Wedgetail Soars

By LEUT Aaron Matzkows

In a spectacular scene, Australia’s first Wedgetail – featuring No. 2 Squadron livery – makes its maiden flight to herald a new era in airborne surveillance for the RAAF.

Photo by Boeing

IN AN unforgettable moment of pride, a group of Air Force members stood to Advance Australia Fair in Seattle, Washington, to witness the first Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft roll out of its hangar.

The Mission System Lead for Project Wedgetail, Wing Commander James Hood, said the aircraft’s inaugural flight on May 21 was exhilarating and emotional.

“At one point in the ceremony the hangar doors were opened and, with the Australian and American flags raised, the national anthems of both countries played as the first Wedgetail aircraft taxied past the open doors,” he said.

“The aircraft appeared to be larger than life.”

“While military officers stood to attention and saluted during the Australian anthem, the crowd erupted in applause. Some people were overcome with emotion and just stood quietly, wiping tears from their eyes,” WGCDR Hood said.

Under test pilot Charles Gebhardt and co-pilot Ray Craig, the 80-tonne, 42m 737 – resplendent in No. 2 Squadron livery – rolled down Boeing’s runway at 10.15 in the morning and took to the skies heading west, towards Australia, over the Pacific Ocean.

Two hours later the aircraft landed back at Seattle after a series of tests on its systems and structure, having been monitored constantly by engineers on the ground.

The prototype of six platforms, it was met after touchdown by Air Vice-Marshal Norm Gray, head of the Defence Materiel Organisation project team.

WGCDR Hood said, “Aircraft No. 1 returned from the maiden flight with nil faults reported by the crew.”

Aircraft Team Leader Wing Commander David Blacklock, whose brother Jon started and named the project 11 years ago, said the occasion marked the dawn of a new capability for the ADF.

“For a country with such a large territory to defend and so few, though potent, forces, a capability like Wedgetail is essential for ensuring those forces end up where they are needed when they are needed. Combined with other capabilities on their way in, it is a vital part of the ADF’s vision of effective network-centric war fighting,” WCGDR Blacklock said.

“On a personal note, I was glad to see my brother’s vision becoming reality and sad for my predecessor, Wing Commander Mark Bartetzko, who had sweated blood over the project for the last four years, but had to leave on posting before seeing the aircraft fly.”

Flight Lieutenant Sonia Cain, the project’s aircraft engineer, safety design engineer and reliability and maintainability specialist, said it was an exciting occasion.

“Seeing the aircraft painted in 2SQN livery taxi past the hangar with the national anthem playing in the background was a nice touch,” FLTLT Cain said.

“Airworthiness flight testing to be conducted over the coming months will provide more insight into aircraft performance, stability and control.”

Engineering Manager Wing Commander Gavin Pearce said the event “clears the way for the commencement of full-scale airworthiness testing and the integration of mission systems”.

“While there are many more steps to climb, the first flight took the project a good couple of rungs up the ladder,” WGCDR Pearce said.

Warrant Officer Brett Daley, the Resident Project Team Configuration Manager, said it had been “tremendous” to be with the crowd and see the first take off.

“When the aircraft is finally delivered, there will be nothing close to it for a number of years in the capability and performance it will provide the ADF and the Government,” WOFF Daley said.

“This event brings us closer to having a capability that will provide real-time information to the battlefield commander, not only for the Air Force but the ADF as a whole, no matter where they may be operating.”

Under the $3.4 billion project, the Air Force will take delivery of six AEW&Cs, the first in November 2006.

OC AEW&C Systems Program Office Group Captain Geoff Brown said it was a testimony to all who had been involved in the project that it was “going according to plan”.

Built by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, Wedgetail has attracted worldwide interest. Boeing even features Australia’s No. 1 Wedgetail as the illustration on its Internet home page.

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