Flying the Line with 40 Squadron

By Graeme Mollison.

The year 2009 marked the beginning of a new era for 40 Squadron RNZAF with the arrival home of the second of its two Boeing 757-200s, following a comprehensive modification and upgrade programme. With the two upgraded 757s to complement its fleet of five Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports, 40 Squadron now possesses a truly effective anywhere, anytime transport capability.

The RNZAF has been operating the B757s since 2003 when they were purchased from the Dutch airline Transavia to replace the Air Force’s elderly Boeing 727s. The B757’s speed, payload, range and field performance (it regularly uses Woodbourne’s 1,425-metre runway) made the aircraft type a compelling choice as a 727 replacement.

Both B757s (NZ7571 and NZ7572) were built in 1993 and, having accumulated around 30,000 hours each when they were bought, could hardly be classified as “low time”. However, as the intention was always to “militarise” and modify the aircraft substantially, the two airframes met the RNZAF’s requirements adequately.

The upgrade programme for the 757s was timed to coincide with scheduled heavy maintenance, so that it was 2007 before the first of the aircraft headed to the United States for modification. The process, which took many months and tens of thousands of man-hours, included the installation of a large forward cargo door, a cargo-handling system, air-stairs and crew access ladder, new military communication systems, upgraded communication and navigation systems, cabin noise-reduction features, VIP capability and an engine thrust upgrade.

The upgrade of the aircraft’s communications and navigation systems gives the aircraft a truly global capability and allows for “safe” entry into conflict zones and includes encrypted communications capability. On the flight deck, the installation of two electronic flight bags (EFBs) has spelt the end of paper charts for the flight crew, with the exception of those required for en route navigation.

Launching to far-flung or unique destinations is now just a case of ensuring that they are loaded into the aircraft’s navigation database. Some of the more remote destinations the aircraft is likely to operate in create their own sets of problems. For example, it would be no good arriving at a remote port only to find there were no steps to reach the rather tall B757. This problem has been solved with the installation of the very impressive air-stair—probably the tallest one is likely to see anywhere—which is deployed from the starboard rear cabin door.

Perhaps the most noticeable of all the modifications is the main-deck cargo door (and deletion of the associated cabin windows) forward of the port wing. Inside the aircraft, a whole new interior allows for up to 11 pallets of cargo to be loaded and locked on to a roller floor. Loads are easily manoeuvred on board using the cargo handling system, although loads such as engines and propellers for the RNZAF’s P3 Orions are a tight squeeze!

Freight hauling is just one of the many roles the newly modified B757s are now capable of filling. The 11-pallet cargo interior can be changed to a 156-passenger interior or numerous configurations/combinations in between, including VIP.

A Busy Day

It was to a rather foggy Whenuapai Air Force Base that I reported at 0700 hours, where Flight Lieutenant Phil Randerson signed me in at the main gate and escorted me to the “terminal” check-in before delivering me to the waiting Boeing 757.

Once all the formalities were complete, it was time to step aboard. Because the day’s duty involved carrying passengers and freight, the aircraft was in a “combi” configuration with passenger seating in the rear half of the cabin, while the forward half was available for cargo. Thus the stairs at the rear of the aircraft led directly into the passenger section of the cabin.

This is a military aircraft, so some of the “frills” one might normally expect to find in a civil B757 are absent and although passenger seating is very comfortable, the absence of a bulkhead or screen leaves the cargo area open to the rest of the cabin. Treading carefully across the roller floor and around the restraining net forward of the cargo area provides access to the flight deck, which actually sits lower than the main cabin floor.

The flight deck closely resembles that of a standard commercial airliner, although admittedly one with higher specifications than standard! Just as it would be in airline service, this is a two-crew aeroplane and carries no flight engineer, which is a sign of the times, I guess. Naturally, the flight deck is very similar in layout to the Boeing 767 with which it shares a common flight crew type rating, although it is a little smaller dimensionally than its wide-body cousin.

The RNZAF’s B757s now sport two Electronic Flight Bags (EFB), which provide a plethora of information to the flight crew in electronic form rather than paper—everything from airport charts to takeoff performance calculations and systems information. Using GPS information, it can also plot the B757’s position on the ground as the aircraft moves along runways and taxiways. This guidance information is extremely valuable in poor visibility or when navigating the maze of taxiways at unfamiliar airports.

Today, however, the full global-deployment capabilities of the improved navigation and communications equipment would not be called upon, as our “deployment” was a little closer to home—a six-sector flight with stops at Wellington and Ohakea on the way to and from Christchurch to pick up and drop off military personnel and their families. On this service, the B757 often calls at Woodbourne (Blenheim), where the runway is only a little over 1,400 metres in length, which is impressive for an aircraft of this size. Unfortunately, Woodbourne had been dropped from today’s schedule.

The aircraft was under the command of 33-year-old Squadron Leader Craig Abela with Flight Lieutenant Dave Gardner in the right seat. Flight Lieutenant Justin Senior and I each took one of the two jumpseats on the flight deck. Justin was getting reacquainted with the Boeing in preparation for his upcoming conversion training to return to the B757 after an 18-month stint instructing on CT4 Airtrainers—quite a contrast!

With some minor variations, the general pre-flight preparations and flight deck setup procedures were similar to those one would to see in an airline environment. This is no surprise, as aircraft manufacturers publish extensive procedures that operators are obliged to follow, or at least base their own procedures upon.

With all preparations completed, it was only the fog that prevented us from departing on time. Eventually, visibility improved to the 800 metres we required and the two Rolls Royce RB211 engines could be brought to life. A few minutes later, we were lined up on the runway, the thrust levers were advanced and we were on our way. The climb out of Whenuapai immediately put us into the thick of the commercial traffic to and from nearby Auckland International Airport. There was a considerable amount of radar vectoring and several altitude restrictions imposed by air traffic control before we eventually reached our final level of 38,000 feet, where the B757 cruised smoothly at a respectable Mach 0.80.

Our delayed departure from Whenuapai proved to be a blessing in disguise, as it had us descending into the capital after the morning “rush hour”. This meant we had an almost uninterrupted approach onto Runway 34, where we touched down 52 minutes after leaving Whenuapai. Wellington was just a quick stop—little more than 15 minutes to let a few passengers off—before we were back on our way for the short hop to RNZAF base Ohakea. The cruise at 11,000 feet was short, and less than 20 minutes after leaving the capital, we were breaking clear of cloud descending on a left base to land. As we swung on to a five-mile final, Ohakea’s air traffic control did a great job of clearing a path for our B757 amidst the hive of military helicopters and training aircraft.

Having shut down on the apron, it was another quick drop off and pickup of “customers” for our next stop, which was to be Christchurch. However, there was enough time for Justin and me to race off to a nearby hangar to catch up with the amiable Brendon Deere and check out his stunning newly restored Supermarine Spitfire.

Not wanting to be left behind, it was then back to the 757. With the doors shut, fans turning and 54 POB (persons on board), we were on our way to the holding point to await our turn for departure for the 50-minute flight to Christchurch. Our takeoff weight of 78,000 kg, which included 10,000 kg of fuel, was well below the aircraft’s 115,000 kg maximum, making for brisk acceleration through our 125 knot V1 (takeoff decision speed) and rotation at 131 knots. Even utilising the maximum engine thrust derate available (52 C) required an initial pitch attitude of 25 degrees nose-up to prevent the B757 from accelerating beyond its flap-limiting speeds.

The journey to Christchurch was uneventful and we shared the airways with a mixture of airline traffic as we joined the standard instrument arrival for an ILS approach. The aircraft was programmed and configured for a “practice” autoland and, with no surprises, the triple autopilots demonstrated just how well they can do the job!

The two-hour stop in Christchurch gave the crew a chance to get out for some exercise and have a meal. Having failed to bring my running gear with me, I politely declined the invitation to go running and just partook of the meal instead. The layover also gave me the opportunity to have a good look around the outside of the aircraft and check out the rear airstairs and large main deck cargo door.

After leaving Christchurch, we retraced our steps in reverse, stopping at Ohakea and Wellington on our way back to Whenuapai. The return journey included the shortest sector of the day—an 18-minute hop between Ohakea and Wellington. I suspect there would be few—if any—regular civilian users of the B757 operating 18-minute sectors!

The sun had long since set by the time the B757 was established on the ILS approach back at Whenuapai. It had been a busy day, but for me, a most enjoyable one.

Special thanks to the RNZAF for inviting Pacific Wings along and special thanks to Squadron Leader Craig Abela and Flight Lieutenants Dave Gardner, Justin Senior and Phil Randerson for their hospitality.

40 Squadron RNZAF

When 40 Squadron was formed in 1943, it operated Douglas Dakotas, Lockheed Lodestars and Hudsons on transport services around New Zealand and the Pacific. In 1947, the squadron was disbanded, but reformed in 1954, initially operating four Handley Page Hastings aircraft. In 1961, three Douglas DC-6s joined the Hastings. In 1965, the first three of five new Lockheed C-130H Hercules aircraft arrived to begin re-equipping the squadron. The remaining two C-130s arrived in 1969 and all five of these are still in regular RNZAF service. In 1981, the squadron’s five C130s were joined by two Boeing 727 aircraft (a third 727 was broken up for spares). As described earlier, the B727s were phased out with the arrival of the first of two B757s in 2003.

Government and defence tasks see 40-Squadron’s aircraft and personnel regularly deployed around the world. The squadron clocks up around 3,500 flying hours annually, providing strategic and tactical air transport and supporting such operations as the New Zealand Antarctic Programme, disaster relief and aeromedical evacuations.