RAAF KC-30A first flight

[D-IFF_ident]

Your Defence News - Royal Australian Air Force conducts first flight for new air tanker (http://www.yourdefencenews.com/royal+australian+air+force+conducts+first+flight+for+new+air +tanker_68422.html)

Well done chaps.

:D

[Old Fella]

Minister Clare said " This Test flight was conducted to make sure they could work the aircraft safely & effectively ". What a way with words this man has. One would hope that the crew knew how to operate the aircraft safely and effectively before the flight.

[BBadanov]

What a way with words this man has. One would hope that the crew knew how to operate the aircraft safely and effectively before the flight.

A Labo(u)r politician - would you expect anything different?

What I find amazing is that the first two jets, A39-002 and A39-003, were delivered to 33 Sqn about June, and accepted several days later by the RAAF. So why the delay in getting airborne (with the grey rat roundel on the fuselage)??

[500N]

BB

"What I find amazing is that the first two jets, A39-002 and A39-003, were delivered to 33 Sqn about June, and accepted several days later by the RAAF. So why the delay in getting airborne (with the grey rat roundel on the fuselage)??"


Interesting point. Nearly 4 months.

Unless of course the ADF in it's infinite Wisdom has added the usual extra 10% specific requirement that we require that no one else in the world does".

.

[back end o' the bus]

This is Stralia and nothing happens quickly, and if it does there will always be some Risk/requirement or Eng criteria to fulfill ensuring that everything is painfully drawn out and over the top......:D:ugh:

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

33SQN couldn't fly the jets until it passed its airworthiness boards which was held in late August.

No conspiracy here, move along...

[2muchROSO]

Maybe there was a frozo eating work up period??

[500N]

FoxtrotAlpha

re "33SQN couldn't fly the jets until it passed its airworthiness boards which was held in late August."

What is involved in the airworthiness board ?

And are the planes flown in on a temp certificate or do the Australian authorities acceptance overseas airworthiness certificates for the flying in of the planes in the first place ?


Edit
After re reading the article, and these 2 paragraphs,
"This test flight was conducted to make sure they could work the aircraft safely and effectively,” Mr Clare said. Personnel will now begin an intensive operational test and evaluation flying program for the aircraft. Initial operational capability is expected in late 2012."

Since they were ordered way back when and delivered late, surely a program manager could make sure that the crew are fully up to speed on how to operate the plane before it gets here so when they did arrive, only a short delay occurs.
It's only an A330.

That is unless you come back with good reasons why they couldn't fly immediately considering the plane had to fly to AMB in the first place.

As has been said above, we (or DMO) just seem to always add a 10% impossible requirement which stuffs the whole project or take longer to get equipment up and going once it is here.

ie are the various new Helos up to Initial operational capability yet ?

.

[BBadanov]

No conspiracy here, move along...

F/A18, I am unaware of anyone alleging a "conspiracy theory" as you suggest.

But the facts are: A39-003 arrived at AMB on 30 May, followed by A39-002 on 18 June.

Now we all know the procurment system is f#*ked by studies, committees, and years of delays.

But why such a delay in getting airborne as a national a/c? You say AWB in late Aug - why are we overbeating the egg (am I mixing metaphors?) with more inbuilt delays for DMO to go through multi-layers of acceptance and release?

[back end o' the bus]

Q. How many AWB's and years did the C-17 have to wait before being forced into a corner and actually fly an Op mission!! heavens forbid... quite a risk allround, I think the A/C (all 5!) should remain parked up on the pan so we can all take numerous pictures of our capability and endure no risk wot so-ever, we could even let the engineers practice their engineering... but only if strictly regulated by their own stringent crew duty rules....if you know wot I mean....:D
All in all we would have no risk and maximum capability. its a win win....:ugh:

[Old Fella]

500N The KC-30A aircraft is certainly not "only an A330". The aircraft is a highly modified A330 as I am sure you know. The flight testing of systems and the development of SOP's for the aircraft in the various roles it will be used in takes time. I've been out of he RAAF for 30 years but I suspect that ARDU (Aircraft Research & Development Unit) or the modern day equivalent will be involved and probably Air Movements Trials Development Unit as well.

[BEagle]

Good grief! Sales of salt and vinegar must be doing well down under.....:bored:

The RAAF tanker philosophy is crawl...walk...run. Quite as it should be! The KC-30A is not 'just an A330' - if it was and was purely used for passenger flying, it would certainly have been doing so for a fair while now.

But it isn't just a people tube. It is a military aircraft with capabilities which are new to the Commonwealth. There are probably issues yet to be resolved, but 33 Sqn have a sound game plan to bring the KC-30A into service in a prudent manner, which includes working up instructors and aircrew in the new role.

[BBadanov]

...but 33 Sqn have a sound game plan to bring the KC-30A into service in a prudent manner, which includes working up instructors and aircrew in the new role.

Err, yes, they have been doing the sound game plan over the past 4-5 years in a prudent manner. What we have been talking about is just flying the jet (not operating it in all its roles) so as to work up instructors and aircrew (and indeed groundcrew).

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

BBadanov - don't misquote me...I didn't say "conspiracy theory", ok? I was merely pre-empting those who would seek to sling mud.

BEagle - :ok::ok::ok:

The aircraft have been flying since they arrived in May/June, but with Airbus Military instructors, FTEs and pilots on board.

Post AWB, 33SQN can now go flying and do maintenance without this oversight. The pilot who commanded the first flight is an ex-F-111 (and Tornado) hand and has nearly 100 hours on type, so there is already a bit of experience on type in the unit.

Re criticism of the crawl-walk-run approach, I'd rather that than the alternative.

[Charlie Luncher]

Could be worse could be no. 2's
Charlie sends