New Zealand Purchases Ten New Aircraft – but Not for Flying
By JetAviator7 with Comments 0
Actually, it is not as startling as it may seem. The Ground Training Wing (GTW) of the New Zealand Air Force has purchased a couple of MU2-F aircraft and six old SeaSprite Helicopters to be used for training maintenance crews for the New Zealand Air Force.
The aircraft will be flown from the United States to New Zealand and then will not fly again. The helicopters were stored in the Arizona desert for fourteen (14) years.
Sea Sprite Helicopter
In the past the GTW had been using older Bell 47 helicopters and old deHaviland Devon aircraft as training devices for their aviation maintenance technicians.
One of my sons is an A&P mechanic who works on Boeing 767 and Douglas DC-8 aircraft, and he went through his training here in Michigan at Lansing Community College. It has been traditional for these training facilities to acquire out-of-date military aircraft to use for training purposes, so I do not find this action by the New Zealand Air Force strange at all.
It’s nice to see some of these older aircraft put to good use, and the best use for a Mitsubishi MU2-F is as a training device that never leaves the ground. These aircraft have had a terrible safety record, and are a challenge to fly for any number of pilots. It is a very unforgiving aircraft.
Until next time keep your wings straight and level Hersch!
JetAviator7
When you get it right mighty beasts float up into the sky. When you get it wrong people die.
— Roger Bacon, c. 1384.
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