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Due primarily to a lack of engineers, Qantas was unable to bid for the latest RAAF C-130 maintenance contract which in turn was won by Air New Zealand, who had in the past actually undertaken some level of work on behalf of Qantas. (Jim Thorn)
RAAF Hercules Maintenance Goes East
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The care of the RAAF’s C-130 Hercules aircraft is in the hands of Air New Zealand – at least for the next four years. Work has begun on a contract for depot level maintenance (OLM) on the Service’s Heres’. It runs for four years, with provision for extending it one more year.
The major overhauls are being done at the Christchurch Engineering Base, which is hugely experienced in C-130 work. Christchurch began servicing US National Science Foundation Hercules on the Deep Freeze run in the early 1960s, soon after this aircraft type came into service. It has continued steady on and offline maintenance of the NSF aircraft since, sometimes doing up to four major overhauls a year.
Their reputation has attracted work from a number of overseas air forces and this will not be the first RAAF C-130 work. Qantas, which formerly held the contract, frequently subcontracted the work to the Christchurch Base. The Australian carrier did not bid for the present work because of a major redeployment program.
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