The Royal Australian Navy’s Unmanned Aircraft System Unit completed the first-of-class flight trial for the Insitu ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system in late March, Navy Daily has reported. The trial was conducted aboard amphibious Landing Ship Dock HMAS Choules with the aim of assessing all facets of unmanned aircraft operations in an embarked setting. ScanEagle detachment
A third RAAF pilot is now qualified on the F-35A after Flight Lieutenant Edwin Borrman recently completed his qualifying flight at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Defence said on Tuesday FLTLT Borrman was now qualified to instruct other pilots in flying the aircraft, joining SQNLDRs Andrew Jackson and David Bell as Australia’s first qualified F-35 pilots.
The Navy’s Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit (AMAFTU) has commenced deck handling trials with the Army’s new CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters on board the LHD amphibious assault ship HMAS Canberra. Two Foxtrot Chinooks, A15-304 and -307, from C Squadron, 5 Aviation Regiment landed on board the Canberra for the first time while it was alongside at
The RAAF has marked the 100,000 flying hours milestone of its BAE Systems Hawk 127 lead-in fighter trainer fleet with a ceremony at RAAF Base Williamtown on Thursday. The 33 Hawk 127s were introduced into service in 2001 and are operated by 78 Wing’s 76 Squadron based at Williamtown and 79 Squadron based at RAAF
The RAAF’s Pilatus PC-9/A turboprop trainer fleet is undergoing inspections after cracking was discovered in the folding strut of the aircraft’s nose landing gear, the Department of Defence said in a statement on Thursday. “Consequently, Air Force is assessing the implications of these cracks, so as to ensure the aircraft meet Air Force’s strict safety standards,” the
Waco Regional Airport in Texas was closed for most of Tuesday after an RAAF C-27J Spartan suffered a reported double tyre blow-out while conducting touch-and-goes during a pilot training flight. “The Royal Australian Air Force has commenced a safety investigation after a C-27J Spartan aircraft had an incident on landing at the conclusion of a
