Short Final: In Living Colour

Back in the days of flying around New Zealand NORDO (no radio), the method of sneaking past RNZAF Base Ohakea, near the coast, was to use the transit lane seaward of the beach. Due to the M306 Raumai Bombing Range along the route, the standard procedure was to land at a convenient airfield short of this airspace and phone Ohakea Tower for permission to proceed.

One day it fell to me to phone Ohakea on behalf of three of us traveling together. The conversation went along these lines:

"Good afternoon Ohakea, this is AXJ, BRM, and CYC, an Auster and two Tiger Moths. We're on the ground at Foxpine and would like clearance, please, through Raumai towards Wanganui."

"That's OK, M306 is not active, so you're cleared along the coast, not above 500 feet."

"Cleared, not above 500 feet. Thanks for that," and trying to be helpful, I added, "We'll be two yellow and one red aeroplanes."

Slight pause. "Well, we have colour radar, but it's not that advanced."