Flight ‘nothing out of the ordinary’

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A military aircraft spotted over Gisborne on Monday was on a routine flight, a New Zealand Defence Force spokesperson says.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757-2K2 was seen by many in Gisborne, as it left a contrail, which is produced by aircraft engine exhaust or changes in air pressure, across the sky.

The aircraft took off from Auckland and circumnavigated the North Island.

“This aircraft has been conducting a maintenance check flight following a major service,” a spokesperson said.

“This flight is nothing out of the ordinary.”