Flight Accessories

It's windy at Ardmore today.

Coastguard Cessna 182 at Ardmore Today

DC3 at Ardmore this morning

Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadron Leader Doug Greig in flight gear within the cockpit of his Vought F4U Corsair at Ardmore Aerodrome, Auckland Region, New Zealand, September 1944.

In 1942, with the British Government unable to supply the aircraft needed and requested by New Zealand, negotiations were undertaken between the United States and New Zealand Governments resulting in a Mutual Aid Agreement (Lease/Lend).

The RNZAF then began to receive supplies of bomber, reconnaissance, transport and fighter aircraft direct from United States.

Thirteen fighter squadrons were initially equipped with the P-40 Kittyhawks, later being replaced by the F4U-1As and -1D Corsairs. However, by the time the Corsairs were adopted, Japanese air strength in the Pacific had been all but decimated and there were no confirmed 'kills' with the Corsairs during aerial combat.

Instead, the RNZAF fighter squadrons were used in a ground-attack roles against Japanese ground installations, shipping and food growing areas.

New Zealand pilot and later mathematician Leslie Woods, in his autobiography 'Against the Tide', would write:

'My new posting could not have been more congenial and was to join the Corsair Conversion Unit at Whenuapai, which was under the command of S/L Doug Greig. He was an ebullient, dominated person, but very easy to approach and unconstrained by petty rules and regulations ...'

Photographer: Leo White
Image courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand

The last RAAF Hornet leaving Woodbourne today, has been great having them in town for the first and probably last time but you never know!