F-15 flypast
 

RAAF AND US OREGON AIR NATIONAL GUARD JETS CONDUCT OVERFLIGHT OF SYDNEY HARBOUR

WHAT: Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from Number 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU, based at Williamtown, near Newcastle), and three US Oregon Air National Guard (ANG) F-15C Eagle aircraft will be performing an overflight of Sydney Harbour.

On the way to and from Sydney, the aircraft will conduct training activities. While over Sydney, aircraft imagery will be taken.

WHERE: Two F/A-18 aircraft and three F-15C aircraft will enter Sydney Harbour near Watson’s Bay from the east, tracking along the Harbour at 1500 feet altitude, at speeds of approximately 700-750km/h. Between Watson’s Bay and the Harbour Bridge the formation will fly at 1000 feet over water.

Upon reaching the Harbour Bridge, aircraft will climb to 3000 feet and change formation to one F/A-18 Hornet and three F-15C Eagles; with the second F/A-18 Hornet acting as photographic aircraft. The aircraft will then execute a 180-degree clockwise turn at Huntley’s Point, overflying Riverview and Northwood. Once east of the Harbour Bridge, the aircraft will descend back to 1000 feet and track east through the heads before proceeding on the coastal route back to RAAF Williamtown.

WHEN: Friday, 29 August, 2008 at approximately 2.15pm to 2.35pm.

WHO: Commanding Officer 2OCU, Wing Commander Philip Gordon, will be available for interview.

US Oregon Air National Guard Units are currently based at RAAF Williamtown to support Number 30 Fighter Combat Instructor’s (30 FCI) course which commenced 30 June this year.

30 FCI course represents important training for experienced aircrew; providing participating Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 and F-111 pilots and Air Combat Officers with the highest possible level of fighter combat skills.

The involvement of US Air National Guard Units delivers vital opportunities for RAAF to train with and against foreign military aircraft.

From Defence Media

Any spotters
 

If anyone wants a good vantage point for the 180 degree turn at the western end of this exercise, you're welcome to visit my jetty - just send me a PM.

Thanks for the offer but it might be a bit backlit out your way. I'm going to try Cremorne Point I think.

Have they never heard of the term 'weekend' ?

Same damn issue when they had the B707 flyover... :(


I hope you get greats pics which you can share with us Andrew and others who'll be out there. :)

Let's just hope this time the public gets a bit of a heads-up on this show, because lot of people wet their pants when the RAAF staged the 707 flyby over the Harbour a few months back. :p

Ah this is why the F-16's are currently in PDX...... All makes sense now.
They need some playmates while they're friends are out of town :)

Hi Shameel

The official Press Releases usually ask the media outlets to inform the public of the forthcoming flypast, parade or whatever. If the media chooses not to do so then then the general public misses out, not that many would give a toss anyway these days.

If we get to see footage in Perth (which I doubt) I expect to see interviews with some citizens who were unaware of the event and startled by the aircraft and noise - oh no not September 11 again (I'm being very cynical).

Attitudes today are far different to those of 30 years ago when I remember the F15 demonstrator flying over Melbourne and in 1974 or 75, a RAAF F111C belting over Melbourne trying to break some sort of record I think. And who remembers the "Thunderbirds" flypast over Sydney in about 1986 ?

Times sure have changed.

I was coming back from Brisbane today on DJ216 and the pilot announced to us to look out the left side as there were fighters in formation. This was as we approached Sydney from the north west as . Nice of him to let us know.

I heard one of the Sydney controllers let the pilots on a Jetstar flight know, if interested, to look out whichever side, to see the fighters in formation.

Did the flypast actually happen? I was at Neilsen Park 2pm to 2:45 and saw and heard ziltch, mind you there was a fair bit it of cloud about

Yes the flypast occured at about 3.15pm, so it was running quite late.

About an hour late, but yep it happened. Good to watch from Cockatoo Island!

Excellent from Bradley's Head!

As Michael said.. about 3:15(3:19 by my camera EXIF data)
http://www.pbase.com/chrisg/image/102337423.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chrisg/image/102337687.jpg

Cheers

Thanks for the photos Chris.

I went up to North Head at 2.30 and left about 3.05 thinking they werent coming.

Bummer

Adam J

great pics and thanks. If Id just hung around bit longer...:rolleyes:

Yes - I had to go out at 3 and missed it, and there hasn't been anything on the news that I've seen yet either.
If it were not for Chris' photos I might have doubted that it occurred at all!

ACMI pod loss cause of delay?
 

I wonder if the ACMI pod loss the subject of the below thread is the cause of the flypast delay?

http://yssyforum.net/board/showpost....78&postcount=1

Here's the best of a bad lot from me...

http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p...2831_small.jpg

http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p...84_2_small.jpg

Nope - it was a simple matter of a jet going u/s and having to switch to another one.

Ah, but these pics could have been taken anywhere.... well anywhere OR ANG Eagles & RAAF Hornets play together!!
So an attempt to provide a sense of place.... Eagle passing the HMAS Sydney memorial at Bradleys Head
http://www.pbase.com/chrisg/image/102339797.jpg

Cheers

Such a bad lot of pics...

They're much better than the view we had from the airport!

Chris - I saw a crowd up at the Sydney mast...I was down on the stone jetty just below you.

Thanks for the heads up they were inbound Nige - I couldn't see due to the headland and they would've been almost on top of me before I knew it!

No problems Andrew. I expected them to pop up on 123.00, but they were on another freq the whole time. The only clue was the guy on 123.00 telling a Rex Saab of the military fighter formation in their 1100 at about 5Nm.

Interesting to note that the RAAF Hornet is a two seater in No 75 Sqn colours. It's a long way from home (Tindal N T) or perhaps has been reallocated to one of the Williamtown units and not yet been repainted.

SQN colours haven't meant much since the main parts of the HUG program were started in 2005. The aircraft are now basically owned by 78 or 81WGs and are allocated to squadrons as required.

The view from our end.
 

Here's what some of it looked like up here.

After watching them go crazy all week, they behaved themselves today. This was the only one that got a little boisterous.
http://users.tpg.com.au/hawk16/Aircr...336-LR-001.jpg

This one seems to have some new nose art commemorating the trip. It says something about Downunder and I can make out a cartoon Kangaroo and an Eagle but I just can't quite make out the details.
http://users.tpg.com.au/hawk16/Aircr...8-LR-1-001.jpg

The Sydney formation made a pass over the base on their way back.
http://users.tpg.com.au/hawk16/Aircr...557-LR-001.jpg

On the pitch.
http://users.tpg.com.au/hawk16/Aircr...585-LR-001.jpg

And another.
http://users.tpg.com.au/hawk16/Aircr...590-LR-001.jpg

Hope you like 'em. :D

Cheers,
Motty.

Ooh nice shot! :D

Cheers,
Motty.

Thanks Andrew - I've known about that for a while and have been involved in several discussions on other boards about it as Motty would confirm.

But don't you think it's a great pity that...."SQN colours haven't meant much since the main parts of the HUG program were started in 2005." What's happened to tradition, pride, the sense of belonging to a unit, camaraderie and esprit de corps that unit colours and badges engender ?

If that's an official attitude then it overlooks the historical significance of heraldry and "rallying around the flag" or colours and may also belittle the achievments of Squadrons in wartime when colours, emblems and badges were often a morale booster.

Our throw away and dollar driven society is obviously driving this issue and the same thing is happening with No 79 and 76 Sqn Hawks when they're swapped between units.

The exotically painted Hawk A27-21 of No 79 Sqn incorporated several aspects of the Sqn's history in its scheme (codes UP-U from WW2), green/white colours from Thailand during the Vietnam War, and a Phoenix rising from the ashes denoting the Sqn's rebirth as a Mirage Sqn in the 80s.

But that aircraft has been based at Williamtown with 76 Sqn for several years and has still not been repainted.

I've mentioned on other boards that unit markings will probably disappear over the next few years as RAAF accountants "fly our dollars further". We'll probably see a generic wing or base decal applied to aircraft which can be easily replaced when aircraft are moved around.

I'm a traditionalist and don't like it one bit.

Excellent photo's guys. Thanks for posting. Love the ANG tail markings.

As for squadron markings - the cost of repainting an aircraft everytime it is moved between units is expensive and a repaint is normally only done when scheduled after a major servicing these days (every 5-6 years i think). Even small sqn markings would require paint removal and then a repaint which is a cost that defence probably dont want with money being tight.

I do agree though that sqn markings are a tradition and one of pride for the sqn's themselves. One C-130H (A97-011 on memory) had it's Stallion repainted after a servicing looking like it'd put on a few kilograms and the sqn was not happy. They requested and got a repaint back in the 90's, with the Stallions extra weight dissapearing.

Just an fyi for any of you with an interest in getting photo opportunities with F-16's on pretty much a daily basis. Come visit HNL and be around the airport any afternoon between 14.00 and 15.00 HST. The Air National guard planes fly daily training flights (usually group of four) and its pretty easy to get shots of them either departing or landing dependent on your location and the prevailing winds (either trades or Kona).

Regards

MS

I'm sure as the aircraft either go through CBR or deeper level maintenance they'll receive a re-paint and once HUG is done, will be re-allocated to squadrons. Tail markings and squadron crests aren't that difficult to re-apply.

Most of HUG work hasn't been done on a squadron by squadron basis, so the aircraft are all over the shop at the moment.

The units still have their colours on their shoulders and in their crew rooms, so I'm sure it's not a major issue.

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