It was Skytrain with a twist as members of No. 40 Squadron gathered at Base Woodbourne rather than a tented camp at Wanaka for the annual exercise...
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Despite needing to find a new location at short notice, conducting the exercise at Woodbourne had been successful.
‘It has worked well and we have had good support from Woodbourne,’ said FLTLT Richard Beetham.
The exercise, with up to three flights a day, sees pilots practise their low-level flying techniques - a skill necessary in conflict situations where aircraft need to be able to fly unobserved; tactical flying - where they follow the curve of valleys and hillsides; and load drops which in humanitarian situations can be vital for the survival of those in need.
With over 200 NZDF personnel, members of the Singapore Air Force and personnel from the French Air Force New Caledonia as part of the exercise, it provided the opportunity to share knowledge and skills and form relationships.
‘It is good for us to work together as there are not many large aircraft around the Pacific,’ said FLTLT Beetham. ‘It increases our interoperability.’
Tactical flights lasted up to two hours and sorties had been undertaken to Westport, Hokitika and Aoraki Mt Cook with the terrain well suited to this type of flying.
Getting the loads prepared for the load drops is no easy feat and prior to the exercise a significant amount of work is done behind the scenes in terms of sourcing a suitable drop zone, warning members of the public and during the actual drop, monitoring the area. For this exercise drop zones could be found along the Wairau Valley and around Grassmere.
Ensuring they land in one piece is crucial, the loads are packed and made aircraft ready with assistance from 30 Army personnel from Linton. Tents are a hive of activity.
It can take up to 30 minutes to pack a parachute which is then attached to a load that can range from between 300kgs to a tonne. Everything from drums of water to Landrovers are tipped out the back, mirroring what happens in deployment situations.