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Annual maintenance on the Spitfire is nearly complete with the new oil
radiator in place and most of the checks completed. The RNZAF Historic
Flight Harvard NZ1015 is also having a major check alongside in Hangar 1
at Ohakea.
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Spitfire
PV270 has begun its annual maintenance which is expected to be completed
by late August. The Merlin engine top end has already been inspected as
part of an Airworthiness Directive for Merlin engines with the carbide
faced cam lifters and no problems were found. The annual is a series of
inspections and maintenance procedures and is also an opportunity to look
for any gremlins that may have crept in since last year. We have the task
of fitting the new oil cooler radiator to replace the unit which has had a
small leak since new. Once completed, the Spitfire should be all set for
another 12 months flying.
 First
advance copies of SPITFIRE Return to Flight have arrived from the printers
and gone out to the reviewers. I'm pretty happy with the result but we'll
wait and see what the reviewers write.
For those in Wellington a preview copy is
at Capital Books with Tim Skinner and those in Palmerston North a copy is
at Paper Plus and at RNZAF
Ohakea at the Hot Shots store. Pre orders
are available from this website
as well as through booksellers.
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PV270 visited Napier on Saturday 19th June as part of the
RNZAF Open held during Exercise Wiseowl. On the way in to Napier, it flew
over Bridge Pa aerodrome at Hastings. The Spitfire was on static display
during the day at the Wisewowl camp and performed a display before
heading back to Ohakea. A large crowd was in attendance to see the
Spitfire and the RNZAF Airtrainers, Iriquois and Sioux helicopters.
Amongst those getting up close to PV270 were six former Spitfire/Seafire
pilots from the Hawkes Bay. From left to right:
Sean Perrett RNZAF PV270 pilot on the day, David
Fail, Charles Bowley, Max Collett, Geoff White, John Caulton, Tony
Armstrong
Photo: Napier Mail
*David Fail flew Spitfires at 58
OTU, Grangemouth. He then went
on to fly Typhoons with 486(NZ) Sqn.
*Charles Bowley is an Aussie who
has lived in NZ since 1948. Originally
he flew Kittyhawks with 75 Sqn RAAF in New Guinea - in fact he several
times flew, on operations, the P 40N that is based at Ardmore.
In early 1945 he responded to a call for volunteers, dropped rank
and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy Volunteer Reserve (Fleet Air
Arm) as a Sub Lt. He flew
Seafires with 801 Sqn FAA on HMS Implacable.
* Geoff White (Flt\Lt G G White DFC)
flew with 611 Sqn at Biggin Hill in 1943.Then he went to Malta and flew
with 126 Sqn. During this time
he shot shown several a/c before being invalided back to UK with illness.
* Max Collett 485(NZ) Sqn.
Max joined in late 1943 and was with the Sqn all through its trek
across the Continent and eventually into Germany as part of the Occupation
Forces.
*John Caulton flew with 132 Sqn.
He was shot down on a daytime low level flight over Holland in
April 1944 by a Luftwaffe Night Fighter ace.
He was captured and a few hours later met the German pilot
Hans-Joachim Jabs. John then became
a PoW but he and Achim were to meet many times after the war and become
the best of friends.
*Tony Armstrong flew Seafires with
887 Sqn FAA on HMS Indefatigable.
Stories and photos of the above
(except Tony Armstrong) are on the Hawke's Bay
Aviation Heritage Association Incorporated website www.wings.net.nz
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The new hangar for Spitfire PV270 is progressing at Ohakea.
The hangar is located in the area set aside for the planned Ohakea
Visitors Centre near the main highway and in the future it is intended that visitors to the
Centre will be able to view PV270 close up in its hangar. The main hangar
is 600m2 and the rooms off the side will provides an office,
storage and a display room accessible from the main hangar.
Spitfire PV270 now has a Facebook Group available - go to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119982544710555
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ANZAC
Day 2010 - Spitfire PV270 departed Ohakea just before 10am and touched
down at Palmerston North at 11am after completing a series of flyovers in
the Horowhenua, Wanganui and Manawatu area. It was on display at the
airport there for just on two hours and a large number of people took the
opportunity to see her up close.
On the Thursday after ANZAC Day, Spitfire PV270 had the sad task of
providing the farewell flypast to the three Ohakea airmen who perished on
ANZAC Day.
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Warbirds over Wanaka 2010 - Spitfire PV270 is now
safely back at Ohakea after a lengthy trip down and back to Wanaka. She
flew six times at Wanaka and has come back with a fair collection of
Wanaka dust and dirt to show for it.
The trip down on Wednesday 31st March was via Ashburton and Spitfire
PV270 traveled for a while in company with our formation of two
Airtrainers, the RNZAF Historic Flight Harvard NZ1015 and Harvard NZ1037
(see three YouTube clips in the Gallery section). The Spitfire departed Ohakea 30
minutes after the formation with Sean Perrett at the controls and caught
up by the top of the South Island before departing ahead to Ashburton.
Spitfire PV270 flew six times at Wanaka including providing the finale on
Sunday. Flying was by John Lanham for the solo display and finale and by Sean Perrett
for the European scenario.
PV270 returned to Ohakea via Woodbourne on Easter Monday with John
Lanham at the controls.
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485 Squadron Reunion Whenuapai
Spitfire PV270 departed Ohakea at 0940 on Saturday and touched down at
Whenuapai at 1040. The 485 Squadron veterans along with widows of those
not there and family members were able to get up close to the Spitfire as
well as watch a display by Squadron Leader Sean Perrett at 1400. PV270
returned to Ohakea on Sunday morning. (Above): 485 Squadron veteran Max
Collett returns to a Spitfire cockpit (Left): PV270 passes downtown
Auckland and the Sky Tower as it tracks into Whenuapai on Saturday morning
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Tauranga
City Airshow 2010 - 6th & 7th February 2010
Spitfire Alpha Lima arrived at Tauranga Saturday morning at 10-30am
after the flight from Ohakea. As the cross wind got up in the afternoon it
was decided not to fly her again that day and hope for the best for Sunday
when the forecast cross wind was supposed to be only 5 knots. On Sunday we
anxiously waited to see what the wind was doing but it began to get up
again at midday with the sea breeze as it had on Saturday. We made a rapid
decision to refill the wing tanks to allow the pilot, Sean Perrett, to
have the option to land or return direct to Ohakea. The Spitfire was
scheduled to fly a second time in the airfield attack/fighter flypast but
the wind continued to increase to our crosswind limit and the decision was
made to not attempt a landing and instead return direct to Ohakea in the
interests of safety of the aircraft.
Photo: Gavin Conroy
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The Palmerston North Aeroneers recently came out to have
a look Spitfire PV270. The members had visited the restoration project on
a number of occasions during the rebuild. Merv Matthews brought his 1/5
scale version of the original "AL" EN568. The model is powered
by a 15cc four stroke engine and the model weighs in at 11 pounds. It flew
twice at the Wings over Wairarapa airshow in January this year
Photo: Merv Matthews
Aeroneers
web site |
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The 2009 annual conference of the RNZAF Association is
being held at Ohakea over the last weekend in October. A display by
Spitfire PV270 was put on for the delegates |
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Agreement has been reached with the RNZAF for Spitfire
PV270 to remain permanently at RNZAF Ohakea. Construction on a new hangar
for ITL Aviation will begin at Ohakea next month on a site near the
previous Museum location. This area is designated for the Visitor's Centre
complex planned for Ohakea and it is planned that the Spitfire and other
aircraft in the hangar will be viewable by Visitor's Centre entrants. The
700 m2 hangar will include a display area and will initially
house Spitfire PV270 and Harvard NZ1037. Construction is funded by ITL
Aviation and not the RNZAF. The agreement was signed by Air Vice Marshal
Graham Lintott, Chief of the Air Force. Here AVM Lintott tries out the
cockpit of PV270 in its present home of Hangar 1
Photo: CPE Ohakea |
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Sunday 20th September - Battle of Britain Sunday - an
informal and largely unpublicised display by Sean Perrett as part of the
service at St Marks chapel at Ohakea for local veterans attracted around
300 people showing the power of word of mouth. The Base Air Security staff
made many people's day when they allowed the public onto the base area
where the Spitfire was operated from - at the threshold of runway 15 near
the road - giving people a close up look (and listen) for the starting, run
up process and take off from runway 15. Perfect spring weather helped make
it a memorable occasion.
Photo: Gavin Conroy
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Tuesday 15th September - Battle of Britain Day -
Spitfire PV270 headed down to Wellington for a flyover at the National War
Memorial at 12 noon after the official commemoration service. Here some of
dignitaries look skywards as John Lanham flies the Spitfire overhead before
making a pass down the runway at Wellington Airport.
Photo: NZDF |
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Thursday
20th August - Wings Parade RNZAF Ohakea. Spitfire Alpha Lima formated with
3 B200 King Airs for the parade flypast- here the formation passes over the parade just before the
break
Photo Bob Graham
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Prime Minister John Key and RNZAF Group Captain
Davies-Howard review the graduating officers at Woodbourne as PV270 passes
overhead right on cue
Photo: NZDF |
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After completion of the parade flypast at Woodbourne, the
Spitfire rendezvoused with photographer Gavin Conroy before returning to Ohakea. |
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Friday 19th June Spitfire Alpha Lima flew the short
distance from Ohakea to Palmerston North to allow the staff of Fieldair
Engineering to see the aircraft. Fieldair were a significant sub
contractor on the project.  |
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On Wednesday 27th May the Governor General,
his Excellency Hon Sir Anand Satyanand and Lady Satyanand visited RNZAF
Ohakea and took time out from their schedule to have a look at the
Spitfire. They are pictured here with two of the original restoration
team, Joe Deere and Pete Burgess.
Photo: NZDF
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Final stop on the ANZAC Day flypasts was Wanganui Airport
where a crowd of somewhere over 500 people had gathered to see the
Spitfire. The response was a bit unexpected and overwhelming and greatly
appreciated by the team.
It was a great honour to see the number of old soldiers and airman who
had made the journey out to the airport. The traffic jam caused by people
arriving to see the aircraft meant it stayed 1/2 an hour longer than
planned to give everyone the chance to see PV270.
Earlier the aircraft had made a circuit around Aramoho Cemetery in
Wanganui where Alan Deere's parents (my grandparents) are buried as well
as my father and mother and my wife's father - alongside many ex
servicemen and women.
In some ways this was the most important public viewing for PV270 -
ANZAC Day - and we hope the people of the towns and cities it flew
over will continue to remember and appreciate those that have served their
country in every war and conflict - Brendon Deere |
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Classic Fighters at Omaka was the public debut of PV270.
The weather was perfect throughout the weekend allowing the aircraft to
fly six times over the three days. Thanks to all who made contact and gave
us positive feedback about the Spitfire. We were very proud to receive the
award for Grand Champion Warbird at the airshow dinner on Sunday night. |
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2nd
April - Rush hour - Keith Skilling about to depart for another test
flight, this time ranging as far as Marton and Wanganui as PV270 continued
to perform well. The Tiger Moth is the "hanger mate" of PV270 in
1 Hanger at Ohakea where the RNZAF Historic Flight is based |
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26th March - 4th test flight and an opportunity for some
air to air photography by Gavin Conroy |
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25th
March - 3rd test flight - A unique view from the perspective of Keith Skilling
above RNZAF Ohakea - Keith uses a digital camera to record gauge and
instrument readings at different stages of the test flying - this is a
bonus shot |
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After
the first flight - Keith Skilling, test pilot; Hon. Heather Roy, Associate
Minister of Defence; Brendon Deere
My thanks to my wife Shirley and my children Rebecca, Christopher,
Joseph, Andrew and Lucy for all their support during this project -
Brendon Deere |
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Return to Flight -
1812 hours, 18th March 2009, grass
vector 09, RNZAF Ohakea, pilot Keith Skilling
Photo: Central Photographic Establishment, RNZAF
Ohakea |