it is nice to see aircrft from other airforces in it…..all day today RAF tornados and USAF eagles have been roaring over here….thats herefordshire england by the way…..

Lucky b*****d! If we get this excited over a couple of Hercs imagine what we would carry on like if Tornados & Eagles visited!

Ja, i checked out Richmond earlier this afternoon. No “yellow tails” BUT there was a TNI -AU C-130H (assuming H from the underwing fuel tank position). Alas like you i had no camera so u will have to trust me on this. Apart from the rather large Indonesian flag (not the TNI-AU marking) forward of the wings the fairly unique camo scheme (black or very dark green & darker browns than RAAF C-130H’s) also helped ID it. Seems theres more than one visiting Herc here! Other visitors in attendace were a parked KC-10 and an Orion doing circuits. Now all we need is a photo!

Dubya, whats up with those numbers? They look like they are off some leftie politicians wish list :p . The man said complete overhaul ground up so lets live a little. ( FYI RAAF getting 5 A330MRTT’s)

RAAF:
40 F-15″L” (the REAL F-111 replacement)
80 F-35 buy (from 100 planned)
12 C-130J (to replace -H)
12 C-27J (Caribou replacement – finally! )
Wedgetails as per buy (6)
10 A330 Tankers
60+ PC-21
AND lets get the RAAF back in the helo business
16 Bell 412 (adv training & SAR)
8 NH-90 (CSAR)

RAN:
20 NH-90 (as per Dubya list)
10 AS 555SN
Keep the SH-2 (not the best contract ever but money already spent & NH-90’s wont fit on ANZAC frigates)

AAAC:
36 NH-90 (as per Dubya list)
12 CH-47F
MORE Tigers
16 modern training helo (as per Dubya list) EC 120 Colibri?

Could be on mission to the Indonesian president’s Australian tour

Unlikely as the two countries are in the middle of a diplomatic “lovers tiff” at the moment. Perhaps you are thinking of the Chinese Premier who is here now? Speaking of which did anybody see what aircraft he arrived in? Something exotic like a PLAAF Il-62 or just an airbus/boeing in the colours of the PLAAF run airline China United?

It might not of been an RTAF aircraft. It could of been a KASET (Thai Ministry of Agriculture) aircraft. They have a large fleet of aircraft (from Cessna’s to CN235’s plus helicopters) and i think they do rain making missions as well as crop spraying etc.

CN-235 already won the deal with the USCG….so, at least we can make a plane at time….and works….

Whats the designation for the USCG CN235? HC-??? and (probably a stupid question) will they be made in the US?

Dont listen to naysayers like TinWing. Thorny, i like the way you think and i (as the man said) have a dream. Follow me on this.
As i understand it there are approx 30 B-1 at AMARC. There is another partner in the “coalition of the willing” that is also facing a long range strike aircraft shortfall. So we get the UK & Oz defence ministers to present a joint proposal to buy the 30. We dust off the old SEATO idea (where the UK sent Vulcans to Butterworth, Darwin etc) base them all about halfway between the two countries, at Diego (even tho it resembles a cold war SAC base now its still British territory) to cut down on maintenance/training costs!
Like all great plans its simple! Now about the money to pay for these B-1’s….

[QUOTE=GarryB]

Don’t worry Oz… you are a desert… unless someone finds oil there you are safe from everyone except sunburnt emmigrating Poms… QUOTE]

Yeah people thought that in 1941 too :p