– Click here for our outstanding picture gallery of the Australian International Airshow at Avalon.
VIDEO/GALLERY: The Royal Australian Air Force showed off one of its latest acquisitions to the media with a stunning aerial refuelling demonstration over the Victorian coast.
The KC30A is a mutli-role transport tanker aircraft based on the Airbus A330-200 airliner, but has specialist equipment for its air-to-air refueling role.
Inside, it looks much the same as the Airbus A330s operated by Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia, offering a much more comfortable ride for military personnel than its Boeing 707 predecessor and specialist military aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules.
The Weekly was invited on the special media flight, which took off from Avalon on day two of the Australian International Air Show.
The aircraft flew towards East Sale where, at 15,000 ft, it met with two 77 Squadron F/A-18 Hornets, which each took on fuel to the delight of the assembled media craning to get a good view and shots as the fighters flew just a few metres away.
Incredibly the Hornets reached the skies above Gippsland from Williamtown air base in NSW in the same short time it took the 33 Squadron KC-30 to get there from Avalon.
F/A-18 pilot, Flying Officer Brent Jones said aerial refueling, which in the case of the Hornet involves linking up to a ‘basket’ at the end of hose being dragged behind the tanker, is the most demanding aspect of non-combat flight.
‘‘It’s the other extreme of fighter flying,’’ said F/O Jones. ‘‘It’s a really slow deliberate process, obviously you want to be really smooth around the tanker not to make anyone nervous and get into the basket nice and safely.
‘‘It’s the one role we can’t train for in the simulator so the only way we get better is spending more time behind the basket.’’
The Avalon Airshow is open to the public on Friday evening and Saturday and Sunday, with a flying display featuring military, vintage and aerobatic aircraft.
