Vulcans To Visit New Zealand

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30954, 10 January 1966, Page 3

Vulcans To Visit New Zealand

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 9.

Two Vulcan Mark II bombers from the Royal Air Force Bomber Command in England will fly to New Zealand at the end of this month.

They will be the first Vulcans to come to New Zealand since the spectacular incident at the opening of Wellington Airport in October, 1959, when a Vulcan bomber hit the soft ground before the Rongotai runway with its port wheels. Its undercarriage smashed, the Vulcan limped off to Ohakea, where it crash-landed. It was many months before the plane was repaired and flown back home.

The Vulcan Mark Ils will make several fly-pasts over New Zealand centres during the forthcoming journey.

The main purpose of the trip

is for the aircraft to take part in the flying display to mark the opening of the new international airport at Mangere on January 29. The Vulcans will leave R.A.F. Cottesmore, Rutland, on January 19. ROUND TRIP

They will fly out by way of Cyprus, Gan (Maidive Islands), Singapore, Darwin and Canberra, and return by way of Pago Pago (Samoa), Hickam (Honolulu), Travis (San Francisco), Offut (Nebraska) and Goose Bay (Labrador) — a round trip of 30,000 miles. A ground support party of Bomber Command technicians will accompany the Vulcans in a Britannia of R.A.F. Transport Command. At Mangere. one of the Vulcans will demonstrate its handling capabilities at both low and high speed, and in various configurations of flight.