 although an entertaining tool, there is a lot that can be left off it.

Stu1

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#2430144 2-Mar-2020 15:12

They have been running training exercises even dropped someone off in the belmont hills in the Hutt valley over the weekend

geoffwnz

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#2431593 3-Mar-2020 09:46

I met the same (presumably) NH90 on Sunday early afternoon when I was out for a run up to Tunnel Gully and back. They spent time over the Remutaka incline, then low hovering over the Tunnel Gully area, then popped over the hill to Maymorn, winched someone down (and possibly retrieved them) and after a bit, headed back to Trentham to refuel and were back out about half an hour later.

I was starting to wonder if they were using me (wearing bright orange running top) for ground target tracking practice. :-p

They'd also been flying around from Trentham on Thursday.

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