Roulettes on south Queensland tour
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Roulettes tour of south Queensland announced below has been cancelled for maintenance/safety reasons.
The simulator will still tour.
The Royal Australian Air Force is undertaking an engineering review of the PC-9/A fleet that supports flying training and the Roulettes.
Like all Air Force aircraft, the PC-9/A is subject to regular maintenance and engineering reviews. These engineering reviews have located cracks in the nose-landing–gear, folding strut. Consequently, Air Force is assessing the implications of these cracks, so as to ensure the aircraft meet Air Force’s strict safety standards. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, each PC-9/A will undergo an additional engineering review, and remediation repairs, before returning to normal flying activities.
Safety is a priority for Air Force operations. Air Force aircraft are serviced and flown under a very strict and controlled airworthiness and safety system. All aircraft are under constant surveillance to ensure that they maintain the highest standards.
Regrettably, this will mean some appearances by the Roulettes must be cancelled. While this is disappointing for both event organisers and the community; the safety of our personnel and the public takes priority.
As the aircraft are reviewed and return to flying, Roulette displays will resume.
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The Air Force aerobatic display team, the Roulettes, will tour south Queensland in late May with thrilling flying displays including precision formation flying and intricately choreographed massed and individual aerobatics.
CAPTION: The Roulettes at Wings Over Illawarra 2016. Photo by Brian Hartigan
From the Central Flying School at RAAF East Sale where they normally instruct Air Force’s qualified flying instructors, the Roulettes will commence their tour with aerobatic displays over the Gold Coast Marine Expo on Saturday 21 May and Sunday 22 May, followed by a display over Archerfield on Sunday afternoon.
The team will then move north with aerobatic displays over Caloundra on Tuesday 24 May, Bundaberg on Thursday 26, The Old Station Fly-In at Raglan on Saturday 28, and finally a display over Maryborough on Sunday 29 May.
Members of the public will get a chance to meet the Roulette members at the Marine Expo and at Archerfield after those displays, and at Caloundra airport on Tuesday, the Hinkler Museum at Bundaberg on Friday morning, the Old Station Fly-In dinner on Friday evening, and at Maryborough Airport following the display on Sunday afternoon.
Travelling with the Roulettes to a number of areas is the Air Force’s Aviation Candidate Management Centre with the Air Force Simulator Experience, which simulates flying an F/A-18F Super Hornet from both the pilot’s and the Air Combat Operator’s cockpits.
As well being as being at some of the Roulette displays, the simulator will also visit selected schools and Australian Air Force Cadet squadrons.
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