Rhino (Super Hornet) mass flypast Brisbane/Gold/Sunshine coasts this Friday!

[markis10]

[h=2]Mass formation flypast of up to 20 Super Hornets this Friday 21 October[/h]
by Royal Australian Air Force on Monday, 17 October 2011 at 23:31

There will be a mass formation flypast of up to 20 F/A-18F Super Hornets over the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Brisbane and Ipswich, this Friday (21 Oct) as part of the welcoming ceremony for four new Super Hornets.

The arrival of the four new aircraft completes the Australian Super Hornet fleet to 24 aircraft.

Please join us on facebook to share your photos and comments on this historic day.
Sixteen aircraft will depart RAAF Base Amberley between 10 am and 10.30 am and will fly in a loose formation to a point off North Stradbroke Island, where they will form up and fly south, crossing the coast at Southport before flying down the Gold Coast to Tweed Heads.

The armada will then fly out to sea and reform at a point off the Sunshine Coast where it will join with the four new Super Hornets.

The formation will fly south from Noosa Heads down the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane where it will then fly over the CBD en route to Ipswich and RAAF Amberley. It is expected to pass over the base at 11.30am.

The formation will be accompanied at intervals by up to two Hawk Mk127 lead-in fighters.

The final number of aircraft flying will depend on operational and training tasks for the aircraft.

The mass formation flypast of up to 20 aircraft will be not only an historic event which may not be repeated, but an important training exercise for operational planners and aircrew.

Note: The aircraft will fly at approximately 2000 feet (609 mtrs) and up to 350 knots (648 km/h). Times and locations may vary dependant on the weather. The final number of aircraft flying will depend on operational, training and maintenance for the aircraft.

A more detailed itinerary is as follows:

Outward leg including Gold Coast
Up to 16 x F/A-18F Super Hornets

10.00 am 16 x F/A-18F Super Hornets commence their launch from RAAF Amberley.
1018 Springwood
1021 North Stradbroke Island
1023 South Stradbroke Island
1025 Southport
1026 Surfers Paradise
1026 Burleigh Heads
1027 Coolangatta (All times are QLD local times)
1028 Tweed Heads (All times are QLD local times)

Sunshine Coast
Up to 20 x F/A-18F Super Hornets
1104 Noosa Heads
1106 Coolum Beach
1107 Maroochydore
1108 Caloundra
1111 Bribie Island
1113 Redcliffe
1114 Fisherman’s Islands
1115 Manly
1116 Wellington Point
1117 Southern Tip Moreton Island
1119 St Helena Island

Brisbane – Ipswich
Up to 20 x F/A-18F Super Hornets following the Brisbane River
1120 Lytton
1121 Balmoral
Hawthorne
Kangaroo Point
Botanic Gardens/Captain Cook Bridge
1122 Highgate Hill
St Lucia
Indooroopilly
Kenmore
1123 Jindalee
Moggill
1124 Ipswich

More about the F/A-18F F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter: Royal Australian Air Force

 

[Dee Thom]

Thanks markis10, I'll head for the headland at Coolum Beach for a look, and a few photos.

Cheers Dee

 

[awilcockson]

Thanks for posting this Mark, looks like I'll be camping out on the hill at Amberley Friday morning

 

[docjames]

Man of all the days to be sitting at the airport between 11 and 12.....

 

[Meggsy]

Thanks for posting markis10. It will be quite a sight. I think Pt Danger will be a good place to watch it from.

 

[Sifor]

I was at Pt. Danger last time with the Pig's final flight. Turned out to be a great spot as the pigs continued down south while the Rhinos did a 180 turn at the island off Fingal head.

Unfortunately this time I don't have enough time to drive down to Pt. Danger, so I'll make do and head up to North Burleigh and watch it from the mountain/cliff there.

 

[kaybee57]

Mass formation flypast of up to 20 Super Hornets this Friday 21 October

Played golf at Ipswich on Wednesday and watched these guys 'flying around' - one in particular was putting his aircraft into stuff that made my adrenaline run!!! Absolutely fascinating! High speed take-off and vertical climb then almost vertical drop - wow! As well as a few 360 loops. Will DEFINITELY be out to watch them on Friday!
Thanks for this timeline.

 

[amaroo]

Thanks for the detailed flight plan - will take up position on Alexandra Headland to enjoy this wonderful show.

 

[awilcockson]

Well that was interesting. Great to see so main RAAF aircraft at once, would have been nice if they were a little lower

Got some reasonably photos, will have to wait until I get home to put them up.

 

[markis10]

Wish I was no tin Cairns, nice shot retweeted:

#superhornets in formation over Brisbane on Twitpic

 

[Sifor]

I was perched on North Burleigh Hill which turned out to be a great spot to see them. I'm a little disappointed though, because all 16 were flying in formation they were at least 2000ft and traveling slowly.

The F-111 final flight was fantastic since they shot past at eye level tracking the coast.

Oh well, still interesting. I'll post my video tonight.

 

[markis10]

The Rhinos dont have TFR set to Hard!

 

[Sifor]

Mmm. They were following the Pigs lead back in December, only a couple of hundred feet above the ocean, it was incredible!

Na all good better than nothing!

 

[awilcockson]

Managed to find a cable, here's a few of the photos taken from the Kangaroo Point cliffs.

The lighting was terrible, with sun glaring through light to medium grey clouds. Not exactly the best conditions for shooting grey aircraft at range.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/awilcockson/IMG_6562.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/awilcockson/IMG_6560.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/awilcockson/IMG_6564.jpg

 

[Storyteller]

Had a great view of 20 in formation plus one out to the east, almost directly overhead. Didn't have my camera though.

 

[amaroo]

I was perched on North Burleigh Hill which turned out to be a great spot to see them. I'm a little disappointed though, because all 16 were flying in formation they were at least 2000ft and traveling slowly.

The F-111 final flight was fantastic since they shot past at eye level tracking the coast.

Oh well, still interesting. I'll post my video tonight.

I agree - the F-111 was absolutely brilliant. I swear they were much louder than the 20 I saw today.

 

[Major]

I watched them fly over from Maroochydore Beach and it was one of the most amazing sights I have seen in aviation.

Well worth it.

 

[amaroo]

I've posted a vid taken from Alex surf club - not bad quality for a phone. The sounds of excited kids makes it a little more special.


IMG_1390.MOV - YouTube

 

[kaybee57]

Can anybody tell us if the single aircraft out to the side is a 'spare', a photographer or what??

 

[awilcockson]

Can anybody tell us if the single aircraft out to the side is a 'spare', a photographer or what??

That was a Hawk 127, and it would have been a photography bird.