It was the only occasion an A-4 Skyhawk from the Royal New Zealand Air Force had opened fire in anger
When Jim Jennings fired a warning shot over the bow of a Taiwanese squid boat that was fishing illegally in New Zealand waters in 1976, he entered the annals of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).
It was the only occasion an RNZAF Skyhawk had opened fire in anger. Although that incident attracted the public’s attention, Mr. Jennings’ remarkable flying career, which lasted more than 60 years and took him all around the world, was not defined by that event.
He is now retired, and on May 27, 2021, a brief ceremony at RNZAF Base Ohakea bid him farewell. An 18-year-old Mr. Jennings joined the military in 1961 and began his training as an engine fitter and mechanic after growing up on a farm in North Canterbury.
He made the decision to become a pilot in 1964. Before being assigned to Ohakea to fly Vampires, he had training on Harvard and Devon aircraft.
“The old Vampire that sits outside of the main gate of Ohakea is one I’ve flown many times,” he says in a New Zealand Defence Force news release.
As the RNZAF upgraded to Skyhawks, Mr. Jennings piloted them on training exercises in Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. He also served as an operations flight commander on the Strikemaster for a while.
Prior to being assigned to Malaysia in the integrated Air Defence System from 1981 to 1983, he spent some time at the headquarters in Wellington with his family.
Before receiving an “out of the blue” offer to take over the No. 2 Squadron, a Skyhawk training unit, Mr. Jennings went back to his old habitat at Ohakea where he served as the Strike Wing’s Executive Officer.
“I had two lovely years there training lots of pilots on the Skyhawk and having a real blast.”
Another high point in Mr. Jennings’ career was his 1989 deployment to Iran as the Detachment Commander of the Air Unit, which provided in-country air transport for the UN mission there.
“It was a very nice place and a lovely country and the mission itself worked quite well but it did have its moments dealing with Iranian Revolutionary Guards.”
The country was like “Central Otago on a grand scale”.
“It had magnificent scenery, lovely people, and snow. My tour was a winter one and at the back of Tehran, where we were based they had a very good ski field. It was a real highlight of my career.”
For his military achievements, he was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2010.
The position of Mr. Jennings was changed to a civilian position in 2011. He has been in charge of operational support issues for the previous ten years, including the airline diversion capability at Ohakea.
Now that he is 79, the man is ready for retirement and a “good sleep-in.”
“I feel young, but the reality is, that’s quite a few years on the clock. I think it was time to retire and give someone else a run at it.
“I think I will miss being on an air base with aircraft around because I’ve been with aircraft nearly all my life, but it’s been a lovely experience and I’ve worked with some excellent people over the years.”
The A-4 Skyhawk in service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force
The RNZAF received 10 A-4K single-seat aircraft and 4 TA-4K in 1970, joining the 75 Squadron. In 1984, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) added 8 A-4G Skyhawks and 2 TA-4Gs, enabling the formation of a second squadron with Skyhawk equipment, 2 Squadron.
Project Kahu was started in 1986 as a less expensive option for purchasing new replacement Skyhawks. Its goal was to equip New Zealand’s Skyhawks with new avionics, including AN/APG-66NZ radar based on the F-16, and armaments. The 12 original RNZAF aircraft and the 10 ex-RAN aircraft were all converted to the A-4K Kahu standard.
The Skyhawks were placed in storage in anticipation of sale in 2001 after the dissolution of the three Air Combat Force squadrons (Nos. 2, 14, and 75). They were kept up with the help of sporadic service flights before being transferred to RNZAF Base Woodbourne and preserved in latex.
In 2012, Draken International and the government of New Zealand agreed to the purchase of eight A-4Ks and related equipment for its adversary training services. Six of them were former RAN A-4G aircraft with considerably fewer flying hours as carrier aircraft. In Lakeland, Florida, at Draken’s Lakeland Linder International Airport facility, these were subsequently transported to the United States. The other A-4K planes were donated to museums in Australia and New Zealand.
Photo by Royal New Zealand Air Force, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy