RAAF receives its first P-8A Poseidon

[chopper2004]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb3yHOEne7M

Australia's first P-8A Poseidon touches down - Royal Australian Air Force (http://www.airforce.gov.au/News/Australia's-first-P-8A-Poseidon-touches-down/?RAAF-rQBPwT8xhvLNmgClsWfyTebe2/X/tim6)

cheers

[Heathrow Harry]

Bit odd to base them in Adelaide but I guss that's politics...................

[Hueymeister]

Bright and Shiny!

[Trash 'n' Navs]

Bit odd to base them in Adelaide but I guss that's politics...................
Why?

When you've got to support RAN operations on North, East & West coasts where would you suggest is a better base?

[thunderbird7]

Edinburgh has always been the maritime base - why change it??

[Bing]

When you've got to support RAN operations on North, East & West coasts where would you suggest is a better base?

So you're saying invade from the South?

[CoodaShooda]

When you've got to support RAN operations on North, East & West coasts where would you suggest is a better base?

Alice Springs. :E

[Heathrow Harry]

The one direction it's unlikely that any threat will come from is the South - if they based in Darwin they'd be in the North and as close to East & West coasts as Adelaide................

just because "they've always been based there" isn't really a decent argument

but they might have crew retention issues I agree - no major league footie in Darwin

[Buster Hyman]

Looking forward to seeing this Poseidon adventure...

[Trash 'n' Navs]

if they based in Darwin they'd be in the North and as close to East & West coasts as Adelaide

You don't know your geography then.

RAN fleet support is off the SW & SE coasts.

Doubt you'd have retention issues in Darwin. Most crews I know quite like it up there.

[BBadanov]

Doubt you'd have retention issues in Darwin. Most crews I know quite like it up there.

Yes that is because they are not based there - they are on TDY.
It's a great place to visit - but wouldn't want to live there.
Two seasons - wet and dry, and during the wet the wives don't get out and they go 'troppo'. (Same same 'Doola'li Tap', but you are wet.)

[Like This - Do That]

Mods please excuse the thread drift. I can't speak for RAAF but the retention factors would be joint, I suspect. Certainly Army has problems keeping people in Darwin, particularly the CAPTs and SGTs.

With a few exceptions the mates of mine who have endured Robertson or Larrakeyah postings have gone on the record with their career advisors to state variations of the following: "I will not accept another Darwin posting, I'll pull the pin if I'm posted back here in 2 years' time".

About 10 years ago Army had to split 1 Bde to send half the units to RAAF Edinburgh to provide respite postings. There was also a need to provide year-round access to training areas, but that's not related to the Darwin retention problems.

The National Audit Office studied APIN about 15 years ago and came up with a staggering figure of how much MORE it cost the taxpayer per member posted to Darwin.

So lots of reasons not to post valuable people to somewhere most Australians don't want to live.

[CoodaShooda]

Interesting comments.

Number 2 son was born in Darwin and lived here for 18 years. When he left, he said there was no way he would be back. :hmm:

Then three years in Canberra, two in Perth and the last in Newcastle.

Given the choice of a staying in Newcastle or moving to Tindal at the end of this year, he's already looking for housing in Katherine and hoping he gets the posting. :O

In the 80's and 90's the local public service had a retention problem with senior executives recruited from interstate. 45% didn't last 12 months; primarily due to their wives being unhappy far from home.

Surprisingly, a significant number were trying to come back again within a year of leaving. Their wives had realized on returning home that Darwin wasn't that bad after all. :E

somewhere most Australians don't want to live.
Which is why I'm still here; 39 years into my 3 month posting. :p

[2805662]

Which is why I'm still here; 39 years into my 3 month posting. :p

Nothing south of the Winnellie line, eh?

[CoodaShooda]

You mean the Berrimah line. :p

Nah! We're more cosmopolitan now. Katherine's almost Darwin's southern suburb.

[Heathrow Harry]

"RAN fleet support is off the SW & SE coasts."

maybe they need to move north as well - I can't see much in the way of threats off those coasts

[ORAC]

Alert 5 » Norway to seek parliamentary approval to buy 5 P-8As - Military Aviation News (http://alert5.com/2016/11/29/norway-to-seek-parliamentary-approval-to-buy-5-p-8as/)

The Norwegian government announced on Nov. 25 that it plans to buy five Boeing P-8As to replace six P-3s and three DA-20 Jet Falcon surveillance planes.

USNI News reported that the parliament is expected to approve the purchase during voting in December. Delivery by Boeing will commence in 2021 or 2022.

[2805662]

Nice RAAF pic - 11 Squadron anthology:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v520/gregoryknowles2001/9859C766-C383-4A7A-B173-0EDE2A4AB8F7_zpsyznpnlmd.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/gregoryknowles2001/media/9859C766-C383-4A7A-B173-0EDE2A4AB8F7_zpsyznpnlmd.jpg.html)

[Sandy Parts]

nice pic - good luck to the Aussies with the new toy. Apparently they needed the extra time flying the jet before the UK get it so they have a moderate chance at the first P8 Fincastle....:E

[cattletruck]

Second that, that is a great picture.

[Heathrow Harry]

super picture

[Stanwell]

And a round of applause to the volunteer-based HARS for their beautiful restorations and operation of both the Catalina and Neptune.
Well done, chaps. :D