05 Desember 2017 A35-003 takes off from Fort Worth. (photo : AustralianAviationCarl Richards) The Royal Australian Air Force’s third F-35A Lightning II, A35-003, has completed its first flight. Photographer Carl Richards captured these images of A35-003 taking off on its first flight, from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, on December 1. The aircraft is due to be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in early 2018 to be used for pilot and maintainer training, before being permanently relocated to Australia in 2020. A35-003, known to its manufacturer Lockheed Martin as AU-3, had its RAAF markings, including its 3 Squadron tail flashes, applied in early November, the final phase of the aircraft’s production process. 3 Squadron is due to become the first RAAF F-35 operational unit. ( AustralianAviation )
05 Desember 2017 HMNZS Endeavour (photo : RNZN) The Royal New Zealand Navy’s 30 year old tanker support ship, HMNZS Endeavour is about to be retired and enters the Waitemata Harbour for her final time on Friday 1 December. She will be flying her decommissioning or paying off pennant - the longest pennant in the Navy. Endeavour is expected to berth at Devonport Naval Base at 10am and will be visible from East Coast Bays and North Head for up to an hour as she enters the Rangitoto Channel, approaches the inner harbour and progresses to her berth. For her final ceremonial harbour entry, naval tradition allows the Commanding Officer of Endeavour, Commander Martin Doolan, to fly the decommissioning pennant from the ship. The custom is inherited and adapted from the Royal Navy since before the Napoleonic Wars when it was tradition for ships to fly a ‘Paying-off Pennant’ at the masthead when they left their fleet to return to their home port to ‘Pay Off’. The length of the pennant was equal t...