Royal Australian Air Force

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Air Force Facts

• The Air Force began in 1914 as the 'Australian Flying Corps'. Although it is one of the oldest air forces in the world, it is actually the youngest of the three armed services in the Australian Defence Force (Navy, Army, Air Force).
   
• On 31 March, 1921 the Australian Flying Corps became known as the 'Royal Australian Air Force' and at this time had only 21 officers, 128 airmen and 152 aircraft. By September, 1939 (the beginning of World War II) the Air Force had 310 officers, 3,179 airmen and 246 aircraft. This grew to an incredible 182,000 personnel and 6,200 aircraft by the end of the war! Today, the Air Force employs about 13,500 men and women. They are supported by 2,800 Air Force Reservists and 900 public servants at 11 major bases and many offices across Australia.
   
• The primary role of Australia's Air Force is to defend Australia's people, security and interests.
   
• The Air Force motto, 'Per Ardua ad Astra' (in Latin), which appears at the bottom of the official RAAF badge, means 'Through Struggle to the Stars'.
   
• The Air Force, along with the Navy and Army, are jointly given the official name of the Australian Defence Force.
   
• The Air Force Roundel is proudly displayed on every RAAF aircraft. The kangaroo always faces the front of the aircraft. The British RAF red, white and blue roundel was originally used, but without the red kangaroo. However, a RAAF aircraft was mistaken for a Japanese plane during WWII, so the red circle was removed. The kangaroo was added in 1956.
  
• When visiting a RAAF base you won't see all RAAF personnel wearing blue uniforms. The blue RAAF uniform is generally worn when working in an office, or for special occasions. Aircrew wear green flying suits, while people on special exercises or operations wear camouflage uniforms.
   

Air Force Aircraft

• The PC-9 is the high-performance aircraft flown by the Roulettes aerobatic team that you will see perform at air shows around Australia. The Roulettes fly at speeds of up to 590 km/h and pull up to 6 'G' when performing aerobatic displays (6 'G' means six times the force of gravity, which makes the pilot's weight increase six times!). At air shows you will see these well-trained and very skilled pilots bring their aircraft to as close as three metres from each other.
  
• The exciting RAAF F/A-18 Hornet is a multi-role fighter aircraft that can reach the amazing speed of 2,200km/h. It is capable of flying for 2,700km without refuelling, but it can also be refueled, while still in the air, by a KC-30B tanker aircraft when necessary.
  
• The RAAF operates two models of the Hercules. These are medium transport aircraft. The Hercules is a key part of the Air Force fleet, providing medium to long-range transport, and it has the ability to take off and land on short dirt runways. It performs such roles as transporting troops, parachuting, dropping supplies to the ground from the air, assisting with search and survivor assistance, disaster relief and medical evacuations.
  
• The DHC-4 Caribou, like the Hercules, can take off and land on very short dirt runways. It is ideal for delivering cargo where pinpoint accuracy is required, because it can drop the cargo while flying very low. The cargo is packed on sleds and attached to parachutes. When the parachutes are opened, they catch the wind and drag the sleds, with the cargo, out of the back of the aircraft and straight down onto the ground.
  
• The F-111 is a supersonic long-range strike aircraft with a swing-wing that can be adjusted for different flight speeds. When the wings are positioned fully back, the F-111 can fly at more than twice the speed of sound (the speed of sound is approximately 1,238 kilometres per hour).
   
• The Hawk 127 is primarily used for fighter training. It has up-to-date instrumentation and weapons capability, and is used to prepare aircrew to make sure they are ready to fly the F/A-18 Hornet fighter or F-111 strike aircraft.
  
• The Air Force currently operates two hot-air balloons:
  1. VH-FAN (Foxtrot Alfa November) - this balloon has been flying since 2005 and is used for flying training and as a backup for the main display balloon.
  2. VH-DEF (Delta Echo Foxtrot) - this balloon was first flown in September 2006 and is the main display balloon for the Air Force. It is easy to spot in the air because it is decorated with images of an F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft, a member of the Air Force and the RAAF Roundel.
     

See RAAF Base Amberley Facts for F-111 strike aircraft, C-17 Globemaster heavy airlift aircraft and KC-30B tanker aircraft.

See RAAF Base Edinburgh Facts for AP-3C Orion maritime aircraft.