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Warbirds attack the Navy ;-0

Posted by Dave on Mon Feb 18, 2002 11:20:09 PM







W E L L I N G T O N S T O R Y

Warbirds to the rescue
19 February 2002

Aging civilian aircraft flown by unpaid pilots have been
pressed into service to exercise with the navy.

Navy frigates Te Kaha and Canterbury exercised in the Bay of
Plenty last week with three old jets from the Warbirds
Association, a group of aviation enthusiasts who fly old military
planes.

The Warbirds jets took over the role of the air force's Skyhawk
attack aircraft and the Aermacchi jet trainers, which were
dumped by the Government last year.

The three Warbirds ? a Cessna A37B, a Hawker Hunter and a
French Fouga Magister ? pretended to be enemy aircraft making
mock attacks on the two warships.

The navy paid for the aircraft time but it did not include paying
the pilots, Warbirds chief flying instructor Gavin Trethewey said.
The pilots are understood to have taken time off work to fly the
three aircraft for the exercise.

He said it was ironic the navy had to call in civilian aircraft to
exercise with it after the Skyhawks and Aermacchis were
dumped.

The Warbirds aircraft ? all older than the Skyhawks ? acted as
intruders into the air space of the warships, Mr Trethewey said.

"We make moves towards the ships and they try to control the
situation and defend themselves."

Mr Trethewey, a former air force pilot, flew the Fouga for last
week's exercises.

All three Warbirds aircraft were built in the 1950s or early 1960s.

It was likely they would be called to exercise with the navy more
often, he said.

A defence force operations and training officer, Commander Tony
Parr, a former skipper of the Anzac frigate Te Mana, said the
navy was coping with having to use civilian aircraft.

The Warbirds were due to exercise with the navy again today in
Bay of Plenty. A Learjet would also be used this week. ? NZPA

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