One of New Zealand's smallest Air Force planes, the King Air 350, has become a guardian of the nation’s fisheries.
Video. / Mike Scott
One of New Zealand’s smallest Air Force planes has emerged as an essential protector in our skies, playing a pivotal role in shielding a key resource.
During the past 18 months, two twin-engine King Air 350 aircraft, have patrolled the oceans to find, observe, and record fishing vessels for theMinistry for Primary Industries.
This vital surveillance role in protecting New Zealand’s expansive Exclusive Economic Zone, used to be covered by the now-retired veteran P3 Orion aircraft.
The Orions have been replaced by four new P8A Poseidon’s, which have taken over the surveillance duties, but now share fisheries’ patrols with 42 Squadron’s two King Air 350s equipped with surface radar and high-resolution cameras.
The New Zealand Herald was given a first-hand experience of a King Air in a morning run from Ohakea Air Force Base out over the Tasman Sea near Westport.
Squadron Leader Craig Clark with one of the 'podded' King Air 350s equipped with high-tech surveillance equipment. Photo / Mike Scott
The plane is not large, especially with the high-tech surveillance kit and screens crowding the deck, but it’s not about size but capability, said Squadron Leader Craig Clark.
“I guess the aircraft in the NZDF (New Zealand Defence Force) come in all shapes and sizes.”
The Australian Royal Air Force uses King Air craft for maritime observations in the Pacific and Clark has witnessed United States agencies using the same machine also for fisheries’ monitoring.
“So, I guess if it’s good enough for the US, it’s probably good enough for New Zealand.”
It took about an hour flying at 22,000 feet (6700m) from Ohakea, near Palmerston North, to begin the patrol off the clear and stunning West Coast.
High resolution cameras onboard the King Air record the activities of fishing vessels for the Ministry for Primary Industries. Photo / Mike Scott
On approach the radar has already located a handful of boats and the plane descends to 2000ft to begin investigating several fishing vessels.
Air warfare specialists, or officers such as Clark, man the surveillance equipment, requesting and directing flight passes from the pilots.
Sergeant Daniel Wilks, the air warfare specialist onboard, operates the camera with a device like a gaming controller.
“The electro-optic camera is designed for use on aircraft like this. It has four different cameras on it, two infrared ones that we use when there’s no visual light, and two visual light cameras that we use during the daytime.”
Air warfare specialist Sergeant Daniel Wilks operates the high-resolution cameras aboard the King Air 350. Photo / Mike Scott
The camera can easily detect targets from 10 nautical miles (18km) and see details such as the vessel name from 5 nautical miles (9km). Flying closer allows them to watch the vessel crew and equipment in surprising detail.
The last action of the King Air was flying over several boats at 300 feet (90m), skimming the waves, before heading up and back to base.
The plane can flex some aviation muscle. It can fly missions for about three-and-a-half hours, cruise at 300 knots (556km/h) and reach a height ceiling, if required, of 35,000 feet (about the cruising altitude of a commercial jet).
Such specs make it ideal to run surveillance missions 50 to 100 nautical miles (93 to 186km) off the New Zealand coast.
The King Air 350 has impressive capabilities for a small plane and can cruise at 556km/h and if necessary fly to height of commercial jet airliners. Photo / Mike Scott
The main purpose of 42 Squadron, which is made up of four King Air 350s, is training pilots and air warfare specialists, and VIP transport.
With a recent Air Force initiative named Plan Astra the squadron has been earmarked for a rejig to improve its operational output.
Wing Commander Hayden Sheard, the commanding officer flying training, said the King Air 350 had proven to be a versatile and cost-effective aircraft in both surveillance and transport of personnel.
Captain Flight Lieutenant Andrew Day, left, and co-pilot Flight Lieutenant Hamish Quinn fly the King Air 350 during the fisheries patrol. Photo / Mike Scott
The focus of changes to 42 Squadron was on opening up the utility of the King Air 350 so the larger Air Force planes, the P-8A Poseidon and C-130 Hercules, could work further afield and into the Pacific, he said.
“It has the potential to do a much wider range of surveillance tasks and if we were asked to do something different, we’d be able to do it,” Clark said.
“We could transit to the southwest Pacific, to the Pacific Islands, and do patrols there.
“We haven’t started doing that as yet, but, yeah, there’s a lot of potential there. And 42 Squadron will essentially go out and do anything that we’re asked to do when we’re asked to do it.”
