Bigger than Ben Hur
Winched in from an Iroquios.
By Anna Sussmilch
It was, as the saying goes, Bigger than Ben Hur. Hundreds of children and their parents descended on Base Ohakea for the filming of the popular television programme, What Now.
The show opened with presenter Tumehe Rongonui, complete with his trademark blue hair, being winched out of an Iroquois in front of an audience wide-eyed with excitement.
Other live segments of the show included the memorable Airtrainer Aerobics which saw two teams pull a pair of Airtrainers. For the first to cross the finish line – television glory, for the losers – a bucket of gunge tipped on their heads. Of course for those familiar with What Now – getting gunged is a highlight.
Interspersed with the Live show were the pre-recorded segments that had been filmed in the days prior with the help of a magnificent team that included members of No. 3 Squadron, Pilot Training Squadron, Armourers and Fire Flight which ensured the show was an action-packed event showcasing an exciting and dynamic Air Force.
The crowd getting ‘gunged’.
There was the unforgettable sight of Tumehe looking very green on the tarmac after his loop-filled flight in an airtrainer. The young sons of WGCDR Ian MacPherson and their friends made their television debuts with a tour of Base and a car was dropped from an Iroquois that through the magic of Ohakea’s armourers and television exploded on impact.
For the What Now crew, it was a memorable weekend. ‘We had a great time at the Base,’ said the show’s producer Kate Roberts.
‘The studio was very impressed with the opening arrival on the helicopter and it really signaled the start of a nice, colourful and fun show for us.’
A big thank you to everyone who put in many extra hours to make this show such a success.