New US buyers seek SkyhawksAug 13, 2008 7:01 PM
The government has revealed another company from the United States is looking at buying the Air Force's old Skyhawks.
Three years ago, government said they were being sold as part of a $155 million package to a US company, but there have been endless delays.
Now it appears a second company, again from the US, is keen to buy them.
"Our position in the negotiation has been strengthened by the fact that there are now two companies in the United States both bidding for all of the aircraft, for an identical price," says Defence Minister Phil Goff.
But Heather Roy from the Act Party is suspicious.
"We've been told the sale is imminent on about four or five occasions and it always falls over," says Roy.
The grounded planes have had a white coating put on them to stop from them deteriorating, but there are concerns it is not helping to keep with weather out and they are deteriorating so much they will not be worth selling.
Heather Roy says that in February Goff put the Skyhawks' value at $US35 million.
"To date, the RNZAF has spent over $12 million - that should have gone on daily core functions and is in addition to the $94,000 cost of applying the latex - on maintaining these aircraft," she says.
Roy says the current market value of the Skyhawks will be dropping daily.
Former avionics and Skyhawk technician Don Simms is saddened by the situation.
"If the moisture is getting into the avionics components in particular, leaking into the cockpit area, then it is serious," says Simms, who says some planes have been affected by the recent storms that hit the country.
"The cost of re-generating them to an airworthy condition, safe to fly, would exceed what we'd get for them," says Simms.
There are estimates that it will cost more than $30 million to get the Skyhawks back in the air, but the Goff is adamant the planes are okay.
"The Skyhawks are in good condition, there has been no deterioration in the condition due to weather or any other event," says Goff.
Source: ONE News
Source
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/2001409
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