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SCENE
Dutch PC-7 upgraded
The first Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer of
the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLU or
Royal Netherlands Air Force) upgraded
by Pilatus Aircraft in Stans, Switzerland,
was officially handed over to the KLU
on July 18. The aircraft, serial L-01 (c/n
538), returned to Woensdrecht Air Base
the next day, where it re-joined 131 EMVO
Squadron. This was the first of ten PC-
7s delivered to the Elementaire Militaire
Vlieger Opleiding (EMVO or elementary
military pilot training) at Woensdrecht in- A further three PC-7s (L-11 to L-13)
were delivered in 1997.
Following the signing of a contract for
the upgrade of the first ten aircraft in
July 2015, L-01 arrived at Stans-Buochs
Airfield on May 2, 2016, to act as a
prototype for the upgrade programme.
Last year, the contract was extended to
include all 13 KLU PC-7s. The upgrade
includes the Obsolescence Prevention
Program (OPP), Structural Enhancement
(SE) and a 200-hour inspection. Both
the OPP and SE will enable 131 EMVO
Squadron to get the maximum out of the
PC-7’s life expectancy of 12,000 flying
hours or 24,000 landings per aircraft.
The squadron expects to continue PC-
operations until at least 2027.
The OPP includes conversion to a fully
glass cockpit, using three displays forboth the flight and engine instruments.
Other modifications are new navigation
and radio equipment, new landing lights
and installation of an automatic direction
finder, allowing the PC-7 to comply with
current-day civil flight regulations. In the
SE programme, the aircraft’s fuselage,
tail and wings are strengthened and
adjusted.
The remaining twelve PC-7s will go
through the upgrade programme two at
a time; aircraft L-07 and L-11 arrived at
Stans on July 6. Modifications take twelve
weeks per airframe. The final aircraft are
expected back at Woensdrecht in mid-
October 2018. Kees van der MarkUpgraded KLU PC-7 L-01 back at Woensdrecht Air Base, after its ferry flight from Stans-Buochs on July 19. Kees van der MarkLast call for Danish Lynx
With the last Kongelige Danske Flyvevåben (Royal Danish Air Force) Lynx Mk90Bs of Eskadrille
723 scheduled for retirement later this year, S-191 received a striking colour scheme that
features a lynx on the right side, and a polar bear on the left side. The type entered service in
1980 when eight Lynx Mk80s were delivered to the Danish Navy, followed by two additional
airframes, this time Mk90s, in 1987-1988. Eight were rebuilt to Mk90B standard between 2000-- By February this year, four remained in service with Eskadrille 723, which took delivery
of its first three MH-90R Seahawks on May 11, 2016. The Seahawks will formally take over
operations in January, and all nine should be delivered by mid-2018. Kees van der Mark
Indonesian
Su-35s
On July 27, Indonesian defence minister
Ryamizard Ryacudu announced plans
to buy 11 Su-35 fighters from Russia
in an effort to strengthen the country’s
air defence force. Deliveries will be
undertaken in two years.
Earlier, Russian defence industry
officials hinted the Su-35 contract
had already been agreed between the
parties, including all the technical and
financial aspects. However, an offset
package had yet to be completed,
including technology transfer. Payment
will be made on the basis of bartering;
Russia will import raw rubber, palm
oil and other goods from Indonesia.
Alexander Mladenov