Whanganui Intermediate School students sat with their heads tilted skyward as an Air Force helicopter landed on their grounds yesterday.The only sounds louder than the machine-gun hum of rotating propellers might have been their shrill screams of excitement and exclamations of awe.
That is until the black sky beast began its descent, blowing debris into faces and even folding the cricket pitch back over itself as it touched down.
Teacher Nicki Hennessy said the helicopter and Defence Force personnel would spend an hour at the Dublin St school.
"It's an amazing opportunity for the kids to actually see the capability that the Defence Force has in New Zealand and it's a cool thrill for them as well," Hennessy said.