PC3 ORION - Australia's protectors for 50 years - Gone!
The Royal Australian Airforce has been flying the PC-3 Orion for approx. 50 years, but no more missions for these guys.
The Orions were doing border protection for Australia and they flew from Edinburgh airbase located in Adelaide South Australia.
Today we wave them good bye as they complete their final official mission.
Footage from my Iphone, Orion's doing a flyby – a final flight across Adelaide today at approx. 1:05PM.
They are a marine surveillance type aircraft, but those of us in the know understand just how critical these aircraft have been in preventing all out invasion of Australia.
Basically they patrol Australian waters and drop buoys and other tech toys (water mines for instance in the event of invasion) into the ocean. They then fly about while the Airborne analysts on board process the data and yeah.. basically they were designed to hunt and destroy enemy submarines.
Given they are so good at scouting waters, Australia uses them for a host of other activities such as rescues etc. They can also double up as a transport vehicle (troops mainly), but yeah mainly it was surveillance of the water ways.
More footage from my Iphone :)
I remember my first time flying in one – they are very loud those turbo props, they would send you deaf very quickly if you weren’t careful, the pilots and crew wear the protective head gear for more than just radio chats Like any turbo prop plane there is a certain level of shaking as the plane moves, not making it a smooth ride like a typical jet airliner…It’s more like riding in a rattly old school bus While pretty old, these things very rarely have accidents or crash, and they are constantly refreshed with up to date internal electronics etc.
Basically these things have served us well for a very long time, so to many it’s quite a big deal to see them go.
The aircraft is being replaced by the P-8 Poseidon (a faster, less bumpy, less noisy more modern aircraft). Unlike the Orion this aircraft does not have propellers rather it has a jet engine more like a passenger airliner.
Final Footage from my iPhone.
It is sad to see the Orion go, but the P-8A Poseidon is more than a suitable replacement.
Seems that way, one door closes another opens as they say
With our limited air defenses (compared to some countries) you'd think they could find some role for them.
Are you a RAAFy or ex RAAFy @lordnigel ?
I read the other day we've just taken delivery of a few more F-35 A's, do you know if they ever got them combat ready or are they an expensive lemon with wings?
This article below is a bit dated now but it didn't seem to cast a very good light on the JSF's
https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2016/09/f-35-may-never-be-ready-for-combat/
Ex RAAFy - yourself?
..yeah on F-35s - history tells us we don't tend to make the wisest aerial choices; but I'm not in the know these days.
When you think about our capabilities in a global context/possible threats etc, our air superiority isn't an important thing (our allies are important and our Dev and training is what we really offer in this arena).
Cheers
No I'm not from the RAAF, I live near an airbase and I know a few who are though.