Reliance Aircraft International, LLC.

Please reach out if you have any open requirements for these parts, pasha@relianceaircraft.com.

Growing up in Papatoetoe, Auckland, in the 1970s, I lived near the airport, which was both bad and good: → Bad, in that the noise of landing aircraft – especially the Air New Zealand DC8’s - could drown out the television as they flew overhead. → Good, in that I got to see many different aircraft types as they flew overhead and being an aircraft enthusiast, this suited me just fine. Occasionally, this would include a very distinctive aircraft, the Lockheed P3 Orion. I often thought the long boom at the end of the tail (used for detecting submarines) made the aircraft look like a wasp or hornet! I could not have known as I looked skyward back in the 1970’s that my own company would one day play a part in the final stages of this aircraft’s last journey. For history buffs, the New Zealand government first ordered these aircraft in 1964, and the first delivery to the RNZAF took place in 1966. These aircraft had various life extensions until finally being retired for good in 2023. Fast-forward to 2024, and a Texan company, Reliance Aircraft International, has purchased five of these aircraft to take back to America. They are being disassembled at Whenuapai and Blenheim into approximately 60 x 20’ containers and shipped back to the ultimate destination of Austin. Our specialist Prime Team (aviation/defence/projects), headed by Patrick Gottstein (second from left and ex-German army), has been entrusted with the project, which includes materials handling, crating of parts, and providing equipment to assist in loading the aircraft into containers before sending them off to Port Houston. We expect the project to take between 6 and 9 months to complete. Along the way, we have made some good friends with the team at Reliance USA, who will test and register each part of the Orion for eventual sale to other aircraft users. Originally, more than 20 Air Forces around the world used Orions in their fleets. I suspect many New Zealanders remember these aircraft fondly. Certainly, the engineers involved in this disassembly project feel this way. One said, “We know every bird by heart and have stories about each of them. It is very sad to see them go.” We are proud to play a small part in the last chapter of this magnificent aircraft’s journey. Thank you to Lee and the Reliance team for granting us the opportunity. Specialist projects like this are just one way we fulfil our mission to see  Logistics. Delivered. Chris