Spud One
Encyclopedia
Spud One was an informal name adopted by New Zealand civil servants for the Boeing 727
aircraft of No. 40 Squadron RNZAF
, Royal New Zealand Air Force
carrying Prime Minister
Jim Bolger
.
The RNZAF's three 727s were purchased second hand from Boeing in 1981; All were delivered new to United Airlines in 1968, and sold to the RNZAF second hand by Boeing in 1981. NZ7271 19892 entered service in July 1981, was retired on 7 July 2003 and is now 3D-KMJ. NZ7272 19893 entered service in July 1981, and was retired to Woodbourne as an instructional airframe on 25 August 2003. NZ7273 19895 was the first 727 delivered, on 6 May 1981, but flew only 21 hours, being intended from the start to be a source of spare parts. It was retired 25 June 1981.
The 727s were purchased by the administration of Sir Robert Muldoon
and used by the fourth and fifth Labour governments, as well as the administration of Jenny Shipley
, but the "spud" nickname was applied to overseas flights by former New Zealand
Prime Minister Jim Bolger
in the early 1990s. The name is a reference to Air Force One
. Bolger was nicknamed Spud due to the similarity of his pockmarked face to a potato
, or alternatively for the fact that he was an erstwhile potato farmer.
The 727s were replaced with two Boeing 757
s in 2003.
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
aircraft of No. 40 Squadron RNZAF
No. 40 Squadron RNZAF
No. 40 Squadron RNZAF is a transport squadron in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It remains on active duty.- Origins :...
, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
carrying Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger
James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
.
The RNZAF's three 727s were purchased second hand from Boeing in 1981; All were delivered new to United Airlines in 1968, and sold to the RNZAF second hand by Boeing in 1981. NZ7271 19892 entered service in July 1981, was retired on 7 July 2003 and is now 3D-KMJ. NZ7272 19893 entered service in July 1981, and was retired to Woodbourne as an instructional airframe on 25 August 2003. NZ7273 19895 was the first 727 delivered, on 6 May 1981, but flew only 21 hours, being intended from the start to be a source of spare parts. It was retired 25 June 1981.
The 727s were purchased by the administration of Sir Robert Muldoon
Robert Muldoon
Sir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National Party. Muldoon had been a prominent member of the National party and MP for the Tamaki electorate for some years prior to becoming leader of the party...
and used by the fourth and fifth Labour governments, as well as the administration of Jenny Shipley
Jenny Shipley
Dame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
, but the "spud" nickname was applied to overseas flights by former New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Prime Minister Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger
James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
in the early 1990s. The name is a reference to Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
. Bolger was nicknamed Spud due to the similarity of his pockmarked face to a potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
, or alternatively for the fact that he was an erstwhile potato farmer.
The 727s were replaced with two Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
s in 2003.