Hot off the Production Line NH90
By SQNLDR Shaun Johnson
On 11 September 2008, I had the honour of spending 45 minutes flying in an Australian MRH90.
ADF MRH90 helicopter
I was able to sit in the helicopter’s ‘jumpseat’ after a generous offer from the Australian Defence Force, situated in Marignane, France. It was my first (and long awaited) NH90 ride – having been deeply involved in the NZDF’s NH90 acquisition since the beginning of 2004. As well as being a welcome escape from my desk, the flight was very interesting from an engineering perspective. After years of pouring over detailed system design data, it was fantastic to finally see all of the NH90 systems functioning in flight. As the flight was predominantly a ‘Check Ride’ for test pilot LTCDR Brad McKay, he was able to spend some time showing me through many of the aircraft’s systems and how everything from pre-flight to emergency data is presented to the crew. From a systems perspective, the MRH90 is very similar to our TNZA variant, so this flight provided me with a new insight into how our first NH90 will perform - timely insight considering NHI personnel will soon commence TNZA-01 ground testing. It is extremely difficult to get a flight in an NH90 for both Project Team and NHI personnel alike. I am therefore very grateful to the Australian Team for providing me with this opportunity. As always, the Anzac Spirit is alive and well in France.