Australian Aviation

F-35 rollout highlights RAAF’s “greatest opportunity for evolutionary change” Twelve years after Australia first signed on to the Joint Strike Fighter program, the first F-35A Lightning II for the RAAF has been ceremonially ‘rolled out’ – in reality unveiled from behind a curtain – at Lockheed Martin’s sprawling Fort Worth, Texas plant. The July 25

First RAAF F-35 Rolled Out Few aviation writers can hope to leave anything like the legacy that Mac (Macarthur) Job has. Mac passed away on August 6, aged 88, after living with cancer for a number of years. Our thoughts are very much with his wife of almost 60 years, Esma, and their five children

Speculation grows as to what’s in the new Defence White Paper The development of the next Defence White Paper is probably in the home stretch, and has likely already been submitted in draft form to senior ADF leadership and government’s national security committee. Recent speculation by Defence Minister Senator David Johnston that an additional two

Recent aviation tragedies are changing procedures and perceptions The 21st century has not been the best for aviation so far. Sure, before the year 2000 we had seen isolated episodes of hijackings, but even these seemed to conform to some sort of pattern. This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members. Subscribe to Australian

Thai Airways falls under the control of the military men You would think the opportunity to take the top job at a major international airline would have hopefuls queuing up by the dozen. Not in Bangkok apparently. Government-owned, or should that be junta-owned, national flag carrier Thai Airways has been searching for a new president

Can Malaysia Airlines chart a new course? Not since Pan American World Airways lost four Boeing 707s in 10 months in the mid 1970s killing over 200 passengers has an airline’s reputation been so devastated by air disasters. However, the loss of two Boeing 777s in five months with a sickening toll of 537 is