Bell 429 trainer for RAN
 

A first for the 429 in terms of foreign military and for training. Though I thought Raytheon were providing AW109E Power for supplementary training was for quite a few more years alongside the AS350 Squirrel with 823 Sqn, under contract. The AS350 have been around over 2 decades so guess they're well worked.

That's long gone, it was with Aw109E Power than 2012 onwards with Bell 429 to supplement the AS350 trainin. So its just Boeing run Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) with airbus Helicopters H135. HATS is run between the Australian Army Aviation Corps and Royal Australian Navy.

https://www.boeing.com.au/products-s...-security/hats

cheers

Slip of the finger there, 723 Sqn.

Bell 429's in the RAN: I thought I was caught in a time warp!

Coincidentally, came across an old cutting I had from Navy News of 16 May 2019 discussing the retirement of the 429's from RAN service:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c8858ba476.jpg

As to what became of the four Bell 429's, I was curious: ADF Serials - Bell 429, AustAirData and the Australian Aircraft Register explain:

N49-047 became VH-IWR then ZK-IPB with NZ Police Force
N49-048 became VH-IWS then ZK-IPC with NZ Police Force
N49-049 became VH-IWT then ZK-IPJ with NZ Police Force
N49-218 became VH-IWV currently with AVWEST AIRCRAFT PTY LTD in WA.

Tom Smillie, there's a blast from the past, left the Navy for a civil flying job, decided it wasn't for him, returned to the Navy and purchased a Stearman for the days off.