Exercise Skytrain a success

Flight Deck of an RNZAF C-130H Hercules during Exercise Skytrain.

Exercise Skytrain, a two week Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) exercise is wrapping up at Base Woodbourne this weekend.

Squadron Leader Blair Oldershaw says the exercise has been remarkably successful and couldn’t have been done without the support of the region.

“The people of Blenheim and the wider Marlborough area have been remarkably supportive, everyone has shown a real interest in why we’re here and what we’re trying to achieve.”

The annual exercise saw over 200 personnel from RNZAF №40 Squadron and the NZ Army focusing on tactical low level flying, load dropping and night flying.

RNZAF Flying Officer Dillon Logan calculating the position of a drop zone marker for an incoming RNZAF C-130H Hercules.

“We’ve been particularly lucky with the weather and have achieved all our planned sorties bar one thus far.”

“Most of the challenges we’ve faced have been around the logistics of establishing a large footprint in such a short period, this can range from the obvious issues like accommodation and food, through to smaller challenges such as shift times and communicating changes to the contingent effectively.”

A RNZAF C-130H Hercules completing a cargo drop in Marlborough.

“I’d like to thank the land owners that have allowed us to use their land for air drop, without them we wouldn’t be able to achieve all our requirements for the exercise. They have been incredibly supportive, and for their troubles receive little more than the satisfaction of watching a C-130 drop loads on to their property.”