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Post by Herman on Jan 31, 2021 19:25:53 GMT
A few SS from a recent flight.  On the Ramp\Gate at Sydney circa 1960.VH-EBF....City of Adelaide.  Lots of period Traffic.  At Cruise FL350.  A TEAL Electra Below.  Turning towards Auckland Airport.  On the Ramp\Gate at Auckland Whenuapai Airport.   Herman |
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Jan 31, 2021 21:02:37 GMT
Nice presentation I've always lived just across the river and within roughly 5 KM's of what's now RNZAF Whenuapai (formerly AKL's civil airport) .... right beneath its circuit and approach pattern so I seldom miss anything at all. It was AKL's only civil airport until late 1965. Despite appreciating this's FS and as such one can take almost anything into anywhere .... just for the "historical" record .... Whenuapai/NZWP was never serviced by the B707's .... or DC-8's and VC-10's either .... although NZ DC-8-52's did use NZWP to operate training flights (touch'n'goes) between 1965 and 1973. It's RWY's too short .... although during the early 1980's both USAF C-5A GALAXY and C-141B STARLIFTER aircraft did operate into NZWP (during a military exercise) .... as did RAF L-1011 and VC-10 tankers during the mid 1980's too (for an air show) .... along with KINGDOM ENTERTAINMENT B707-138B and -320B aircraft during the mid 1990's as well (for storage during a Michael JACKSON concert) .... BUT .... these aircraft could only do so "empty" and never under normal operating conditions/weights .... again due to NZWP's short RWY. Prior to, and since, these times the RNZAF has based it's B721QC and B757-200 (along with C-130H, HS ANDOVER, and P3K ORION aircraft) at NZWP too .... but .... weight restrictions have always applied (to the jets at least) in respect of some operations requiring transits through NZAA for additional fuel between NZWP and their ultimate destination to facilitate longer/overseas type services. The only "scheduled civil jet operations" through NZWP were BOAC COMET 4's from the early to mid 1960's until 1965 and which could operate normally/acceptably despite the short RWY .... as did all other scheduled civil services operated by the major prop-liner and turbo-prop classics of the 1950's through mid 1960's era too. NZWP was closed to all civil operations from November 1965 .... and from which point it then became "RNZAF Whenuapai" .... as it remains today. All "civil" operations were then transferred to the new AKL International Airport (NZAA at Mangare) from November 24th 1965 (officially opened on January 31st 1966) .... and which saw the like of PAN AM and QANTAS B707's, AIR NEW ZEALAND, CP AIR, and UTA DC-8's (UTA also used the CARAVELLE 10R too), and BOAC VC-10's commence scheduled services inro the new airport almost immediately. In fact QANTAS operated their B707-138B's into NZAA from day one and by which time these aircraft were supporting the airlines classic "V-JET" livery of the 1960's era. As I started out by saying this's all just for the "historical" record .... BUT .... may prompt ideas/motivation for other similar period FS presentations of this type here in the future  Mark C AKL/NZ |
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Jan 31, 2021 21:42:22 GMT
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Post by Nathan Ford - HJG on Jan 31, 2021 21:54:35 GMT
Very nice, I really enjoyed that Herman
Cheers,
Nathan
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Post by Herman on Jan 31, 2021 23:24:07 GMT
Interesting, and some excellent historical information and accompanying images. I must admit that I did not do enough research into Whenuapai Airport.
I had a look at the screen shots that I usually make of all my flights, but for some reason I did not have any of the approach and landing to Whenuapai. I recall that I chose NZWP because of my knowledge that it was the only International Airport in NZ until 1965,so I assumed that jet aircraft would be flying in there. Also I did not notice the length of the runway until I checked the airport ILS approach information, and I felt that I would be able to land and stop with 6665ft of runway available. Right now I do not recall whether my landing was successful or not. It did not occur to me at the time, that at 6665ft. it would be a problem to fly out of there.
Nathan, Thank you for your comment.
Herman
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Feb 1, 2021 2:07:17 GMT
Getting out of there shouldn't be a problem .... "if" you watch your weight and plan accordingly Reduce your payload .... and plan/reduce your fuel loading accordingly too (take only what you need in order to get to wherever you're heading back too .... SYD I assume .... plus reserve). One can do all that in FS, but, in the case of R/W airline operations it simply wouldn't be economic .... and which is why the big jets of the 60's (excluding the COMET 4) never operated into NZWP. RWY and apron bearing strength at NZWP "back then" (not modeled into FS sceneries though) might have been another restricting issue too. ALSO .... if using the B707-138 (or -120) then employ the water/methanol injection system for TO .... it'll give you a roughly 7% power boost during the TO roll and for the first 2-3 minutes of climb following TO until the water/methanol solution is exhausted. Mark C AKL/NZ |
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Post by darrenvox on Feb 9, 2021 8:47:47 GMT
sweet
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