Airforces

NEWS

30 // MAY 2018 #362 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

Australasia

CH-47F goes to sea

on HMAS Choules
THE ROYAL Australian Navy
(RAN) landing ship dock
HMAS Choules (L 100)
has conducted first-of-
class flight trials for the
Australian Army’s CH-47F.
Elements from the 5th
Aviation Regiment and
the Aircraft Maintenance
and Flight Trials Unit
(AMAFTU) embarked for
the flight trials, during
which the CH-47F made
206 launches and flew for a
total of 66 hours. The RAN
announced completion of
the testing on March 26.
Observations and
measurements taken

will form the basis for

the development of ship

helicopter operating limits,

defining the conditions for

the safe conduct of CH-47F

flying operations on the

Choules. Flights took place

in conditions influenced

by wind, sea and swell.

Aircrewman Corporal

Alex McLean said: “The

biggest challenge we

faced was conducting

a vertical replenishment

at night. Hovering six

feet above a pitching

deck using night-vision

goggles was a difficult

and new experience.”

First fl ight for Roulettes PC-21

Above: PC-21 A54-019 at Stans-Buochs on March 23. Stephan Widmer

THE INITIAL PC-21 for the

Royal Australian Air Force

(RAAF) Roulettes display

team performed its maiden

flight at Stans-Buochs,

Switzerland on March 23. It

had previously been seen

outside the Pilatus facility

for its final round of pre-

flight tests on March 16.

PC-21 A54-019 (c/n

252, HB-HWS) is the

19th example for the

RAAF. The first 16 aircraft

were for 2 Flying Training

School (2FTS) at RAAF

Base Pearce, Western

Australia, while the 17th

and 18th are for the RAAF’s

Aircraft Research and

Development Unit (ARDU).

Under the AUS$1.2bn

Australian Defence Force

Pilot Training System deal,

signed in December 2015,

Lockheed Martin Australia

is delivering 49 PC-21s

to the RAAF, along with

seven flight simulators,

learning aids, courseware

and support for an initial

seven-year term.

The first RAAF PC-21

made its maiden flight at

Stans on July 21, 2016,

followed by the second on

August 8 of the same year.

The first two aircraft began

their delivery flight from

Switzerland on February 10

last year. Training courses

on the type are scheduled

to start early next year.

Roulette pilots are qualified

flying instructors who

work at the Central Flying

School, based at RAAF

Base East Sale in Victoria.

First new

RNZAF

King

Air 350

delivered

THE FIRST of four

Beechcraft B300

King Air 350i aircraft

being leased to the

Royal New Zealand Air

Force (RNZAF) under

the Aircrew Training

Capability programme

has been delivered. The

aircraft, VH-ZPE (c/n

FL-1017, ex N817A P),

arrived at RNZAF Base

Ohakea on March 24. It

had first been ferried

from the US to Sydney-

Bankstown Airport,

Australia, where it

arrived on August 15 last

year. On November 26 it

flew to Hawker Pacific’s

facility in Cairns and

was painted in an overall

charcoal grey military

scheme. The aircraft

was then registered

to Hawker Pacific as

VH-ZPE on December

18 and on March 23

left Cairns for Brisbane

before continuing the

next day via Lord Howe

Island to Ohakea.

Local reports suggest

that the other three

aircraft are expected

to be N979KA (c/n

FL-979), which arrived

at Sydney-Bankstown

in mid-December and

was registered VH-ZPJ

to Hawker Pacific on

January 4; N5062T (c/n

FL-962), which arrived

at Cairns on December

20 was registered

VH-ZPG to Hawker

Pacific on January 4;

and RP-C1834 (c/n

FL-897), which arrived

at Sydney-Bankstown

on February 23 and

was registered VH-ZPF

to Hawker Pacific

on February 6.

The four aircraft are

being leased for an

initial period of seven

years. They are being

fitted with equipment

to increase capability

and enable air warfare

officer training. The

type will replace the

four B200 King Airs

of No 42 Squadron

at Ohakea, which

were also supplied by

Hawker Pacific under

a lease agreement

that will expire this

year. Dave Allport

First phase of

E-7A upgrades

complete

THE FIRST stage of

upgrades for the RAAF’s

fleet of E-7A Wedgetail

airborne early warning and

control (AEW&C) aircraft

has been completed,

Boeing Defence Australia

announced on February

21. The six E-7As are
    being modernised to
    operate under new civilian
    airspace regulations and
    to improve data storage
    and broadcast capabilities.
    Boeing Defence Australia
    is leading a global
    Boeing team to provide
    structural and software
    improvements to the
    Wedgetail fleet under
    the Wedgetail AIR 5077
    Phase 5A programme.
    The first stage of Phase
    5A provides the aircraft
    with satellite position
    broadcast technology and
    an updated traffic collision
    avoidance system.

THE RAAF has declared

initial operating capability

for its fleet of Boeing P-8A

Poseidon maritime multi-

mission aircraft (MMA), five

months ahead of schedule.

The service announced the

milestone on March 20.

The Australian Minister

for Defence, Senator

the Hon Marise Payne,

said: “Together the P-8A

Poseidon and the future

MQ-4C Triton aircraft

will provide Australia

with one of the world’s

most advanced maritime

patrol and surveillance

capabilities.”

To date, six of the 12

RAAF P-8As under contract

have been delivered and

are operated by No 11

Squadron from RAAF

Base Edinburgh in South

Australia. Three more

aircraft are undergoing the

approval process in order to

provide a final fleet of 15.

Chief of Air Force, Air

Marshal Leo Davies,

added: “The arrival of the

P-8A has allowed the air

force, under Plan Jericho,

to develop and evolve

new operating concepts,

support arrangements and

sustainment options.”

The first RAAF P-8A made

its maiden flight on May

6, 2016, from Renton to

Boeing Field for completion.

It arrived in Australia during

December of that year.

Left: The latest RAAF P-8A,

A47-008 (c/n 63187, line

number 6623), at Seattle’s

Boeing Field facility on

February 28. This was the

aircraft’s fi rst fl ight from

Renton, via Grant County

International Airport, hence

the temporary fl ight test

registration N872DS. The

aircraft lacks the upper tail

pod, which is expected to be

added later. Joe G Walker

Above: Australian Army CH-47F A15-306 from C Squadron,

5th Aviation Regiment, carries out a Class 4 vertical

replenishment on the fl ight deck of HMAS ‘Choules’ during

fi rst-of-class fl ight trials in the Coral Sea. RAN/Lt Grant Thaler

IOC declared for Poseidon