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No New Zealand Defence Purchases Of French Equipment
As part of New Zealand’s angry response to the French Government’s decision to resume nuclear testing in the South Pacific, the NZ Government has decided that it will not give any consideration to French products when it comes to placing defence contracts. The decision primarily affects the programme to purchase helicopters for the new Anzac frigates, and to replace the Westland Wasp. The two key contenders for this project were the French built Eurocopter Panther (military version of the Dauphin) and the Westland Lynx. The decision almost certainly means the Westland helicopter will be awarded the contract. Of the other possible contenders, the Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite is too large to operate from the Leander frigates, while the Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk, as used by the RAN, is too expensive. New Zealand has frozen all but humanitarian military contacts with France in the wake of the decision to resume nuclear testing.
Aeromotive To Buy Pac?
Hamilton based Aeromotive has been selected as the preferred bidder for Pacific Aerospace Corporation, which has been up for sale due to the Australian Federal Government’s decision to sell off ASTA. Most of Australian Government owned ASTA has been sold to Rockwell Australia, but a number of its divisions, including the Hamilton New Zealand based PAC, are being sold off separately. Aeromotive says it has significant expansion plans for PAC, and it expected negotiations with the Australian government to be complete by the time these words are read.
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Kiwi Travel On Line For August Start
Kiwi Travel International Airline has New Zealand Government approval to begin scheduled international services between New Zealand and Australia from August. As Kiwi Travel Air Charter, the company has already operated charter flights to Brisbane from Hamilton using a 737-400 wet leased from Air Nauru, and more recently a 737-300 leased from Adelaide based National Jet Systems. The new services will use the National Jet 737-300. Initial scheduled operations will be a Wednesday return flight between Dunedin and Brisbane, while flights from Hamilton and Christchurch to Sydney and Brisbane will be added later. While the Australian flights had been approved, the NZ Government has refused to allow Kiwi Travel to operate domestic services from Hamilton, Dunedin and Christchurch. Another New Zealand company that has plans to operate flights across the Tasman is newly formed Souwest Travel. Invercargill based Souwest plans to arrange a number of trans Tasman charter flights.
Fieldair’s V8 Fletcher
Palmerston North based Fieldair was due to fly the prototype of its V8 powered Fletcher ag aircraft by the time these words are read. The Fieldair conversion uses a 550hp (410kW) component specified engine whose origins lie in a Chevrolet V8 to replace the 400hp (300kW) Lycoming IO-720. A more efficient, slower turning propeller (from the Cresco) produces about 2200lb (9.9kN) static thrust compared with the IO-720’s 1200lb (5.4kN). Despite this, Fieldair expects the V8 Fletcher to have similar operational fuel consumption to the IO-720, and overhaul costs more than a third less. The engine is expected to cost only half of what the flat eight IO-720 costs. Fieldair never originally intended to become involved in the development of the engine, but the US company that it had contracted to do the R&D work went bankrupt.
Briefs
Air Commodore Carey Adamson will be promoted to Air Vice Marshal and will become the new RNZAF Chief of the Air Staff when Air Vice Marshal John Hosie retires in late September.
Wellington based utilities investor Infratil has purchased a 1% stake of Auckland International Airport for around $NZ5m from Rodney District Council.
Air New Zealand has leased a second Dash 8 from Queensland based Flight West to cover the loss of Dash 8 ZK-NEY which crashed on approach to Palmerston North airport on June 9. The airline had some troubles maintaining schedules with two aircraft in the days following the crash, and was forced to cancel some flights when one of the Dash 8s was temporarily withdrawn from service. No definitive details as to the cause of the crash had been released at the time of writing.
Air Nelson has taken over Eagle Air’s Palmerston North/Auckland services. Eight return flights per day are now operated between the two cities by Air Nelson Saab 340s, replacing the mix of Saab 340 and Eagle Air Metroliner flights. Both Eagle Air and Air Nelson are part of the Air New Zealand group.
Waikato Regional Airport Ltd (the administrators of Hamilton Airport), Air New Zealand and Waikato Health have called for council regulations that require all new houses built near the airport be sound proofed. New houses built near the airport in the Waipa District Council area already must be sound proofed if they fall within the 55dB noise area. While the airport is in Waipa district, the 55dB noise footprint extends into the Waikato area. Waikato Regional Airport predicts that the cost of sound proofing would be around $NZ1200 to $NZ1500 per home
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