For Brisbane, Sunshine/Gold Coast aeroplane enthusiasts
Mass formation flypast of up to 20 Super Hornets this Friday 21 October
by Royal Australian Air Force on Monday, October 17, 2011 at 11:31pm
There will be a mass formation flypast of up to 20 F/A-18F Super Hornets over the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Brisbane and Ipswich, this Friday (21 Oct) as part of the welcoming ceremony for four new Super Hornets.
The arrival of the four new aircraft completes the Australian Super Hornet fleet to 24 aircraft.
Please join us on facebook to share your photos and comments on this historic day.
Sixteen aircraft will depart RAAF Base Amberley between 10 am and 10.30 am and will fly in a loose formation to a point off North Stradbroke Island, where they will form up and fly south, crossing the coast at Southport before flying down the Gold Coast to Tweed Heads.
The armada will then fly out to sea and reform at a point off the Sunshine Coast where it will join with the four new Super Hornets.
The formation will fly south from Noosa Heads down the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane where it will then fly over the CBD en route to Ipswich and RAAF Amberley. It is expected to pass over the base at 11.30am.
The formation will be accompanied at intervals by up to two Hawk Mk127 lead-in fighters.
The final number of aircraft flying will depend on operational and training tasks for the aircraft.
The mass formation flypast of up to 20 aircraft will be not only an historic event which may not be repeated, but an important training exercise for operational planners and aircrew.
Note: The aircraft will fly at approximately 2000 feet (609 mtrs) and up to 350 knots (648 km/h). Times and locations may vary dependant on the weather. The final number of aircraft flying will depend on operational, training and maintenance for the aircraft.
A more detailed itinerary is as follows:
Outward leg including Gold Coast
Up to 16 x F/A-18F Super Hornets
10.00 am 16 x F/A-18F Super Hornets commence their launch from RAAF Amberley.
1018 Springwood
1021 North Stradbroke Island
1023 South Stradbroke Island
1025 Southport
1026 Surfers Paradise
1026 Burleigh Heads
1027 Coolangatta (All times are QLD local times)
1028 Tweed Heads (All times are QLD local times)
Sunshine Coast
Up to 20 x F/A-18F Super Hornets
1104 Noosa Heads
1106 Coolum Beach
1107 Maroochydore
1108 Caloundra
1111 Bribie Island
1113 Redcliffe
1114 Fisherman’s Islands
1115 Manly
1116 Wellington Point
1117 Southern Tip Moreton Island
1119 St Helena Island
Brisbane – Ipswich
Up to 20 x F/A-18F Super Hornets following the Brisbane River
1120 Lytton
1121 Balmoral
Hawthorne
Kangaroo Point
Botanic Gardens/Captain Cook Bridge
1122 Highgate Hill
St Lucia
Indooroopilly
Kenmore
1123 Jindalee
Moggill
1124 Ipswich
More about the F/A-18F
http://ra.af/eN6Xiu
Cheers
Dennis
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