RNZAF Dip Flat facts for kids
RNZAF Dip Flat is a special training area used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). It's a place where new recruits and other military teams learn important skills in the outdoors.
This training facility is found at the bottom of the Saint Arnaud Range, right next to Nelson Lakes National Park in the South Island of New Zealand. It's a perfect spot for "out-in-the-field" training because of its natural environment.
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What Happens at Dip Flat?
Training for New Recruits
New recruits from the RNZAF's Command and Recruit Training Squadron (CRTS) spend about ten days at Dip Flat. This is a key part of their thirteen-week basic training. During their time there, they learn many practical skills.
They learn how to:
- Set up a camp in the wilderness.
- Use radios for communication.
- Complete challenging obstacle courses.
- Go on military patrols, even at night.
- Use camouflage to hide themselves.
- Practice shooting at a rifle range.
Their training ends with three days "on patrol" away from the main Dip Flat area. This helps them use all the skills they've learned in a real-world setting.
Training for Cadets
The New Zealand Cadet Forces also use Dip Flat. Each January, cadets and their officers come for a week-long bush craft training camp. Here, they learn important outdoor survival skills. Both cadets and officers can earn special qualifications from the Mountain Safety Council as outdoor instructors. This means they become experts in teaching others how to stay safe in the outdoors.
Mountain Flying Practice
No. 3 Squadron RNZAF often uses Dip Flat for their mountain flying training. This helps their pilots learn how to fly safely in tricky mountain areas. Sometimes, even the Australian Army comes to Dip Flat to practice mountain flying with their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.
History of Dip Flat
Dip Flat was once a stop on a route used to move farm animals, like sheep, from the east coast to the west coast of the South Island. It was one of the places where farmers would stop to dip their sheep. Dipping sheep helps to clean them and protect them from pests. This is how the area got its name, "Dip Flat."
Dip Flat is also known by other names, like Dry Valley or Valley of the Dry.
