Air Force drops in on school's open day

It was an open day with a difference for Richmond School in Napier with the arrival of one of the RNZAF’s eight NH90 helicopters.

It was a three-hour visit with the aircraft flying in low over the Maraenui neighbourhood at about 10.30am on Wednesday, and flying out just before 1.30pm, as part of an open day also involving police, fire and ambulance services.

It was a rare appearance of an NH90 in Hawke’s Bay, which had been more used to the Iroquois, before the government began selling the fleet in 2015 amid the commissioning of the NH90s, which can seat up to 18.

Their main role is tactical air mobility operations for the New Zealand Defence Force, including special operations, casualty evacuation, and movement of troops and equipment. They are also involved in search and rescue, police operations, disaster relief, and counter-terrorism response.

Four crew were on the “community engagement” mission organised by the regional NZDF recruiting office, which, a spokesperson said, “helps engage wha¯nau about what opportunities are out there that their tamariki can aspire to in the future”.

Significant numbers from the school’s wha¯nau were at the open day as the NH90 landed, many hit by the downwash as the machine, flown by No 3 Squadron, took off in the afternoon to return directly to RNZAF Base Ohakea.