Some Nowra Visitors

[Calum]

Managed to snap some Nowra visitors today. Unfortunately trying to capture grey jets, moving fast against a grey sky is bloody difficult. Hence the poor quality

Such a pity as it's pretty rare you get the chance to photograph RAAF jets with a significant load of live Air to Air Missiles

Still it was great to hear the sound of freedom down this way again



















This could have been a good one.....



This is probably the pick of the bunch



Plus there was this boring airliner type thingy



And finally the obligatory Squirrel Shot

[mcmaster]

Bleedin awesome calum !

were they parked on the other runway?

[Calum]

Yeah as they had forward firing weapons they were on 08/26. About the same place as we used to park when doing HE on 2 Sqn

[mcmaster]

Thanks Calum. Probably the RAAFs entire stock of AMRAAMs and ASRAAMs hanging off wings there. ;D

Some media were saying it was the Rhinos doing CAPs over Canberra during Obama's visit (which i thought unlikely) but your shots confirm twas the Willi based classics given that op, (if not a pretty boring one for the pilots).

BTW you mentioned similar arrangements at Nowra with 2sqn. What sort of live stuff did you use and where did you drop/fire it?

[Calum]

When we did HE bombs (Mk 82's) we worked from out there.

Practice bombs, non HE guns and rockets we could do from the line.

Although you couldn't do that now as there are buildings opposite ur old ime (including where I work ;-))

HE was dropped at the range near east sale. practice bombs/ non HE rockets and guns were often thrown at Beacroft in Jervis bay

[Dave Homewood]

There's nothing wrong with those photos Calum, well done.

[corsair67]

Great photos, Calum.

At least you got to see the buggers - Canberra was socked in by cloud most of the time they were here, so could certainly hear them, but couldn't see them.

Did 3SQN keep patrols up the whole time Obi One was here? I woke up at 4am on Thursday to get a glass of water, but didn't hear them flying around, so thought they may have had a break to keep the Nowra and Canberra locals happy.

By the way, did they all have the same armament fitout: two wingtip mounted ASRAAMs and two starboard wing mounted AMRAAMs?

[Calum]

Hi Craig

I don't know for sure if they were there 24 hrs but I heard aircraft leave at about 4.50 on the morning of the 17th and then about 20 mins late heard some more come back. They were flying late on the 16th as well.

All the aircraft I saw had the same load 2 ASRAAM on the wing tips 2 AIM-120's on a dual rail on the right wing and 3 jugs

[Dave Homewood]

When Bill Clinton visited NZ did we have to put up a fighter cover overhead the whole time? Seems like expensive paranoia overkill really.

[mcmaster]

I agree Dave it does appear to be overkill, however not sure if it is that expensive as they are flying at Nowra instead of usual ops. Handling the live weapons away from home base would be good training for gunnies etc

Re Clintons visit to NZ AFAIK this whole idea of fighters covering events like POTUS visits and APEC, G20 CHOGM has come about since 9/11 and counters the possibility of civil a/c used as a weapon.
I can only think it is now written down in diplomatic procedures across the globe eg I recall South African Gripen jets covering the FIFA world cup, Austrian typhoons covering some event there. For NZ, I assume if they host some major thing they may have to "rent" fighter cover, mind you the recent Rugby world cup over there seemed to do fine without it. ;D

[Dave Homewood]

Cheers McMaster. I guess if it is standard then the President won't be attending most of the Pacific Leaders forums and other such events in the Pacific any more, unless they bring their own planes on a carrier.

[flyjoe180]

So there can never be another CHOGM in NZ until we get some air to air capability? The politicians won't like that.

[Calum]

It does seem excessively paranoid but I guess it's better to have it there on the very small chance it is needed rather than be horribly embarrassed if something did happen.

It’s only POTUS that seems to get this type of security here, but perhaps he’s the biggest target. I wonder if other countries dot he same when he visits. I’d be surprised if many do.