Well i am being reminded that Exercise Pitch Black 2024 has begun in the Territory when Typhoon after Typhoon flew past me this morning..."Hmmm single engine...Not a 16...? Its a bloody Typhoon! (Twin engined but small and close together). "Together with the Australian Armed Forces and other air and naval contingents from 18 nations including France, Germany, Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, UK, US, Brunei, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, the Marina Militare's IT CSG and Italian Air Force ..." Gripen Malaysia Hungry Fighters... Its on like Donkey Kong for the next two weeks...The extra cool part is Darwin always has an open day at RAAF Base Darwin and the pilots turn up with boxes of fighter pilot paraphernalia they know they can make a killing with here in Australia...So the public gets to buy all sorts of things (especially hats) direct from the pilots who sit nonchalantly in front of their "steeds"...
I suppose night stealth would be good in the blue... But the ODs tend to disappear in a twilight scenario. Nearly shot a few Seals who came at us in the dark without whistling.
Italy sends aircraft carrier to Darwin for Pitch Black 24 (themandarin.com.au) Italy upstages Germany, sends aircraft carrier to Darwin for Pitch Black 2024 This would explain the Italian Harriers...
Oh my Lord...Darwin can add the F-22 to its loooong list of aircraft it has hosted... Fighters from Around the World Join in on Massive Exercise in Australia (airandspaceforces.com) This beauty sitting at RAAF Base Tindal (Katherine) - One of six. Cant wait to hear how this goes up against F-15s F-35s etc Perhaps an extra special exercise this year with NATO ramping up and possible hostilities with Russia...Some of these pilots may be in harms way in the near future. Having seen these aircraft (there is a display on at Mindil Beach thursday arvo) - And the professionalism of its pilots i feel a pang of pity for Russian pilots. This is as bad ass as ass gets.
So i made my way down to Mindil Beach yesterday afternoon. I went with my mother and step father so i camped my elderly mother behind a small group of tents in the shade. We were with the Italian Air force on one side and the French Air Fore on the other and the ABC broadcasting tent next to that. The broadcaster said she had never seen so many people on Mindil Beach...Ever. Somewhere between 20-30 thousand Darwinians turned up to view the Air Show. As soon as i walked onto the beach i see an Italian Frigate in the background with the sun going down behind it... The show starts with a single Osprey heading toward the beach at 300km and pulls up in front of me about 200 feet away over the water...Letting the blades whip up a huge wash... The commentry gets handed over to the pilots to explain whats in front of us...I learned two things...The engines dont tilt automatically...the pilot uses his left thumb to turn the engines at a speed he/she is happy with. And the pilot was asked what happens if one engine blows or gets hit by a bird? The pilot replied that there is a shaft leading from one engine to the other, if one goes the other engine takes over for both props! The Italians (who i was standing next to) were up next - The Italians fly many different air craft and turned up with a tanker and 2 Typhoons in trail - The they departed for me to see something i never thought i would see...Two Italian NAVY F-35s and Two AV8 Harriers flwe in formation around the beach and then...One 35 and One Harrier slowly flew toward the beach (straight towards me) and stopped about three hundre feet in front of me and a hundred feet in the air...The 35 popped its doors and began to hover in front of me! The Harrier only a hundred feet away lined up with the 35 and they had a hover contest! Check it out Followed up by 2 Indian Su-30s...Couldn't help but think "this plane is meat!" Impressive aircraft. The French turned up (i was standing next to their tent) and i saw my first Rafale: You might notice that almost all European fighter aircraft have delta wings as opposed to US aircraft: Many smaller fighter aircraft from Malaysia and Phillipines and also Japan who brought their "big" F-2s or F-16s Then it was America's turn - Flying the 35 was too "common" for these dudes...They turned up with their F-22s! My first sighting of one of these ever. it flew over the crowd and went vertical...up and up and up...until it disappeared! (i shit you not) - What a fine figure this aircraft cuts. Thailand brought their F-15s Strike Eagle: So many aircraft im missing! And the Aussies were last...4 F-18s in tight formation flew across the beach, blowing flares! Anyway i may write some more when i remember but you can catch the entire show here:
Just me and an endless succession of things that remind me of things. Lots rattling around under this hat.
New dedicated thread for Exercise Pitch Black 2024 created. The original Exercise Pitch Black 2018 thread is alive and well here: http://ww2f.com/threads/exercise-pitch-black-2018.71431/
These things happen: Italian fighter jet crashes in NT outback - CONTACT magazine (contactairlandandsea.com) Typhoon
According to the article, the pilot ejected and "is reportedly safe and well." Very pleased to hear that.
