An F/A-18 Classic Hornet that has served the Royal Australian Air Force with distinction over three decades has received one of the nation’s highest honours – a place in the National Collection at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Defence, in association with Boeing Defence Australia, today officially handed over F/A-18 Classic Hornet, A21-022, to the War Memorial’s Treloar Technology Centre in Canberra.
The team behind maintaining the F/A -18A/B have played a vital role in the life cycle of the Classic Hornets. Originally brought into service for the RAAF in 1985, maintainers have kept this aircraft operational over what will eventually be a 36 year period when the last Classic Hornet retires in 2021.
Adam Smith, Colin Fraser, Geoffrey Williams, Matthew Swan, Matthew Cole and Nicholas McInness have 143 year’s technical experience between them on this aircraft. These aircraft technicians have not only spent their lives putting the Classic Hornet together – they recently also pulled aircraft A21-022 apart for transit to the Australian War Memorial – and will prepare the remaining heritage aircraft for the next phase of their working lives.
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