Who is going to pilot MRH90's and Tiger's in the ADF?

[derangedrover]

Afternoon all,
Is there anyone here who has first hand or reliable information concerning who in the ADF will be piloting the Tigers and MRH90s when they come online?
Will existing Blackhawk and Kiowa crews be converted, or will new pilots coming through their training fill the seats? Bit of both? None of the above?
Any information appreciated.

Thanks
Daryl

[griffinblack]

I doubt Kiowa folk would be capable of flying either Tiger or MRH90. You see, they don’t have the twin experience which is vital – just ask a Blackhawk pilot.;)

[Chicken Leg]

Is there anyone here who has first hand or reliable information concerning who in the ADF will be piloting the Tiger's and MRH90's

Yes, at least a couple of transferring Brits! And they're just the ones that I know of!

[0497]

Latest news ......

No clues.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23034488-31477,00.html

Army pilots earn stripes in France
Peter Wilson | January 11, 2008


THE growing role of Europe in Australian military planning has taken another step with the first two Australian pilots completing a French military training program on Eurocopter's new Tiger helicopter.

The training of Captain Paul Donaldson and Captain Hamish Felton-Taylor at a French-German base at Le Luc in southern France follows a string of victories for European arms makers in outgunning their US rivals for major Australian contracts.

The US remains unchallenged as Australia's main military ally but if the two Australian Army pilots at Le Luc had their way, more of their colleagues would find themselves working closely with the French.

"It has been an absolutely fantastic experience," said Captain Donaldson, 28, who will be based in one of the two planned Tiger squadrons in Darwin and may eventually find himself flying in Afghanistan alongside French NATO pilots.

"We have got on tremendously well with the French trainers and the aircraft itself is just awesome."

Other Australian Army pilots have had civilian-run training on the heavily armed reconnaissance helicopter, but Captain Donaldson and Captain Felton-Taylor, a flying instructor at Oakey in Queensland, lived in Provence for four months while going through the same military program as French and German pilots.

"It has been a little challenging because they are the first pilots we have ever trained entirely in English but we have all enjoyed the experience," said their main instructor, Captain Thierry Hartmann.

"They are both excellent pilots and they seemed to enjoy themselves so much that I don't think they had any trouble adjusting to living in France," Captain Hartmann added.

The Australians were invited to the European academy after expensive delays in training pilots for the Australian Army's new Tigers.

The past few months could have been harsher for Captain Felton-Taylor, who like Captain Donaldson has flown active operations in East Timor.

"I was in Melbourne doing a course and I got a call telling me I was going to Afghanistan for six months," he said. "Then I got another call saying 'No you're not, you're off to France for a few months'."

The Australian Government chose the Tiger over two US rivals, Boeing's Apache and Bell's Cobra, and so far has received nine of the 22 aircraft it ordered. Captain Felton-Taylor, 32, said it was "the most exciting aircraft" he had flown.

"The Tiger is replacing the Kiowas (Vietnam War-era US-made light observation helicopters) that we have always flown on reconnaissance and it changes the whole role of what we do," he said.

"The Kiowa was unarmed and did not have any sophisticated sensors. So it was hard to find targets in the first place, then if you did find one all you could do is tell somebody else about it.

"But the Tiger is a real military aircraft with its own firepower. We now have the ability to do something to the target ourselves."

Armed with a 30mm cannon, 70mm rockets and Hellfire II laser-guided air-ground missiles, the Tiger is packed with hi-tech systems.

[derangedrover]

Thanks for the replies.

Griffinblack,
I was under the impression that all Australian Army Pilots commenced their training in Kiowas and then undertook an Operational Type Transition Course, if selected to fly Blackhawks. Is there a significant impedement to Kiowa pilots doing transitional training to fly either the Tiger or MRH90 that isn't applicable to them transitioning into Blackhawks?

Chicken Leg,
Are you able or willing to give some background on the pilots that are transferring to the ADF? Have they been given specific information that they will be flying the ARH or MRH?

0497,
Thanks for pointing me to that news article, I hadn't seen that one.

Cheers
Daryl

[Chicken Leg]

Both on Tigers as I understand it.

[AHQHI656SQN]

Two ex Apache pilots, both going to Tiger, I'm sure they have been told the Sqn to which they will be posted.

[griffinblack]

My razer sharp wit is sometimes wasted.;)

Tiger is replacing Kiowa, thus it will be going to 1 Avn Regt. Therefore, aircrew at 1 Avn Regt will be converted. That is not to say there might be the odd ex Blackhawk pilot piloting a tiger.

The converse is true of MRH90. It is going to 5 Avn Regt, thus it will be 5 Avn Regt folk transitioning onto the aircraft. I am leaving Navy aside here.

As ab initio pilots graduate, they also will be transitioned.

[Tightly Wound]

How sharp is the wit of an arsonist?

:E TW