FA18's over Melbourne right now!
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FA18's over Melbourne right now!
They're ready in anticipation of someone gate-crashing the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony... watch it guys, read your NOTAMS or you might get a rather unpleasant suprise out your starboard window followed by one hell of a hot a*rse!
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F18's = Comm games opening
5pm until MN no entry except for returning RPT into MB or approved media and military flights within 40nm MEL.
The RAAF are controlling the airspace and don't expect them to play neighbourly if you're not authorised
The RAAF are controlling the airspace and don't expect them to play neighbourly if you're not authorised
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and they're still going, around and around and around and around and have been for more than 4 hours.
Let's hope that young 19 yr old raaf pilotdoesn't have an itchy trigger finger by now!
They appear to be doing about a 5 minute orbit, repetitively.
Let's hope that young 19 yr old raaf pilotdoesn't have an itchy trigger finger by now!
They appear to be doing about a 5 minute orbit, repetitively.
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They did the same thing when George Dubya visited Canberra last year. The sound of freedom. Enjoy it while it lasts down there. Not to many fast jets would make there way that far south to often.
19yr old pilot? Flying a hornet? Sorry mate but highly unlikely. Don't quote me on this but it takes a good 5-6 years to get to Hornets, which would mean he would have had to have joined at 13 or 14. I don't think so Tim.
19yr old pilot? Flying a hornet? Sorry mate but highly unlikely. Don't quote me on this but it takes a good 5-6 years to get to Hornets, which would mean he would have had to have joined at 13 or 14. I don't think so Tim.
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and they're still going, around and around and around and around and have been for more than 4 hours.
Let's hope that young 19 yr old raaf pilotdoesn't have an itchy trigger finger by now!
They appear to be doing about a 5 minute orbit, repetitively.
Let's hope that young 19 yr old raaf pilotdoesn't have an itchy trigger finger by now!
They appear to be doing about a 5 minute orbit, repetitively.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about a military term. For the investment bank, see Barclays Capital.
Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of defensive mission for fighter aircraft, in which they guard a designated site, either a fixed site on land, ships at sea, or less commonly support aircraft such as aerial tankers.
It typically entails fighters flying some sort of pattern around the defended object, while looking for incoming attackers. Effective CAP patterns may include aircraft positioned at both high and low altitudes, so as to shorten response times when the attack is detected.
CAP is especially characteristic of aircraft carrier operations, where the CAP is flown to protect the carrier battle group. There are also BARCAP and TARCAP missions:
A BARrier Combat Air Patrol (BARCAP) is flown between the battle group and the direction from which it is most likely that enemy attack will come.
A TARget Combat Air Patrol (TARCAP) is flown over or near a strike target in order to protect specialised attack aircraft such as the AC-130 from harassment by enemy fighters.
A High Asset Value Combat Air Patrol (HAVCAP) is flown to protect a high-value asset (such as a tanker or an AWACS) during a specific "time on station".
The real-life activity inspired the computer game Combat Air Patrol, a flight simulator published by Psygnosis in 1995.
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I'd say a Steyr or a Minimi would be just as effective, considering the main threat would a be a bugsmasher going where it shouldn't be. A few little holes in the windscreen would send the message! 
Evertonian
Oh...I only mentioned it because someone on the idiot box mentioned how the F18's were on full alert patrolling the skies over MEL & the footage showed a pretty clean set of wings...apart from drop tanks.
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I'm pretty sure they would have been gunned up tonight. They definately have been previsouly when doing this sort of thing eg George Dubya in Canberra, CHOGM a few years back. They did some training flights over Melbourne the last few days and they weren't armed then. Check out the photos here (http://www.defence.gov.au/opacolyte/...314/index.htm). Some great shots there too over the greatest city in the world. 
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The loadout for George W was 2 x AIM-120 AMRAAM, 2 x AIM-9M Sidewinders, and a full gunpack. I'd imagine they're carrying a similar load over ML, with ASRAAM onboard instead of the Sidewinders
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Originally Posted by Pass-A-Frozo
I don't know what the rolling eyes are for Buster. Do you honestly think they would put CAP up and have nothing on board to actually take any action?
Honestly, it wouldn't surprise much if some Einstein in Russell did a 'risk assessment' and decided that carrying something which might inadvertently detach over a populated area was just too much for them to bear so purely internal ords only.
Now I know what common sense might say, but these are Canberra types we're talking about, so tell me it COULDN'T have happened...
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Originally Posted by Taildragger67
but these are Canberra types we're talking about, so tell me it COULDN'T have happened...
With regard to the CAPs when Dubya was in town there were rumours for weeks afterwards that some poor guy chugging along at 10000 ft was intercepted and advised a detour was a good idea - never heard if it was true or not.
I sail out of a yachtclub next to williamstown police station, home of search and rescue, water police and and....
Then there is naval cadet base on the other side of the park. Its filled with big black rigid inflatables and lots of guys in camouflage gear and and...
Then there is Fort Gellibrand which is full of SAS and where I almost dived for cover the other day while watching a Blackhawk coming in at 100 kts to the hover at forty feet, which is quite a sight if you are only 25 metres away, and and.....
Then there was a destroyer anchored of Brighton last night, no less, a place not normally known as an anchorage, with search radar rotating, then there were the dozens of other "government" boats out last night. It would be interesting to speculate whether the destroyer or an F18 would have got you if you tried to leave Moorabbin last night and headed for the MCG.
translation: I won't go into detail for obvious reasons, but you should assume that there is a real threat, the F18's and everything else that moves is armed and ready. No one is taking any chances.
Then there is naval cadet base on the other side of the park. Its filled with big black rigid inflatables and lots of guys in camouflage gear and and...
Then there is Fort Gellibrand which is full of SAS and where I almost dived for cover the other day while watching a Blackhawk coming in at 100 kts to the hover at forty feet, which is quite a sight if you are only 25 metres away, and and.....
Then there was a destroyer anchored of Brighton last night, no less, a place not normally known as an anchorage, with search radar rotating, then there were the dozens of other "government" boats out last night. It would be interesting to speculate whether the destroyer or an F18 would have got you if you tried to leave Moorabbin last night and headed for the MCG.
translation: I won't go into detail for obvious reasons, but you should assume that there is a real threat, the F18's and everything else that moves is armed and ready. No one is taking any chances.
Nunc est bibendum
Originally Posted by nannas_new_hip
...but it takes a good 5-6 years to get to Hornets...
BFTS- 6 months
2FTS- 9 months
Other stuff- 1 month
I'm a bit fuzzy on the actual time frames beyond that but I think it's something along the lines of:
Hawk conversion and associated flying- 6 months.
2OCU- 6 months.
All in all, possible to be 21 going on 22 but lucky to be any younger than that. My hats off the our ADF drivers. Worth every penny.
