The Royal Australian Navy’s first female pilot, Sub Lieutenant Natalee McDougall, RAN, graduated from the Australian Defence Academy’s helicopter training facility after 17 months of intensive classroom and practical training ...
Fleet Air Arm
Australian Naval History on 25 June 1993
Last Sea King delivered to RAN FAA ...
Australian Naval History on 31 December 1989
After 27 years of service the RAN’s Wessex were decommissioned ...
Australian Naval History on 31 May 1989
After 25 years of service the RAN’s Iroquois were decommissioned ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 1987
As safety and supportability issues caught up with the ageing Wessex’s, National Task duties were transferred to 817 Squadron and 816 Squadron decommissioned ...
Australian Naval History on 28 January 1986
HMA Ships HOBART, SYDNEY, PARRAMATTA, DERWENT, and VAMPIRE, and aircraft of No.817 Squadron were dispatched to search for an F111 bomber which crashed into the sea off Bateman’s Bay, NSW. ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 1984
724 Squadron decommissioned at NAS Nowra ...
Australian Naval History on 14 May 1984
The first of six Aerospatiale AS350BA Squirrels Helicopters arrived at HMAS Albatross for naval service. The Squirrels were initially acquired to provide an interim embarked capability for the RAN’s Adelaide ...
Australian Naval History on 28 February 1984
First Aerospatiale AS350B Squirrel delivered to RAN FAA ...
Australian Naval History on 9 February 1984
816 Squadron, equipped with Westland Wessex Mk.31B helicopters, commissioned at Nowra. ...
Australian Naval History on 8 December 1983
851 Squadron aircraft perform last flypast of RAN fixed-wing aircraft at HMAS Creswell ...
Australian Naval History on 19 November 1983
The Wessex celebrated 21 years of service in the RAN and the occasion was marked with a flypast of RAN Wessex, Iroquois and Sea King helicopters as well Royal Navy ...
Australian Naval History on 2 July 1982
805 Squadron, flying Skyhawks, and 816 squadron, flying S2 Trackers, decommissioned at NAS Nowra ...
Australian Naval History on 28 July 1977
Kiowa 891 crashed near Sunday Island, Western Australia while recovering one of the HMAS Moresby’s crew from the top of a cliff. The man jumped aboard the helicopter which then ...
Australian Naval History on 2 February 1976
817 squadron re-equipped with the larger Sea King helicopter, which greatly improved the RAN’s anti-submarine warfare capability. ...
Australian Naval History on 27 December 1975
725 Squadron, flying the Wessex, decommissioned ...
Australian Naval History on 17 July 1975
Skyhawk A4G (872) was part of a 5-ship flight conducting bombing practice at the Beecroft Head Firing Range, NSW. 872 pulled up off the range and collided with the underside ...
Australian Naval History on 2 March 1975
First Sea King delivered to RAN FAA ...
Australian Naval History on 10 February 1975
Grumman S2E Tracker 853 ditched after night flying when doing a Bolter (missed wire and going around again) from HMAS Melbourne. The 4 crew were all rescued unhurt. This was ...
Australian Naval History on 16 May 1974
Lieutenant (P) Ralph McMillan lost his life in a Skyhawk TA4G (879)which crashed into the sea 64 Km NE of Nowra during a mock attack on HMAS Melbourne. ...
Farewell to Old Sydney Forever
ALTHOUGH HER DAYS WERE NUMBERED, the shock announcement on July 20th ‘The transport HMAS Sydney is to be paid off. She will be withdrawn from the Australian Fleet and will ...
Australian Naval History on 8 November 1973
Skyhawk A4G (889) crashed due to catapult failure while launching from MELBOURNE during multinational exercise near Singapore. SBLT Barry Evans remained in the aircraft while the ship passed overhead and ...
Australian Naval History on 11 June 1973
The first Hawker Siddeley 748 transport aircraft was delivered to the RAN’s Fleet Air Arm. The new aircraft replaced the Dakota transports in service since World War II. ...
Australian Naval History on 28 April 1971
CAC Aermacchi MB-326H N14-078 crashed at Sussex Inlet, as a result of losing control during an inverted spin over the ocean. The crew, Lieutenant Errol Kavanagh, RAN and Lieutenant Peter ...
Australian Naval History on 28 September 1970
The last recorded Sea Vampire Trainer flight took place and the aircraft were replaced by the CAC Aermacchi MB-326H (Macchi) from October 1970. The remaining six Vampires were sold during ...