Big Boys' Toys

Got a mate who's training to be an aircraft engineer at Air New Zealand here in Christchurch. CHC is also the base of Operation Deep Freeze, the American Antarctic program, so there's always C-17 Globemasters and permanent ice flight C-130 Hercules flying in an out. Anyway, Air NZ Engineering had an open day for friends and family today, so my mate brought us along. The Americans were kind enough to open up a C-17 for everyone, but for some reason we couldn't enter the C-130. Enjoy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/1-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/2.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/3-1.jpg


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Main loading bay

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/5-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/6-1.jpg
Sleeping rack behind the cockpit

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/7.jpg
The office

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/8-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/9.jpg
Heads up display

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/10-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/11-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/12-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/13-1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Toksin/14.jpg

That instrument panel is rough, not something you can just kindly take over if the pilot decides to fall asleep. Nice pics, I always love checking out planes, no matter what the year or use.

Cool stuff! Thanks Toksin. The C130 probably had some gear loaded up already, or had something inside that was security related.

That instrument panel is rough, not something you can just kindly take over if the pilot decides to fall asleep.

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It's pretty much symmetrical :p


fred: Yeah, another mate who's an engineer and occasionally gets to work on the Hercs says that whenever they get on board half the avionics and such are sealed up in alarmed, tamper proof bags, so maybe they have new toys that the Globemasters don't have. Oh well. There was also a 777 outside and inside the hangar was a totally gutted 737. Few engines scattered about as well.

those are AWESOME!

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fred: Yeah, another mate who's an engineer and occasionally gets to work on the Hercs says that whenever they get on board half the avionics and such are sealed up in alarmed, tamper proof bags, so maybe they have new toys that the Globemasters don't have....

And there's the answer...I suppose they've got a bunch of antarctic gear, probably some navigation/homing equipment I imagine. Precise navigation on the most dangerous flight in the world is a must.

Yeah, but that doesn't explain why the C-17 is all open still. The Globemasters fly down there too.

It's not about the plane, but the contents I guess. The C130, if stuff is all covered, has something that they don't want seen.


:dunno:

That's one big plane right there.

Those were sweet shots!

Enjoyed the pictures man. That must have been a great oppertunity.

Ohh, it's too bad they didn't have an AC-130 Spectre on display. Those boys are badass through and through.