After months of training, students converting on to the P-8A Poseidon had the opportunity to pit their skills against real-world challenges during Operation Gateway. 

For the first time since the P-3 Orion flew these sorties, 292 Squadron graduated Operational Conversion students on one of Defence’s longest standing operations. 

Airborne electronic analysts, pilots, and maritime patrol and response officers experienced what it is really like to plan, prep, fly and debrief long maritime domain awareness flights day after day, through some of the world‘s busiest shipping routes.

Flight Lieutenant Josh Brown, a 292 Squadron flying instructor and former P-3 Orion pilot, completed his Operational Conversion course on Operation Gateway and was glad to provide the same opportunity to his students. 

“For this rotation, every crew that goes flying is entirely made up of instructors and students from 292 Squadron,” Flight Lieutenant Brown said.

“Flying in real-world operational conditions gives the students some great experience and insight to take with them to their next unit and it’s great for us as instructors to maintain currency in one of the most strategically important areas for Australia.”

'It’s an invaluable experience for the students.'

Recent graduate, Corporal Joshua Agaloos, is one of the newest electronic warfare operators after a series of successful training flights over the South China Sea.

“Conducting my final training flights on a real-world operation like Gateway has given me a great sense of what I can expect and [what is] expected of me in the future,” Corporal Agaloos said. 

“I’m really thankful to my instructors and to 292 Squadron for allowing us to get out here to train in the real world, which is much more dynamic than normal training scenarios allow for.”

Supporting Corporal Agaloos and his teammates throughout the course of this training was Sergeant Thomas Inslay, a qualified aviation instructor at 292 Squadron. 

“Operation Gateway is an excellent opportunity to combine 292 Squadron syllabus learning outcomes with real-world operation objectives and context,” Sergeant Inslay said.

“It’s an invaluable experience for the students and will give them the required skills to smoothly progress to either 11 Squadron or 12 Squadron.”

Students who successfully complete 292 Squadron’s Operational Conversion course go on to postings at either 11 Squadron or 12 Squadron at RAAF Base Edinburgh.