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Camp Quality children enjoy ‘view from the top’

Around 60 children living with cancer have begun the year by seeing the world from the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s perspective, on flights on C-130H Hercules aircraft at Base Auckland on Monday.

17 January, 2025

Camp Quality is a charity that provides camps for children and young people living with cancer, and they started with a bang this year: the first full day for the Auckland and Northland children was flying over Auckland aboard the Hercules.

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Air Component Commander, Air Commodore Andy Scott, says the Air Force saw the opportunity to provide a unique experience for children and young people battling cancer as one not to be missed. 

“Camp Quality is an amazing charity that takes kids who have been through or are still going through cancer treatment and gives them a week of just being kids and having fun. The volunteers that run these camps are absolute superstars, so to be able to provide an experience for both the kids and the companions on the camp is something we were only too happy to do.

“For many of our team, Monday was their first day back at work so to be part of something that brought so much joy to everyone’s faces was incredibly rewarding for all involved both in the air and on the ground – even the Air Force Military Working Dogs got in on the action! I couldn’t be prouder of our team who all went out of their way to make it memorable for the campers today.”

The view of Auckland City from the sky, out the back of a Hercules aircraft. Another RNZAF Herc flies behind, in front of the cityscape.
A child and caregiver look over the net out of the back of the Hercules during flight.
Children silhouetted by the open read door of the C-130H Hercules wave as they fly away from Auckland City.
A young boy experiences the cockpit of the C-130H during the flight.

The event was also one of the last opportunities to see the C-130H type in the air, as the last three aircraft of the fleet which has served New Zealand for nearly 60 years will retire at the end of this month, and the new fleet of C-130J Hercules will take over their role.

“They’re an iconic aircraft, here and all over the world, ” Air Commodore Scott said.

“They have served New Zealand so well and done everything we ever asked of them, often in really difficult conditions. It’s great that a special group of young people have been able to see them in action today, and share in their story.”