RNZAF Orion NZ4203 on its final flight last Friday. Photo / RNZAF
RNZAF Orion NZ4203 on its final flight last Friday. Photo / RNZAF
The first of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's Orion maritime patrol aircraft fleet to be retired, NZ4203, made its final flight on Friday after 55 years' service.
This particular P-3K2 Orion arrived in New Zealand in January 1967 and has undertaken more than 27,000 flying hours, circumnavigating the globein support of RNZAF deployments and exercises, including to the Middle East and Antarctica, to take part in fisheries, piracy, search and rescue, and other missions; and patrolling New Zealand's extensive maritime approaches.
NZ4203 and the other five Orions have undergone a range of major upgrades over the decades, including the re-wing project, and the latest upgrade programme in which modernised navigation, mission and communications capabilities were installed.
The aircraft departed its No 5 Squadron base at RNZAF Base Auckland Whenuapai at 10.40am on Friday, flying at low altitude over Whenuapai, RNZAF Base Ohakea, the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram, in Christchurch, and then over its final destination, RNZAF Base Woodbourne, before landing there for the last time.
Flight Lieutenant Phil Brock commanded the flight of NZ4203. For him it is the culmination of more than 100 missions in the aircraft, totalling more than four circumnavigations of the globe.
He was also in command of NZ4203's Crown Acceptance flight in 2013, the final test flight of the newly upgraded aircraft before it was received back by the RNZAF from L-3 Systems, which conducted the upgrade.
The Orion retires as the air force begins the transition to the new maritime patrol aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon.
