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You are here: Home / Archives for Article topics / Naval history / Naval Aviation

Naval Aviation

Occasional Paper 44: The Fairey Gannet A/S1

A.N. Other · May 21, 2025 ·

By CMDR (P) R. V. Morritt,RAN Rtd The Fairey Gannet A/S 1 aircraft was introduced into the Royal Australian Navy(RAN) Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1955. When embarked in the ...

Occasional Paper 4: Naval Historical Society of Australia PRESENTATION– 26 SEPTEMBER 2016 HMAS MELBOURNE II

A.N. Other · May 15, 2025 ·

By Tom de Voil Introduction I recently had a brief article about HMAS MELBOURNE, the aircraft carrier, published and consequent on that I was asked to give this talk. It ...

Occasional Paper 191: Aviation in the Royal Australian Navy, the first 65 Years, 1917 to 1982

Editorial Staff · Mar 1, 2025 ·

Sopwith Pup from HMAS Sydney with HMAS Melbourne in the background

The following story is based on a Royal Australian Navy News story first published on Friday 23 April 1982, page 4. Australian Naval aviation this month celebrated the 65th anniversary ...

The Australian GAF Nomad aircraft

Steve Chaplin · Mar 7, 2023 ·

By Steve Chaplin In this article the author continues the history of Skywest Aviation which appeared in the December 2022 edition of this magazine.  The Australian designed and manufactured Nomad ...

Book Review: Flying Stations II

Book reviewer · Dec 7, 2022 ·

Flying Stations II. The Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Air Arm 1998-2022. This fine book edited by Lieutenant Commander Desmond Woods OAM RAN is published by the RAN Fleet Air Arm ...

An Essay on the 2005 Nias Island Sea King Crash

A.N. Other · Dec 7, 2022 ·

By MIDN T.D. Craig This well researched essay providing a critical analysis of serious problems within the Fleet Air Arm was a runner up to the Naval Historical Society history ...

Skywest Aviation in the Coastwatch Role

Steve Chaplin · Dec 7, 2022 ·

By Steve Chaplin Background As an island continent, Australia has an extensive coastline, not only to patrol, but also to protect. As a result of a number of events occurring ...

The NSW Department of Main Roads (DMR) at War

A.N. Other · Dec 7, 2022 ·

By Rohan Goyne  This story complements an article in the June 2022 edition of the Naval Historical Review concerning the wartime construction of airfields on Norfolk Island and New Caledonia. ...

FLYING STATIONS II, The Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Air Arm 1998-2022: Book Review

David Michael · Sep 25, 2022 ·

Edited by Lieutenant Commander Desmond Woods OAM RAN Published by the RAN Fleet Air Arm in conjunction with Avonmore Books, Kent Town, South Australia 5071 ISBN 978-0-6452469-5-7 Reviewed by David ...

The Remarkable Story of the Naval Heritage Flight (NHF) and the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS)

A.N. Other · Dec 29, 2021 ·

By Carl Robinson1 and Terry Hetherington2 Created in early 1985 at HMAS Albatross, the RAN Historic Flight was an ambitious project to keep a representative core of Australia’s classic navy ...

Occasional Paper 119: Darwin, 19 February 1942: a forgotten moment in the history of naval air operations

A.N. Other · Aug 30, 2021 ·

By Angus Britts The Japanese air attacks against Port Darwin in the forenoon of 19 February 1942 were a salient moment in Australia’s modern history. For the first time the ...

Occasional Paper 101: RAN Torpedo Factory, Neutral Bay

Editorial Staff · Feb 4, 2021 ·

By Midshipman Lloyd Skinner, RAN In 1942, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Torpedo Factory, located at Neutral Bay, Sydney commenced operations. Previously, the Torpedo Depot at Garden Island across the ...

Occasional Paper 100: Operation Estes

Editorial Staff · Feb 2, 2021 ·

By Midshipman Lloyd Skinner, RAN Beginning in 1980, Operation Estes saw the government call upon the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to conduct regular surface patrols around Bass Strait. Aerial and ...

Occasional Paper 89: Operation Bursa, Use of Naval Air Support in Protection of Australian Oil Rigs 1980-1989

Editorial Staff · Sep 6, 2020 ·

The following is a summary of a paper by Captain Marcus Peake RAN Ret’d, Webmaster of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia (FAAAA). The full story, published in August ...

Finding of Akagi and Kaga focuses attention on Japan’s formidable aircraft carriers
and the Darwin raid

Lewis, Tom, AOM, Lieutenant RAN · May 27, 2020 ·

By Tom Lewis Dr. Tom Lewis OAM is a retired naval officer, and the author of 14 books. Some of this text was drawn from Carrier Attack, published in 2013 ...

Occasional Paper 72: Spitfires in the RAN

Editorial Staff · Feb 11, 2020 ·

The Supermarine Spitfire was the most well-known of the World War II era fighter aircraft but by the late 1940’s was quickly becoming obsolete. In October 1948, 15 ex-RAAF Spitfires ...

Occasional Paper 68: Bristol Sycamore HR50/51

A.N. Other · Dec 21, 2019 ·

This paper, first published by the Sea Power Centre – Australia provides an overview of the service history of the Bristol Sycamore rescue and training helicopter operated by the RAN ...

Occasional Paper 49: The Good Times and The Bad Times

A.N. Other · Apr 12, 2019 ·

April 2019 The following paper describes the experiences of a young Royal Navy conscript, Gordon Cansdale who served in the Fleet Air Arm from 1945 to 1947.  Gordon describes the ...

HMAS Albatross, HMS Albatross and SS Hellenic Prince

Haken, J.K., Dr · Dec 13, 2018 ·

The first HMAS Albatross was a locally built seaplane tender which had a short RAN career, saw wartime service as HMS Albatross, first as a seaplane tender then as a ...

The RAAF at Sea before World War II

A.N. Other · Sep 24, 2018 ·

The following article first appeared in the Air Power Development Centre Bulletin Pathfinder, Issue 175 dated April 2012 and is reproduced with their kind permission. The perspective of our sister ...

The Unit Citation for Gallantry of the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam Extraordinary and Gallant

A.N. Other · Sep 24, 2018 ·

By CDR Ian (Max) Speedy, DSC, RANR With the passing of the years, we tend to forget just how defining the Vietnam War was in so many aspects. It was ...

The Battle of the Coral Sea

A.N. Other · Jun 18, 2015 ·

 MIDN Lachlan Montgomery joined the RAN in February 2014 coming from a family of five in Ringwood Victoria. His father is a serving member of the Victorian Police Force and ...

Occasional Paper 130: Our First Fleet Commander – Admiral Sir George Patey

A.N. Other · Mar 23, 2015 ·

By Walter Burroughs  A summary of this paper was presented at a conference held from 30 September to 01 October 2014 at the Universidad Andres Bello, Chile on the maritime ...

SMS Komet, the RAN’s first captured warship: a valuable prize and our first aircraft carrier

A.N. Other · Sep 24, 2014 ·

By Leyland Wilkinson In the latter part of the 19th century, Germany had been actively developing her Pacific island colonies and by 1900 had large holdings to the north of ...

Those Amazing Young Men and their Flying Machines

A.N. Other · Mar 24, 2014 ·

…brought to life with memorabilia from an Australian air ace found on Queensland rubbish tip By Jim Craigie The Great Find A World War I pilot’s helmet worn by Australia’s greatest ...

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