New Zealand Defence Force
Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa

Media Release

28 June 2007

American Aircraft to Make Flying Visit to New Zealand

A United States Air Force Boeing 757 aircraft will land at Auckland International Airport tomorrow as part of a test and evaluation flight to assess a wing modification.

The aircraft is almost identical to the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Boeing 757 and is used for VIP and general military transport tasks.

RNZAF Air Component Commander, Air Commodore Peter Stockwell, said the visit was a good opportunity for the RNZAF to view the winglet modification on the American aircraft and to interact with one of the few military operators of the Boeing 757.

“The US Air Force is testing winglets on the aircraft to improve fuel efficiency. It’s a good chance for us to have a look at the modification and find out what performance improvements it may make.

“The visit is also an opportunity for RNZAF personnel to meet their American counterparts and learn more about their operational procedures and compare them with our own.”

The American air crew will be hosted for the day by 40 Squadron at RNZAF Base Whenuapai. Personnel from 40 Squadron recently visited Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, the home base of the visiting aircraft and crew.

The USAF Boeing 757 will depart New Zealand tomorrow night.

ENDS

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