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While moose have long been fabled to be living in Fiordland National Park, there was great surprise when two “moose” flew over Lake Te Anau.
The United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft earned the nickname “Moose” from its crews because air venting from its pressure relief valves during ground refuelling operations, makes a distinct sound that resembles a bellowing moose.
The high-wing, four-engine military transport aircraft have been flying at low levels around the North Island, completing air drop exercises on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Friday, they flew at high altitude along the West Coast of the South Island, through Milford Sound to Lake Te Anau where they flew at lower altitudes, and then over Queenstown before heading back to Auckland.
The 53m-long aircraft are designed for strategic and tactical airlifting, and are capable of carrying payloads of up to 77 tonnes.
They are used to carry oversized equipment such as M1 Abrams tanks, helicopters like the CH-47F Chinook or AH-64 Apache, multiple military vehicles, at up to 134 infantry troops, at speeds up to 829kmh.
Their four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines are capable of landing and taking off from short, unpaved runways that larger cargo planes cannot reach, making them ideal for troop movements and medical evacuations.
Anyone who missed seeing them in action on Friday, will have another chance to see them on Saturday when they are expected to complete the same circuit again.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force spokesman said the aircraft were in the country for training, with flights scheduled through to Sunday — some at altitudes as low as 150m-300m.
They are expected to depart from New Zealand on Sunday.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz