New School

There, Flanked by Caf Airmshl Leo Davies, Then Minister for Defence Kevin Andrews Revealed That Team 21, the Lockheed Martin-led Consortium of Pilatus and Hawker Pacific, Had Prevailed as the Government’s Choice to Supply a New Pilot Training System (Pts) to the Adf.

“the New Training System is About Much More Than Just Acquiring a New Aircraft,” Said Airmshl Davies.

“the New Pilot Training System Will Enable Us to Use the Latest in Simulator Technology That Can Be Adapted to Student Needs and Different Learning Styles to Allow Students to Progress Through Training Faster. This Will Create Efficiencies for Pilot Training and Allow More Flexibility for Our Student Pilots. ” Team 21 Bested a Rival Bid, Consisting of Cae Australia, Beechcraft and Prime Contractor, Bae Systems (Current Providers of the Adf’s Basic Flight Training) Offering the Beech T-6c. “all Tender Responses Provided Credible Pilot Training Systems.

The Assessment Determined That the Team 21 Raaf Base East Sale Bid Was the More Efficient and Effective Proposal to Meet the Specific Adf Pts Training and Capability Requirements as Defined by Our Capability Documentation Suite,” a Defence Spokesperson Said in Response to Questions From Australian Aviation.

Air 5428 Defined

in Short, Air 5428 Seeks to Replace the Present Undergraduate and Postgraduate Flying Training System for Pre-operational Pilots in the Adf.

Currently, Basic Pilot Screening and Training is Supplied at Tamworth to the Adf’s Basic Flying Training School (Bfts) Under a Contract With Bae Systems. On the Ct-4b, Trainee Army, Navy and Air Force Pilots Complete a 25 Week Military Flying Training Course in Tamworth, Which for Raaf and Ran Pilots is Then Followed by an Advanced, 37 Week Flying Training Course With 2 Flying Training School (2fts) at Raaf Base Pearce, Wa. After the 130 Hours in the Pilatus Pc- 9/a, Successful Air Force Pilots Are Awarded Wings and Posted to an Operational Squadron, With Naval Aviators Progressing to Nowra to Complete Rotary Wing Training. Army Aviators Do Not Proceed to Pearce, but Instead Remain at Tamworth to Complete an Intermediate Pilot Course, Flying a Further 40 Hours on the Ct-4b Before Relocating to Oakey, Also to Undergo Rotary Wing Training.

While the Ct-4b and Pc-9/a Have Been Effective Trainers, They Are Currently Hampered by Their Lack of Glass Cockpits, Gps, Flight Management System or Hud, All of Which Are to Be Found on the Adf’s Current Frontline Aircraft.

Air 5428 Seeks to Remedy These Deficiencies by Introducing a Training Aircraft That Will Inculcate Pilot Skills Appropriate for Advanced 4th and 5th Generation Aircraft. As 2012’s Defence Capability Plan Outlined, the Project Should Also: “enable an Increase in Graduation Numbers, Enable the Withdrawal of Current Training Media and Provide Solutions for the Integration of Synthetic Training Systems. ” It Further Noted That, “the Adf Intends to Retain the Military Elements of the Existing Pts, Including Military Flying Schools, and the Use of Predominantly Military Qualified Flying Instructors (Qfi) for Student Instruction [and] All Pilot Training [is] to Be Based in Australia. ” Envisaged Was a Training System Geared Towards Meeting All Phases of Undergraduate Pilot Training, From Basic Flying Up to Entry Into Air Force Lead-in Fighter and Operational Conversion Units. The Successful Pts Would Also Provide Navy and Army Candidates for the Helicopter Aircrew Training System (or Hats, Now to Be Delivered by Boeing Defence Australia and Thales as Preferred Tenderers of Air 9000 Phase 7).

The Dcp Also Stated That the Pts Would Be Responsible for the Initial Training of Military Qfis to Support Fixed-wing Operational Training.

In Addition, the Chosen Airborne Platform Was to Undergo Assessment for Possible Use by 4sqn for “operational Air Support Training, Including Close Air Support, Forward Air Control and Range Surveillance Training Activities and by the Air Operations Support Group for Photo-chase, Safety and Other Flighttest Support Activities. ” It Was Also Noted in the Dcp That Air 5428 Was to Have a Life of Type of Some 25 Years, and Was Costed Between $1 and $2 Billion.

As Noted, the Synthetic Element of Air 5428 Was to Mark the Most Significant Philosophical Shift From the Current Training System, Withits Emphasis on Simulators as a Part of Ab Initio and Undergraduate Pilot Training. Currently, Pilots Training on the Ct‑4bs in Tamworth and Pc-9/as at Pearce Do So Without Recourse to Simulators, With the Aircraft and Ground School Being the Chief Components of the Educational Experience.

East Sale of the Century

Air 5428 Will See Basic Flying Training Moved From Tamworth to Raaf Base East Sale, Home to the Central Flying School and the Raaf’s Aerobatic Team, the Roulettes. The Pilatus Pc‑21 Will Be the System’s Sole Airborne Element (as Opposed to the Current Dual Platform Solution), With the One Aircraft Being Used to Take Pilots From Ab Initio to Wings. The Decision to Switch Basic Flying Training From Nsw to Victoria, and the Resultant Economic Impacts That Accompany the Move, is Held Privately by Some in the Defence Industry as One of the Reasons for the Protracted Process in Deciding a Successful Bidder for Air 5428.

The Defence Spokesperson, However, Indicated, “the Relative Merits of Tamworth and East Sale as a Training Environment Were Not a Component of the Air 5428-1 Tender Evaluation and Did Not Determine the Selection of Preferred Tenderer. ” However, With the Selection of the Team 21 Proposal Delivering Basic Flying Training From Raaf Base East Sale, Air Force Can Look to Generate Additional Benefits That Were Not Included in the Tender Evaluation.

The Consolidation of Aviation Career Stream Training at East Sale in a Single Geographic Location Offers Many Future Benefits for the Aviation Workforce.

“at East Sale We Already Train Air Traffic Controllers, Air Combat Officers (P-3c and P-8 Sensor Operators), Air Intercept Controllers (Wedgetail Controllers), Fast Jet Weapon System Operators (F/a-18f and Growler Backseaters), Flying Instructors, and Officer Training School (Ots) Candidates. Bringing Bfts to East Sale Puts All of Our Aviation Stream Initial Training in One Geographic Place,” the Defence Spokesperson Said.

Additional Benefits Being Touted by Team 21’s Pts Located at East Sale Include Having Aircraft, Simulators, Logistics Support, and Maintenance Consolidated With Resulting Economies of Scale.

“we Will Have One Simulator Complex to Support Bfts, Cfs and Flight Screening Program (Fsp).

Air 5428 Will See Basic Flying Training Moved From Tamworth to East Sale.

There Are Workforce Benefits in Having the Three Elements Co-located and Possibly Providing a Longer Tenure in Location for School Flying Instructors. For Example; a Pc-21 Instructor From One School (Say Cfs) Could Complete a Mission at Bfts for Which They Are Qualified and Current, Minimising Disruption to Training. ” Another Upside, Possibly Not Mentioned in the 4,000 Page Tender Document, Was This, Offered by the Defence Spokesperson: “for the Bfts Students, Opportunities Such as Seeing the Roulettes Practising Overhead Regularly Would Be Inspirational and Motivational. ” Capital Works Will Be Undertaken Ahead of the Arrival of the New Aircraft at East Sale. Defence Has Announced That the Scope of Facilities Works Planned for Raaf East Sale Will Include Upgrade/ Replacement of Flightline and Maintenance Facilities, Storage and Logistics Facilities, Airfield Infrastructure (Such as Taxiway Works, Aircraft Wash and Runup Bays), Student Classrooms and Study Areas, New Facilities to Accommodate Simulators, Working Accommodation for Defence and Contractor Personnel, Student Domestic Accommodation and Medical Building Minor Upgrades.

Pc-21

Described as Having a Roll Rate Similar to a Tanked Hornet and “jetlike” Handling Properties, the Pilatus Pc‑21 is a Comprehensive Advance in Technologies Found in Its Earlier Stablemate, the Pc‑9, Despite the Family Resemblance.

The Pc-21 Features a Five-blade Composite Scimitar Propeller Driven by a 1,600shp Pratt & Whitney Canada Pt6a-68b Engine With Power Management Software, Allowing the Aircraft to Be Tailored to Suit the Experience Level of the Pilot Flying It, Be They Ab Initio or Advanced.

Crisp Handling is Conferred by a Highly-loaded, 8g High-speed Profile Wing, With Hydraulic Ailerons and Spoilers (Hence the Roll Rate).

Pilot and Instructor Sit on Zero/ Zero Ejector Seats in a Pressurised, Stepped Tandem Cockpit With Birdstrike Resistant Frameless Canopy. Mtow is 3,100kg.

But Just as Important as Aircraft Performance is the Pc-21’s Advanced Avionics System. Features Include Cockpit Emulation of Frontline Aircraft, a Stores Management System, Radar and Electronic Warfare Emulation, a Heads-up Display, a Tactical Situational Display and Datalink Capability.

“at the Bottom End of the Spectrum, the Benign Handling Allows Ab Initio Pilots to Take Their First Flight in an Aircraft Capable of (Sustaining) in Excess of 300kt at Low Level – That is Pretty Cool,” Explains Kylie Price, Pilatus’s Air 5428 Program Manager, of the Pc-21.

“at the Top End, the Embedded Training System and Synthetic Weapons System – Allowing the Training Envelope to Be Extended Which Ultimately Produces More Capable and More Confident Pilots – is Pretty Good. ”

25 Per Cent of Training Will Be Conducted in a Simulator.

The Buy

Forty-nine Pc-21s Will Be Acquired Under Air 5428, Mostly Split Between Raaf East Sale and Raaf Pearce (Where They Will Fly Alongside Pc-21s Operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force).

“the Flight Profiles Will Be Similar to Those Currently Undertaken by the Pc-9. Some Training Will Transfer to the Simulator, Such as Instrument Flying, Which is Currently Performed Under an if Hood or ‘bag’ in the Backseat. The Student Still Needs to Get Out and Fly to Experience the G-forces, the Environment and Make Decisions in the Real World Environment. The Pc-21 System is Meant to Be an Evolution of the Current System.

We Will Be Heavily Leveraging the Nearly 30 Years of Experience That the Air Force Has Had With the Pc-9 in the Training Role,” the Defence Spokesperson Said.

And Beyond Its Training Mission, “the Aircraft Will Be Utilised by the Roulettes Formation Aerobatic Display Team Which Has a Key Public Relations Role. The Pc-21 Will Also Be Used by 4sqn for Training of Adf Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and Forward Air Controllers (Jtacs and Facs), Who Coordinate Joint Fires Support to Troops on the Ground.

Ardu Will Also Get Three Pc- 21 Aircraft to Support Test Pilot Currency Flying and Other Specialty Ardu Flight Test Tasking. ” of Note is the Fact That the Current Fleet of 30 Ct-4bs and 62 Pc-9/as Are to Be Replaced by 49 Pc-21s. That Team 21 Plans to Be Turning Out More Pilots – From 77 Currently, to 105 Each Year After 2019 – With Fewer Aircraft Says Much About the Role Simulators Are Expected to Play in Future Adf Pilot Training.

Simulation Education

Approximately 25 Per Cent of Training Will Be Conducted in a Simulator in the New Pilot Training System.

“where the Simulator Can Also Contribute a Great Deal is in Remedial Training Where a Student Just Needs Some More Time Practising and Repeating a Sequence to ‘get It’. The Student Should Have Practised Every Drill in the Simulator Prior to the Actual Flight in the Aircraft. This Will Inevitably Mean Increased Learning Effectiveness Airborne. This Anticipated Outcome is in Broad Alignment With Other Air Forces That Use Simulation in the Undergraduate Pilot Training Mission,” the Defence Spokesperson Said.

“simulation is Essential in a Modern Flying Training System,” Explains Lockheed Martin’s Chris Huet, Who Was a Senior Member of the Team 21 Bid.

“flight Simulators Support Progressive Development of New Skills and Knowledge. This is Particularly Important for Learning the Use of Mission Systems in a Cost-effective Way, So That Students Can Focus on Employing These Systems Once in the Aircraft,” Says Huet, a Former Raaf 2ocu Commanding Officer. “simulators Allow for Training Which Cannot Be Performed Safely in the Air, Such as Responding to Complex Malfunctions, and Provide Flexibility in Training Environments.

For Example, a Student Can Fly at Night in a Simulator During Daytime or in Poor Weather on a Good Day, Making Training More Efficient. ”

Pc-9 Life of Type

the Protracted Process to Choose a Preferred Tenderer for Air 5428 Has Had a Number of Consequences, Most Importantly on the Pc-9’s Planned Withdrawal Date (Pwd).

Australian Pc-9s Already Lead the World Fleet by Fatigue Index and Managing the Aircraft to Its Revised Pwd of December 2019 Will See the Raaf Engage in Ongoing Risk Mitigation. According to Defence, Current Air Force Planning is to Commence Flying Operations With the Pc-21 at Raaf East Sale in 2017 and Commence Training Students in 2019.

State of Play

Negotiations for the Pc-21’s Acquisition and Sustainment Contracts Are Currently Under Way and Are Anticipated to Be Completed by the End of 2015. It’s Anticipated That Sustainment Arrangements Planned for the Air 5428 Pts Will See Maintenance, Engineering and Logistic Support Provided on a Performance Basis by Team 21 Partner Hawker Pacific.

Lockheed Martin, Pilatus and Hawker Pacific Are Already Successfully Delivering the Rsaf’s Basic Wings Course on Pc-21s Based at Raaf Base Pearce. Bwc Has Very Similar Mission and Support Systems – Fixed‑wing Training Aircraft, Part Task Trainers and Simulators, Ground-based Training Course Material and Training Support Personnel – as Those Planned for Air 5428.

Team Twenty Won

Given the Importance of Properly Screened and Trained Military Pilots to the Fighting Ability of an Air Force, It’s a Curious Thing That Australia Will Have Taken 12 Years, by the Time of Its Implementation, to Introduce a Training Capability That New Zealand Managed to Acquire in Three.

But Future Adf Pilots Are Now Set to Begin Training on the Latest in a Long Line of Finely-engineered Swiss Machinery, the Pc‑21, an Aircraft That Will Doubtlessly Serve Australia as Faithfully as Its Now Venerable Forebear, the Pc-9.