NZ NHIndustries NH90 Helicopters Break Australia-NZ Record

TWO of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) NHIndustries NH90 helicopters broke the platform’s over-water record by flying 1534 nautical miles over water from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley to RNZAF Base Auckland over a period of two days.

This breaks the previous record which lasted just over a month, where the NH90 flew 453 nautical miles across the Coral Sea Basin between Cairns, Australia and Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby. The longest leg of the trip was between Norfolk and RNZAF Base Auckland which was 573 nautical miles and took around four and a half hours.

Air Component Commander, Air Commodore Andy Scott said the long-distance flight was important because it demonstrated the utility of the aircraft and the ability for it to self-deploy over a vast area.“These types of flights give our crews confidence in the system. This demonstrates that given sound planning and an understanding of the actual risk, we don’t have to shy away from activities which stretch the system when they are properly planned for, risks mitigated and robust procedures are in place”, he added.

No. 3 Squadron Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Chris Ross said the flight gave crews the opportunity to gain valuable long-distance flying skills. “Between the flight to PNG and now back from Australia, we’ve now got a generation of crews who have this depth and breadth of experience of flying a significant distance. It’s a terrific achievement.”.–shp/adj/dl (Pix:NZDF)