RNZAF A-4 Skyhawk Tribute

New Zealand Air Force A4 Skyhawk

Our tribute to the Aircraft, and the men and women who worked with and on them during their service.

Footage i beleive is from a video of the Kiwi Red (aerobatic team) New Zealand Tour, late 80s early 90s.

Check Out 2:40 For in-flight aerobatic refueling (if thats what you call it)

For the aircraft junkies ive got a special page with all my videos on my website - http://kiwiaircraft.co.nr

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A History Lesson For Those who live under a rock:

The A-4 Skyhawk (in all its variants) is a simple 60's Attack Aircraft/ Fighter-Bomber.

The Royal New Zealand Airforce operated up to 24 Skyhawks in 2 squadrons, No2 & No75.
In The 1990's the Skyhawks where upgraded through Project Kahu (maori for falcon)'
This enabled the use of Sidewinders and GBU Lazer guided bombs.

Along with new radar and avionics, the RNZAF's Skyhawks where comparable to modern F16s.

In 2001, The Labour Government Cancelled an Order Of 28 Block15 F16s, And Then disbanded Our A-4 Skyhawks and Aermacchi MB-339s.

So in conclusion, Our tax went into project kahu, purchased near new Aermacchi's and in 2001 it went down the poo tube.

Thanks Uncle Helen!!

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• A4
• skyhawk
• rnzaf
• a4
• low
• flyby
• fighter
• jet
• bomber
• new
• zealand
• air
• force
• tribute
• kiwi
• red
• aerobatic
• yt:stretch=16:9

[mmichaeldonavon]

Love the A-4; nice video. Whose bright idea was the rap music? I mean "wha da f####". Screwed up an otherwise really classy video.

[SBPNZ]

@mmichaeldonavon Rap Music? Haha.. far from it.. New Zealand Metal Band Blindspott.

[olympic007]

anyone know why we don't buy Russan?

[SBPNZ]

@olympic007 Political Reasoning i guess.

[tovemaersk]

@olympic007 in the 80s they offered us MiGs because they couldnd pay for our butter, we took Lada's intstead. and now you know why there wer suddenly had so many of them.

[SBPNZ]

@tovemaersk Apparently it was going to cost alot to do the russian language conversion on all the gear and cockpits?

[Bjornulfr23]

This video makes me sad. Uncle Helen destroyed my childhood dream of flying one of those for New Zealand. Bastard.

[hictecnic]

From what I've heard, Uncle Helen now has some cushy job at the United Nations.  What a fuckin joke.

[thehouso]

@rob1946able I understand why NZ losing it's Airforce could lead to certain anguish but the kiwi's have to remeber, no matter how much crap you kiwis and us aussies put on each other, if anyone wants to attack the land of the great white sheep, they have to come through us aussies and our Air force, Navy and Army first.

[TheJonathan034]

With the Growing Importance of the Aisa Pacific Region I think that its about time We Get new Jets to defend ourselves

[MrSidejam]

You are all morons if you think nz needs fighter jets, you don't need them, you are not a threat to any country, well maybe Fiji but other than that no one will attack you, as much as Helen the man was a biarch, she made the right choice to get rid of them, waste of tax payers money, if anything you would need more heavy transporters for troops to send to war when Iran/north Korea attacks us Aussies, if that would ever happen of course, nice vid btw

[ShreddingPilotA7X]

wooow!!! awesome vid, wats the song?

[ALLAHDELLAH]

The A4s were great and we got a good 30 years out of them but they were due for retirement. It sucks labour axed the f16 deal and ordered new helicopters instead.

[Antifaith29]

@cadmus98 Thats true. We have all your pilots now days and we protect your airspace. 

[cadmus98]

@bing476 "New Zealand should buy new like f16, f15, or mirage 2000 i think New zealnd can afford!!!"

That money would be better spent on drones. We don't need the airpower those bigger jets provide, and drones are cheaper to buy and maintain.

[samthemanawesomeness]

The 1 dislike is helen clark.

^^ See her name doesn't even deserve capitals.