RNZAF Base Ohakea is an operational base of the
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...
. Opened in 1939, it is located near
Bulls
Bulls may refer to:
*The plural of bull, an adult male bovine
*Bulls, New Zealand, a small town in the Rangitikei District
Sports
*Bucking bull, used in the sport of bull riding
*Bulls (rugby union), a South African rugby union franchise operated ...
, 25 km north-west of
Palmerston North
Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
in the
Manawatu. It is also a diversion landing point for civilian aircraft. The base's motto is ''Defensio per vires'' (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
for defence through strength).
Early days
An air base was originally proposed in the area in 1927, when Ohakea was selected as the most suitable site for a
mooring mast
A mooring mast, or mooring tower, is a structure designed to allow for the docking of an airship outside of an airship hangar or similar structure. More specifically, a mooring mast is a mast or tower that contains a fitting on its top that allow ...
for airships of the
British Imperial Airship service. It was proposed to build one mast for a demonstration flight, with the potential for expansion to a full airship base with three masts, airship sheds and
hydrogen production
Hydrogen production is the family of industrial methods for generating hydrogen gas. As of 2020, the majority of hydrogen (∼95%) is produced from fossil fuels by steam reforming of natural gas and other light hydrocarbons, partial oxidation of h ...
. However, there was no point in going ahead with the development of the site without a commitment from the Australian Government to build masts to provide bases in that country. When the Australian Government declined to build masts, the New Zealand Government declined likewise.
1930s development
In 1935 the Labour government committed to an expansion of the military air service at the expense of the navy, seeing this as a way of reducing the total defence vote. At the end of 1935, the government accepted an air service expansion plan developed by
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
Wing Commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...
Ralph Cochrane
Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Alexander Cochrane, (24 February 1895 – 17 December 1977) was a British aviator and Royal Air Force officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise, the famous "Dambusters" raid.
Early RAF career
Ral ...
.
The plan called for several new bases, with a major development at Ohakea, which would be home to 30
Wellington bombers on order for the RNZAF. Two large
hangar
A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s (now hangars 2 and 3) were authorised to house the aircraft, to be designed by the
Department of Public Works
This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure.
See also
* Public works
* Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
chief design engineer Charles Turner. Turner decided to build the hangars as monolithic
reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...
structures because structural steel could not be obtained in sufficient quantities without delays, while concrete and
reinforcing steel
Rebar (short for reinforcing bar), known when massed as reinforcing steel or reinforcement steel, is a steel bar used as a tension device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures to strengthen and aid the concrete under tension. ...
could be delivered immediately. The same limitation forced Turner to adopt concrete doors. The arched hangars spanned 61 metres, with a height of 18 metres. The expense of the steel
centring
Centring, centre, centering"Centering 2, Centring 2" def. 1. Whitney, William Dwight, and Benjamin E. Smith. ''The Century dictionary and cyclopedia''. vol. 2. New York: Century Co., 1901. p. 885., or center is a type of formwork: the temporary str ...
was spread across four hangars, as another two similar structures were ordered for
RNZAF Base Auckland
RNZAF Base Auckland is a Royal New Zealand Air Force base located near the upper reaches of the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. The base formerly comprised two separate airfields, Whenuapai and RNZAF Station Hobsonville. Hobsonville ...
. The two Ohakea hangars were completed in 1939, at a cost of about £76,750 each.
Ultimately, the Wellington bombers for which the hangars were built never arrived, as they were donated to Britain at the start of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, forming
The New Zealand Squadron
The New Zealand Squadron was the name given by the Royal Air Force to the men of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in the United Kingdom to train on the 30 Vickers Wellington Mk1C bombers the New Zealand Government ordered in 1938 to introd ...
. However, the hangars have been in continuous use since their construction, and (re-roofed in steel) remain in use today.
Military service
During the Second World War, Ohakea was the RNZAF's main training base for operational conversion to fighters, observers/navigators for medium bombers and air gunners. After the war,
No. 14 Squadron RNZAF
14 Squadron RNZAF is a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. In 2015 the squadron was re-raised and equipped with 11 Beechcraft T-6 Texan II. A new aerobatic display team called the Black Falcons was also formed using the new aircraft. The ...
,
No. 42 Squadron RNZAF
No. 42 Squadron is an active transport squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). It was formed at Rongotai Airport (Wellington) in December 1943 to provide a communications service around New Zealand, initially using impressed civili ...
and
No. 75 Squadron RNZAF
No. 75 Squadron RNZAF was an air combat squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It was formed from the RAF's World War II bomber squadron, No. 75 Squadron, which had been initially equipped by the New Zealand government and was largely mann ...
were re-formed at Ohakea, and No.1 Repair Depot relocated from RNZAF Base
Te Rapa
Te Rapa is a mixed light industrial, large-scale retail and semi-rural suburb to the northwest of central Hamilton, New Zealand that is built on a flat area that was previously the bed of an ancient river, the forerunner to the present Waikato ...
in
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton ( mi, Kirikiriroa) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's fou ...
.
In August 1966 No. 1 Flying Training School RNZAF at Wigram was renamed Pilot Training Squadron (PTS).
![A-4Ks ClarkAirBase 1984](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/A-4Ks_ClarkAirBase_1984.JPEG)
After the war, Ohakea was the RNZAF's strike base, with Nos 14 and 75 Squadrons resident. A long-time resident, No 42 Squadron relocated to Whenuapai in 1984 to allow the relocation of
2 Squadron RNZAF
No. 2 Squadron RNZAF was a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). It was formed in 1930 as part of the Territorial Air Force with the main headquarters at Wellington and shadow flights at New Plymouth and Wanganui. Squadron pers ...
to
HMAS Albatross,
Nowra
Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in th ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in 1991. In 1993, RNZAF flying training previously carried out at
Wigram
Wigram is a suburb in the southwest of Christchurch, New Zealand. The suburb lies close to the industrial estates of Sockburn and the satellite retail and residential zone of Hornby, and has undergone significant growth in recent years due to h ...
by the
Pilot Training Squadron RNZAF {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022
The Pilot Training Squadron based at RNZAF Base Ohakea, and trained RNZAF pilots from 1966 until 2015.
Origins
Military pilot training during World War I was undertaken by private contractors; principally the New Ze ...
and the
Central Flying School RNZAF
Central Flying School is the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) unit which is responsible for training the force's flight instructors. It was established at the start of World War II as the Flying Instructors School and assumed its current name ...
moved to Ohakea.
[ Also in 1993 a new aviation wing of the ]Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum
The Air Force Museum of New Zealand, formerly called The Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum, is located at Wigram, the RNZAF's first operational base, in Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. It opened on 1 April 1987 as part of th ...
was opened at Ohakea. 14 Squadron and 75 Squadron disbanded in November 2001, and 42 Squadron relocated back to Ohakea in January 2002. There are currently around 1200 personnel based at Ohakea, which makes it the second largest Air Force base behind RNZAF Base Auckland
RNZAF Base Auckland is a Royal New Zealand Air Force base located near the upper reaches of the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. The base formerly comprised two separate airfields, Whenuapai and RNZAF Station Hobsonville. Hobsonville ...
.
A plan to consolidate all RNZAF operations at Ohakea was abandoned in March 2009 as part of a change of policy on the part of the incoming National Government who chose to retain two operational air bases, Ohakea and Whenuapai, for use by the RNZAF.
In 2012 following the arrival of NH-90
The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NH90 ...
and A-109 helicopters a new multi-purpose hangar was built to accommodate the 3 Squadron helicopter fleet. Another significant infrastructure has included a brand new main gate duty centre which the RNZAF Police and RNZAF Security Forces
RNZAF Security Forces is the Royal New Zealand Air Force unit responsible for base security, ground defence, weapons training, and Air Transport Security on RNZAF aircraft. RNZAF Security Forces operates under the RNZAF Operations Squadron.
RNZ ...
personnel occupy, an international air movements terminal named after Sir Richard Bolt
Air Marshal Sir Richard Bruce Bolt, (16 July 1923 – 27 July 2014) was a bomber pilot in the Second World War and a senior Royal New Zealand Air Force officer in the post-war years. He was Chief of Air Force (New Zealand), Chief of the Air Sta ...
which was completed in 2014. This allows Ohakea the ability to accommodate international civilian flights if Wellington Airport
Wellington International Airport (formerly known as Rongotai Airport) is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington. It lies 3 NM or 5.5 km south-east from the city centre. It is a hub for Air New Zealand an ...
was closed.
No. 14 Squadron RNZAF
14 Squadron RNZAF is a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. In 2015 the squadron was re-raised and equipped with 11 Beechcraft T-6 Texan II. A new aerobatic display team called the Black Falcons was also formed using the new aircraft. The ...
reformed in 2015 to take up the initial pilot training role with the new T-6C Texan II, resulting in disbandment of the Pilot Training Squadron.
In August 2017 the Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the aerial service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for controlling and defending the airspace of the country, and providing air support to the Army and Navy. It was establish ...
based its F-16D fighters at Ohakea as a feasibility study for establishment there of a training base for its F-15
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...
fighters. The deployment gave the RSAF opportunity to fly in more open airspace and take advantage of the unique New Zealand flying conditions and mountainous terrain not available in Singapore. However the government cancelled the plan due to cost considerations.
In December 2020, construction commenced on the new hangar, taxiways, and aircraft aprons for the four new P-8 Poseidon
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN).
Th ...
aircraft that were due to arrive in 2022. This will see No. 5 Squadron RNZAF
No. 5 Squadron RNZAF is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It operates the Boeing P-8 Poseidon from RNZAF Base Ohakea. The squadron was formed during the Second World War and has since been ...
consolidate all personnel and new aircraft to Ohakea from RNZAF Base Whenuapai. The first of the new aircraft arrived in December 2022, with the remaining three aircraft scheduled for May 2023.
Personnel Strength: around 1200
Flying Squadrons
Other Units
* Flying Training Headquarters
* RNZAF Operations Squadron
* RNZAF Police
* RNZAF Security Forces
RNZAF Security Forces is the Royal New Zealand Air Force unit responsible for base security, ground defence, weapons training, and Air Transport Security on RNZAF aircraft. RNZAF Security Forces operates under the RNZAF Operations Squadron.
RNZ ...
* RNZAF Logistics
* Base Medical Flight
* RNZAF Refuellers
* RNZAF Fire Rescue
Demographics
Ohakea is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement and covers . It is part of the wider Ohakea-Sanson
Sanson is a small settlement in the Manawatu District of New Zealand. It is located just south of Bulls and the Rangitikei River, and west of the city of Palmerston North.
Two major roads of the New Zealand state highway network meet in Sanson, ...
statistical area, which covers .
The population of Ohakea was 252 in the 2018 New Zealand census
Eighteen or 18 may refer to:
* 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19
* one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
Film, television and entertainment
* ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...
, an increase of 3 (1.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 27 (12.%) since the 2006 census. There were 162 males and 87 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.86 males per female. Ethnicities were 219 people (86.9%) European/Pākehā, 27 (10.7%) Māori, 6 (2.4%) Pacific peoples, 12 (4.8%) Asian and 6 (2.4%) other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). Of the total population, 39 people (15.5%) were under 15 years old, 138 (54.8%) were 15–29, 69 (27.4%) were 30–64, and 3 (1.2%) were over 65.
Civilian functions
Ohakea is a secondary diversion airport for heavy civilian aircraft such as the Boeing 787
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, ...
and Boeing 777
The Boeing 777, commonly referred to as the Triple Seven, is an American long-range wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet.
The 777 was designed to bridge the gap bet ...
if an aircraft's destination airport is temporarily closed. Ohakea has the facilities to process a significant number of passengers since the completion of a new terminal .
On 29 January 2017, an Emirates
Emirates may refer to:
* United Arab Emirates, a Middle Eastern country
* Emirate, any territory ruled by an emir
** Gulf emirates, emirates located on the Persian Gulf
** Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, the individual emirates
* The Emirat ...
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Airbus studies started in 1988, and the project was annou ...
was diverted to RNZAF Base Ohakea due to a Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in ...
Airbus A380 blocking the main runway at Auckland International Airport
Auckland Airport is the largest and List of the busiest airports in New Zealand, busiest airport in New Zealand, with over 21 million passengers in the year ended March 2019. The airport is located near Māngere, a residential suburb, and Airp ...
because of a landing gear malfunction. The Emirates A380 was refuelled by RNZAF fuel tankers and departed for Auckland. This was the first time an A380 has landed at Ohakea.
Ohakea has been the subject of a feasibility study into mixed-use military and civilian freight capability, which has included lengthening the main runway to accommodate the Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022.
After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...
.
Motor racing
The Ohakea Airfield was used as a temporary motor racing
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
circuit, predominantly in the 1950s. A 5.6-kilometre track hosted the inaugural New Zealand Grand Prix
The New Zealand Grand Prix, sometimes known as the New Zealand International Grand Prix, is an annual motor racing event held in New Zealand. First held in 1950, it is best known for hosting rounds of the Tasman Series in the 1960s and 1970s. It ...
in 1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...
, while a shorter 3.5-kilometre circuit hosted the Ohakea Trophy from 1951 to 1956 and further national meetings from 1959 to 1962. The circuit was reopened for historic
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
events in the 1980s.
References
External links
Official RNZAF Base Ohakea webpage
{{authority control
Ohakea
RNZAF Base Ohakea is an operational base of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Opened in 1939, it is located near Bulls, 25 km north-west of Palmerston North in the Manawatu. It is also a diversion landing point for civilian aircraft. The ba ...
Airports in New Zealand
Manawatu District
Motorsport venues in New Zealand
New Zealand Grand Prix
Transport buildings and structures in Manawatū-Whanganui