Whenuapai gets its fence

[Chairman]

From the Herald

7.5km fence to keep intruders out of Air Force base
4:00AM Thursday Sep 18, 2008
By Wayne Thompson

A security fence is to be built around Whenuapai Air Force Base, where an Australian C-17 transport plane was tagged by youths this month.

The NZ Defence Force called yesterday for registrations of interest from contractors to build the fence, which has to be 7.5km long to surround the West Auckland base.

Wing Commander Les Matthews, of the base's operational support wing, said the project was approved by the Cabinet on December 19 as part of an $129 million upgrade at Ohakea Air Force Base and Whenuapai.

"There is a fence there but it's not a security fence," he said.

"Civil Aviation Authority requires a fence around licensed airfields and this one will give the same protection as any airfield in the country."

Wing Commander Matthews said the fence would be 2.4m-high chain mesh topped by barbed wire outriggers to stop anyone climbing over it.

Since the embarrassing tagging incident, Defence officials have beefed up security between parked aircraft and a public road in the area.

The moves come as a multi-national exercise brings overseas aircraft to Whenuapai, including two from the Japan Air Self-Defence Force.

The Orion P3-B maritime patrol aircraft are taking part in Exercise Maru, which is testing New Zealand's ability to stop a shipment concealing materials for making weapons of mass destruction.

Wing Commander Andrew Clark, of 5 Squadron, said it was the first time that New Zealand had hosted the Japanese aircraft.

They are made in Japan by Kawasaki whereas New Zealand's P3-K Orions were made in the US.

"You notice that the Japanese look after their aircraft very well. They are in good condition and are nicely cleaned," said Wing Commander Clark.

Exercise Maru, which finishes tomorrow, is led by the Customs Service and also involves HMNZS Te Kaha and Resolution and naval patrol ships from Australia and France.

[Nunner]

I dont take pics of a/c anymore but i hope that when the fence is built they build in those cute little photo
friendly slots that you find at airfields in europe. But i wouldnt hold out too much hope though unless the contractor
that wins it is an aviation photography nut!
Nunner

[2fst4u]

i hope those japanese orions are there for a couple more weeks! im going on air force experience on the 29th sept-3rd oct and i will be staying at whenuapai for a day and a night.

good to hear they are getting their act together and actually fixing things rather than coming up with alternatives. at least with barbed wire, our air force might look slightly menacing!

[Timmo]

Yeah, read this in the herald today. Shame that some people tagged the C 17 in the first place.

QUOTE

Civil Aviation Authority requires a fence around licensed airfields and this one will give the same protection as any airfield in the country[/quote]
Has military airfields had there own rules about this before?

Last edited by Daniel on Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[twinstarda42]

QUOTE (2fst4u @ Sep 18 2008, 02:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i hope those japanese orions are there for a couple more weeks! im going on air force experience on the 29th sept-3rd oct and i will be staying at whenuapai for a day and a night.

good to hear they are getting their act together and actually fixing things rather than coming up with alternatives. at least with barbed wire, our air force might look slightly menacing!

Some good photo's of japan P-3s at whenuapai by colin hunter along with a French navy falcon Guardian 80 by a wayne grant located here:

http://mrcaviation.blogspot.com/2008/09/tu...ember-2008.html

http://mrcaviation.blogspot.com/2008/09/tu...aturday-13.html

[Timmo]

QUOTE (2fst4u @ Sep 18 2008, 02:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i hope those japanese orions are there for a couple more weeks! im going on air force experience on the 29th sept-3rd oct and i will be staying at whenuapai for a day and a night.

Oh good stuff- I was fortunate enough to be selected to go on the first one they ran!....a few years ago now. Enjoy it.

[greaneyr]

A security fence has only mixed impact on photos in actual fact. I've taken plenty of halfway decent shots through the security fence at Palmy before. Sure, it's a pain, but then so is bad light, wind, and a cr@p selection of traffic - all of which plague Palmerston North. It's just another hurdle to overcome as a photographer.

I can point out plenty of good shots of mine that involved me pointing the lens up very close to the gap between wires - they're actually wide enough apart to not disturb a telephoto shot at all. I if anything, they create a perspective that you don't see in real life, since they show nothing of the fence. If they put gaps in the fence for photographers, that would annoy me since everyone's shots would end up looking exactly the same - something aviation photography already has as a rather large demon at the moment.

[PiperDriver]

About time they had a fence. Hopefully it will keep out unwanted people.

[Nunner]

QUOTE (PiperDriver @ Sep 23 2008, 10:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

About time they had a fence. Hopefully it will keep out unwanted people.

Actually with the present government in place i think the fence is to keep the current military personnel
in rather than keeping people out !?
Nunner

[mfraser]

LOL... I was a member of the Airforce police before remustering onto the Hueys as aircrew and I was always amazed that we never had more mischief to deal with because of the lack of adequate security fencing. This new fencing will only deter the casual or opportunistic criminal and I dare say there will be a certain amount of people out there that will see this as a challenge to be conquered!

[PiperDriver]

Some will try to get over it just to see if they can or not

[redkiwi]

Turns out its gonna cost $3mil to repaint the C-17... it was only a few weeks old to the RAAF, and has to go back to the States in order to have it's radar obsorbant paint applied.

[waka172rg]

QUOTE (redkiwi @ Sep 19 2008, 12:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Turns out its gonna cost $3mil to repaint the C-17... it was only a few weeks old to the RAAF, and has to go back to the States in order to have it's radar obsorbant paint applied.

s**t is that right!! they needed to catch these buggers an make them do 3mill $ worth of community service :Thatll stuff em: !! i have not heard anything on the news over here in cairns. Has anyone heard anything here in Auzzie?

[2fst4u]

QUOTE (waka172rg @ Sep 19 2008, 02:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

s**t is that right!! they needed to catch these buggers an make them do 3mill $ worth of community service :Thatll stuff em: !! i have not heard anything on the news over here in cairns. Has anyone heard anything here in Auzzie?

kiwi air force probably told them to keep it a secret so australians dont think we're usless. think about it from their perspective. wouldnt you call us usless?

[waka172rg]

QUOTE (2fst4u @ Sep 19 2008, 09:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

kiwi air force probably told them to keep it a secret so australians dont think we're usless. think about it from their perspective. wouldnt you call us usless?

i suppose you could say this saves my and other kiwis living over here from flack

[greaneyr]

QUOTE (Nunner @ Sep 18 2008, 09:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yardy yardy yardy


Ooops I meant zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

I have no idea what you're trying to get at here. Care to explain?

[Nunner]

QUOTE (greaneyr @ Sep 25 2008, 03:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have no idea what you're trying to get at here. Care to explain?

"if anything, they create a perspective that you don't see in real life, since they show nothing of the fence. If they put gaps in the fence for photographers, that would annoy me since everyone's shots would end up looking exactly the same"

Yardy yardy yardy means yes yes yes I've heard all that before and Ooops zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz means because i've heard those arguments before means I am going to sleep now !?

Also the "if anything, they create a perspective that you don't see in real life" you talk about, is already there in real life and I'm sorry but everyones shots do end up looking the same fence or no fence, usually because there are only a certain number of ways/angles that you can photograph a Boeing 737 or whatever,be it taxiing in,out or taking off unless of course you strap yourself to the undercarriage then the perspective definatley changes to what others have or see......................God even I'm sending myself to sleep.
Nunner

[greaneyr]

QUOTE (Nunner @ Sep 20 2008, 04:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"if anything, they create a perspective that you don't see in real life, since they show nothing of the fence. If they put gaps in the fence for photographers, that would annoy me since everyone's shots would end up looking exactly the same"

Yardy yardy yardy means yes yes yes I've heard all that before and Ooops zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz means because i've heard those arguments before means I am going to sleep now !?


Also the "if anything, they create a perspective that you don't see in real life" you talk about, is already there in real life and I'm sorry but everyones shots do end up looking the same fence or no fence, usually because there are only a certain number of ways/angles that you can photograph a Boeing 737 or whatever,be it taxiing in,out or taking off unless of course you strap yourself to the undercarriage then the perspective definatley changes to what others have or see......................God even I'm sending myself to sleep.
Nunner

Sorry to bore you with posts that disagree with your opinions.