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No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF

No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit (No. 2 OCU) is a fighter training unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Located at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales, the unit trains pilots to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Pilots new to the F-35 enter No. 2 2OCU after first qualifying to fly fast jets at No. 79 Squadron and undertaking initial fighter combat instruction at No. 76 Squadron. Once qualified on the F-35, they are posted to one of No. 81 Wing's operational Hornet units, No. 3 Squadron, No. 75 Squadron or No. 77 Squadron.

No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF
No. 2 OCU's crest
Active1942–1947
1952–current
CountryAustralia
BranchRoyal Australian Air Force
RoleOperational conversion
Refresher courses
Fighter combat instruction
Part ofNo. 81 Wing
Garrison/HQRAAF Base Williamtown
Motto(s)Juventus Non Sine Pinnis
("The Young Shall Have Wings")
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Peter Jeffrey (1942–1943, 1944–1946)
Wilfred Arthur (1944)
Dick Cresswell (1953–1956)
Neville McNamara (1959–1961)
Aircraft flown
FighterLockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II

The unit was established as No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit (No. 2 OTU) in April 1942 at Port Pirie, South Australia, and relocated to RAAF Station Mildura, Victoria, the following month. During World War II, it provided training on a wide range of aircraft, including P-40 Kittyhawks, Vultee Vengeances, Avro Ansons, CAC Boomerangs, Supermarine Spitfires and Airspeed Oxfords. Disbanded in March 1947, No. 2 OTU was re-formed at Williamtown in March 1952 in response to the demand for more highly trained pilots to serve in the Korean War. It was renamed No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Conversion Unit in September 1958, and since then has conducted training with the CAC Sabre, Dassault Mirage III, and Macchi MB-326, and the F/A-18 Hornet prior to taking delivery of the F-35s.

Role and equipment edit

 
RAAF F/A-18 Hornets in formation, 2011

The role of No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit (No. 2 OCU) is to "support the preparation for and the conduct of effective airspace control, counter air strike and combat air support operations through the provision of trained personnel".[1] Located at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales, it comes under the control of No. 81 Wing, part of Air Combat Group.[1][2]

No. 2 OCU is primarily responsible for conducting operational conversion courses on the RAAF's fifth generationLockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter, which entered service in 2019. The unit takes students who have converted to fast jets with No. 79 Squadron, located at RAAF Base Pearce, Western Australia, and undergone lead-in fighter training at No. 76 Squadron, based at Williamtown.[1][3] Most are new to operational flying, but some are "retreads" (experienced pilots converting from another aircraft type).[4] No. 2 OCU's instructors are among the RAAF's most experienced pilots, and often play a major role developing new tactics, in co-operation with fighter combat instructors at other No. 81 Wing units.[5]

No. 2 OCU operates the F-35As, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant. It is the smallest, lightest version and capable of 9 g, the highest of all variants. The F-35A is largely identical to the B and C model, however, they have different capabilities such as (STOVL) and carrier operations respectively. Aircraft livery includes a white tail fin flash, the base featuring a tiger's head outlined in black, with a red mouth, white fangs and white eyes. The previous aircraft operated by 2OCU, the F/A-18 Hornets, had a yellow and white tail design, however, they have been removed to suit the F-35's stealth needs.[6][7] The unit crest shows a winged kangaroo carrying a joey in its pouch, symbolising "'Mother Australia' flying with her young".[8] The motto is Juventus Non-Sine Pinnis ("The Young Shall Have Wings").[9]

Prior to 2019, when 2OCU operated F/A-18s, the Hornet conversion courses ran for six months, after which graduates were posted to one of the RAAF's front-line fighter units, No. 3 Squadron or No. 77 Squadron at Williamtown, or No. 75 Squadron at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory.[6][10] Students first gained their instrument rating on the Hornet, and then taught basic fighter manoeuvres, air combat techniques, air-to-air gunnery, and air-to-ground tactics.[4][5] The course culminates with Exercise High Sierra, a biannual event that was first run at Townsville, Queensland, in 1986.[5][9] The exercise lasted several weeks and involved day and night flights, including precision strike sorties with practice and live bombs.[10][11]

As well as operational conversion, No. 2 OCU conducted refresher courses and fighter combat instructor courses.[1] Pilots who had not flown Hornets for more than nine months undertook the two-week refresher course.[12] Fighter combat instructor courses run for five months and are given every two years.[1][13] Students were chosen from among the most experienced Hornet squadron pilots and undertook instruction in how to train others, as well as how to deal with complex operational scenarios.[4] This was tested in simulated combat with other types of US or RAAF aircraft, as available, including F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and F/A-18 Super Hornets.[4][13] Graduates became qualified F/A-18 instructors and remained with No. 2 OCU for the next two-year cycle. After this time, they were posted to one of the front-line squadrons or No. 81 Wing's headquarters as Hornet weapons-and-tactics specialists.[5] Along with training pilots, No. 2 OCU were occasionally called upon to conduct operational tasks in certain circumstances.[14]

History edit

Operational training: 1942–1947 edit

 
Wing Commander Jeffrey (front) leading a flight of P-40 Kittyhawk fighters, including one flown by Squadron Leader "Bluey" Truscott (second from rear), at No. 2 OTU, Mildura, in June 1942

During World War II, the RAAF established several operational training units (OTUs) to convert recently graduated pilots from advanced trainers to combat aircraft, and to add fighting techniques to the flying skills they had already learned.[15] No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit (No. 2 OTU) was formed on 2 April 1942 at Port Pirie, South Australia. Its inaugural commanding officer was Wing Commander Peter Jeffrey, a fighter ace who had led No. 3 Squadron in North Africa.[9][16] Jeffrey had recently brought on line Nos. 75 and 76 Squadrons, two of the first three fighter units raised to help defend northern Australia as the Japanese advanced toward New Guinea.[16][17] His team of instructors at No. 2 OTU included fellow aces from the North African campaign, Clive Caldwell and Wilf Arthur.[18] Originally equipped with CAC Wirraways and Fairey Battles, the unit's complement was augmented by P-40 Kittyhawks, Vultee Vengeances, Avro Ansons, CAC Boomerangs, Supermarine Spitfires and Airspeed Oxfords after it relocated to RAAF Station Mildura, Victoria, in May.[9] By September 1942, its fleet of aircraft included nine of the 106 Kittyhawks the RAAF had on hand at the time.[19] During November, No. 2 OTU conducted comparative trials that pitted a Spitfire Mk V against a P-40E; the final report of these trials judged that although the Spitfire had superior performance according to most criteria, the P-40E was also a useful design.[20]

No. 2 OTU's Spitfire section was transferred to RAAF Station Williamtown, New South Wales, in March 1943, under the command of ace John Waddy.[9][21] Jeffrey handed over command of No. 2 OTU at Mildura in August 1943; the same month, the unit logged over 5,000 flying hours, its highest level during the war. For the remainder of the conflict it maintained an average strength of more than 100 aircraft.[9] North African campaign aces and former No. 3 Squadron commanders Bobby Gibbes and Nicky Barr served successively as chief flying instructor from March 1944 until the end of the Pacific War.[22][23] Group Captain Arthur led the unit from July to November 1944, when Group Captain Jeffrey resumed command.[9] During 1945, the Spitfires and Kittyhawks were replaced by 32 North American P-51 Mustangs.[24] Training concluded that October, following the cessation of hostilities, and No. 2 OTU was reduced to a care-and-maintenance unit.[1][9] During the war, it had graduated 1,247 pilots, losing 45 students in fatal accidents.[9] Jeffrey completed his appointment in June 1946, and the unit was disbanded on 25 March 1947.[9][25]

Operational training: 1952–1958 edit

 
No. 2 OCU Vampire during the 1950s

Post-war demobilisation saw the disbandment of all the RAAF's OTUs.[9][15] Operational conversion of new pilots then became the responsibility of front-line squadrons. This practice disrupted the squadrons' normal duties, and the advent of the Korean War and the introduction of jet aircraft further necessitated a more formal system of operational training.[15] According to Dick Cresswell, commanding officer of No. 77 Squadron in Korea from September 1950 to August 1951:[26]

It is hard to believe that I actually sent 11 pilots home to Australia as they were not capable of doing the job properly. I don't blame the pilots, but I do blame the Air Force system. We had no operational training units, no operational training system and, as a result, the pilots came to Korea poorly trained and without instrument ratings. They just couldn't operate in the area.

The RAAF moved to rectify the situation by re-forming No. 2 OTU on 1 March 1952 to convert RAAF pilots to jet aircraft and train them for fighter operations.[15] Headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, it was equipped with Wirraways, Mustangs, and de Havilland Vampire jets.[9][27] Cresswell took command of No. 2 OTU on 21 May 1953. The unit ceased flying Mustangs that October, retaining its Wirraways and Vampires. In April 1954, it began conducting fighter combat instructor courses, as well as refresher courses on jets.[9] Cresswell delivered the first Australian-built CAC Sabre jet fighter to No. 2 OTU in November, and the same month established the unit's Sabre Trials Flight.[9][28] The flight was responsible for performance testing and developing combat flying techniques, in concert with the Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU).[29] On 3 December 1954, Creswell led a formation of twelve No. 2 OTU Vampires in the shape of two sevens over Sydney to greet No. 77 Squadron upon its arrival from service in Korea aboard the aircraft carrier HMAS Vengeance.[30] Training courses on the Sabre began on 1 January 1955.[9] Once the Sabre entered operational service in March 1956, the Sabre Trials Flight was dissolved and its responsibilities passed to No. 3 Squadron.[29] Pilots underwent their introduction to jets and fighter combat at No. 2 OTU, but finished their conversion to Sabres at a front-line squadron.[15]

Operational conversion: 1958–current edit

 
No. 2 OCU Mirage IIID (foreground) and IIIO, 1980

In May 1958, No. 1 Applied Flying Training School began equipping with Vampire jet trainers at RAAF Base Pearce, Western Australia.[31] As RAAF pilots were now gaining their first exposure to jets elsewhere, No. 2 OTU took over from the fighter squadrons the responsibility of converting trained jet pilots to Sabres.[15] Reflecting its new primary role, it was renamed No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Conversion Unit (No. 2 OCU) in September 1958, and ceased Vampire courses the same month.[9][15] Wing Commander Neville McNamara, later Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) and Chief of the Defence Force Staff, served as commanding officer from August 1959 until January 1961.[9][32] During his tenure, the unit undertook exercises with No. 75 Squadron at RAAF Bases Amberley, Townsville and Darwin.[33] Two Sabre pilots from No. 2 OCU and one from No. 75 Squadron died in separate incidents early in 1960; each had attempted to eject at low level and suffered fatal head injuries from colliding with the aircraft's canopy during the ejection sequence. All RAAF Sabres were grounded until ARDU developed a modification to shatter the canopy immediately before the pilot ejected.[33][34]

Along with Nos. 75 and 76 Squadrons, also based at Williamtown, No. 2 OCU was under the control of No. 81 Wing from 1961 until the wing was disbanded in 1966.[35][36] By late 1963, personnel were busy developing training material for the pending Sabre replacement, the Dassault Mirage III, a task that required them to translate the manufacturer's technical documentation from the original French.[37][38] No. 2 OCU received its first Mirages in February and March 1964.[37] It commenced conversion courses on the type that October, and fighter combat instructor courses in August 1968.[38] The RAAF eventually took delivery of 100 Mirage IIIO single-seat fighters and 16 Mirage IIID two-seat trainers; No. 2 OCU operated both models.[39] Squadron Leader John Newham, later to serve as CAS, held temporary command of the unit from July 1965 to April 1966.[40][41] A Sabre-equipped aerobatic display team named the "Marksmen" was formed within No. 2 OCU during 1966 and 1967.[42] Between 1967 and 1984, six of the unit's Mirages suffered major accidents, resulting in three fatalities.[39] Experience in the Vietnam War led the RAAF to begin training Forward air controllers in 1968. The task initially fell to No. 2 OCU before a specialised unit, No. 4 Forward Air Control Flight, was formed in 1970.[43] In October 1969, the OCU began operating the Macchi MB-326 jet for lead-in fighter training, as well as the Mirage.[9] No. 5 Operational Training Unit, based at Williamtown, took over responsibility for Macchi courses from April 1970 until its disbandment in July the following year; the Macchis were then transferred back to No. 2 OCU.[9][44]

 
No. 2 OCU F/A-18B Hornet, 2011

In preparation for the introduction of the F/A-18 Hornet, No. 2 OCU temporarily ceased flying operations on 1 January 1985 and transferred Macchi and Mirage training to No. 77 Squadron, which assumed responsibility for fighter combat instructor, introductory fighter, and Mirage conversion courses.[9][45] Beginning on 17 May, the first fourteen Australian Hornets—seven single-seat F/A-18As and seven two-seat F/A-18Bs—and a Hornet simulator were delivered to No. 2 OCU. Conversion courses on the type commenced on 19 August with four F/A-18Bs and three students.[6][46] No. 2 OCU has remained the prime user of the two-seat Hornet, though some are operated by the fighter squadrons, Nos. 3, 75 and 77.[6] The first year of Hornet service saw No. 2 OCU, as the then-only RAAF operator, undertake demonstration flights around the country to unveil the new fighter to the Australian public.[47] All of the Hornet units came under the control of a newly re-formed No. 81 Wing on 2 February 1987.[6][36] An intense training program that year resulted in 21 pilots converting to the type.[47] In June 1987, Macchi training courses again became the responsibility of No. 2 OCU; this role was taken over by No. 76 Squadron in January 1989.[9] No. 2 OCU suffered its only Hornet loss to date when an F/A-18B crashed at Great Palm Island, Queensland, during a night-time training flight on 18 November 1987, killing the pilot. Two Hornets collided during an air-to-air combat training exercise the previous year, but both managed to return to base.[48] The unit temporarily relocated to RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales, in July 1990, while Williamtown's runway was resurfaced.[49]

The RAAF began modifying four of its Boeing 707 jet transports to enable air-to-air refuelling of the Hornets in December 1988; No. 2 OCU staff commenced training for airborne tanker operations in July 1991, subsequently adding this capability to the Hornet conversion course.[9][50] By the mid-1990s, the unit had 12 instructors and a complement of 18 Hornets, including 13 two-seaters. It was running two conversion courses per year, with eight students per course, and had an average failure rate of 10 per cent. Several of its instructors were US and Canadian pilots on exchange with the RAAF.[4] In 2000, No. 2 OCU joined Nos. 76 and 79 Squadrons as part of No. 78 Wing, which had been re-established as an operational training formation.[51][52] As of 2005, the unit had a strength of between 12 and 14 instructors and ran three Hornet conversion courses and one fighter combat instructor course over two-year cycles. About six new Hornet pilots took part in each of the conversion courses, and the unit generally graduated 15 new Hornet pilots over each cycle.[5] By 2007, No. 2 OCU had returned to the aegis of No. 81 Wing, under Air Combat Group.[53][54] Although the duration of the conversion courses has remained unchanged since the Hornets were introduced into service, the content covered has been altered over time to reflect upgrades to the Hornets, the replacement of the Macchis with BAE Hawk 127 trainers in the early 2000s, and experience gained from using Hornets in combat during the Iraq War.[5] No. 2 OCU conducted its 32nd fighter combat instructor course in 2013. The graduation exercise, Aces North, was the first to involve RAAF F/A-18 Super Hornets, Airbus KC-30 tankers, and Boeing E-7 Wedgetail early warning aircraft, as well as the "Classic" Hornets.[55] The unit was awarded the 2016 Gloucester Cup for proficiency.[56] In December 2017, Australia's first female fighter pilots graduated from No. 2 OCU.[11] No. 2 OCU completed its final Hornet conversion training course in 2019, and ceased flying the type in December that year.[57] It began training pilots to operate the F-35s in June 2020.[58]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f . Royal Australian Air Force. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  2. ^ . Royal Australian Air Force. Archived from the original on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  3. ^ ANAO, Tactical Fighter Operations, p. 43
  4. ^ a b c d e "Training Australia's fighter pilots". Air Force Today. Vol. 1, no. 3. February 1997. pp. 19–22.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Frawley, Gerard (September 2005). "Hornet Wings". Australian Aviation. No. 220. pp. 50–55.
  6. ^ a b c d e "F/A-18 Hornet". RAAF Museum. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  7. ^ Wilson, Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service, pp. 130–131
  8. ^ "Crests tell history". RAAF News. Vol. 4, no. 11. December 1962. p. 5.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v RAAF Historical Section, Training Units, pp. 62–64
  10. ^ a b "Newest F/A-18 Hornet pilots put through their paces". Australian Aviation. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  11. ^ a b "Australia's first female fighter pilots graduate". Australian Aviation. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  12. ^ ANAO, Developing Air Force's Combat Aircrew, p. 28
  13. ^ a b . Royal Australian Air Force. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  14. ^ Horner, Making the Australian Defence Force, p. 210
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 167–168, 364
  16. ^ a b Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, pp. 142–143
  17. ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 139–141
  18. ^ Alexander, Clive Caldwell, p. 99
  19. ^ Wilson, The Spitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service, p. 140
  20. ^ Wilson, The Spitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service, pp. 142–143
  21. ^ Newton, Australian Air Aces, pp. 114–115
  22. ^ Chisholm, Who's Who in Australia, p. 361
  23. ^ Dornan, Nicky Barr, pp. 94–95, 263–266
  24. ^ Wilson, The Spitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service, p. 102
  25. ^ "Jeffrey, Peter". World War 2 Nominal Roll. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  26. ^ Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. xiii, 150
  27. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 489
  28. ^ Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 156
  29. ^ a b Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 348–349
  30. ^ Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 153
  31. ^ RAAF Historical Section, Training Units, pp. 40–42
  32. ^ . Air Marshals of the RAAF. Air Power Development Centre. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  33. ^ a b McNamara, The Quiet Man, pp. 117–118
  34. ^ "Canopy believed cause of Sabre pilot deaths". The Canberra Times. Canberra: National Library of Australia. 19 April 1960. p. 3. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  35. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 350, 489
  36. ^ a b "81WG: then and now". RAAF News. Vol. 36, no. 6. July 1994. p. 15.
  37. ^ a b Susans, The RAAF Mirage Story, pp. 40–41
  38. ^ a b Stephens, Going Solo, p. 358
  39. ^ a b Susans, The RAAF Mirage Story, pp. 155–158; 165
  40. ^ Susans, The RAAF Mirage Story, p. 142
  41. ^ . Air Marshals of the RAAF. Air Power Development Centre. Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  42. ^ McLaughlin, Hornets Down Under, p. 76
  43. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 485
  44. ^ RAAF Historical Section, Training Units, pp. 71–73
  45. ^ Susans, The RAAF Mirage Story, pp. 90, 107
  46. ^ Wilson, Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service, p. 116
  47. ^ a b Wilson, Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service, p. 118
  48. ^ Wilson, Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service, p. 124
  49. ^ Wilson, Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service, p. 119
  50. ^ RAAF Historical Section, Maritime and Transport Units, pp. 38–40
  51. ^ Liebert, Simone (17 July 2003). . Air Force. Archived from the original on 5 April 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  52. ^ Peacock; Jackson, Jane's World Air Forces, p. 19
  53. ^ (PDF). Department of Defence. pp. 429–430. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  54. ^ "No. 81 Wing". Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  55. ^ Friend, Cath (18 July 2013). "An integrated fighter force". Air Force. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  56. ^ Anderson, Stephanie (19 April 2018). "Rising to the challenge". Air Force. Vol. 60, no. 6. p. 3. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  57. ^ "Lap of honour for hometown Hornets". Media release. Department of Defence. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  58. ^ Payne, Jacqui (19 March 2020). "Bringing it back to home base" (PDF). Air Force. Department of Defence. p. 4. Retrieved 20 March 2020.

References edit

operational, conversion, unit, raaf, operational, conversion, unit, fighter, training, unit, royal, australian, force, raaf, located, raaf, base, williamtown, south, wales, unit, trains, pilots, operate, lockheed, martin, lightning, pilots, enter, 2ocu, after,. No 2 Operational Conversion Unit No 2 OCU is a fighter training unit of the Royal Australian Air Force RAAF Located at RAAF Base Williamtown New South Wales the unit trains pilots to operate the Lockheed Martin F 35 Lightning II Pilots new to the F 35 enter No 2 2OCU after first qualifying to fly fast jets at No 79 Squadron and undertaking initial fighter combat instruction at No 76 Squadron Once qualified on the F 35 they are posted to one of No 81 Wing s operational Hornet units No 3 Squadron No 75 Squadron or No 77 Squadron No 2 Operational Conversion Unit RAAFNo 2 OCU s crestActive1942 19471952 currentCountryAustraliaBranchRoyal Australian Air ForceRoleOperational conversionRefresher coursesFighter combat instructionPart ofNo 81 WingGarrison HQRAAF Base WilliamtownMotto s Juventus Non Sine Pinnis The Young Shall Have Wings CommandersNotablecommandersPeter Jeffrey 1942 1943 1944 1946 Wilfred Arthur 1944 Dick Cresswell 1953 1956 Neville McNamara 1959 1961 Aircraft flownFighterLockheed Martin F 35A Lightning II The unit was established as No 2 Fighter Operational Training Unit No 2 OTU in April 1942 at Port Pirie South Australia and relocated to RAAF Station Mildura Victoria the following month During World War II it provided training on a wide range of aircraft including P 40 Kittyhawks Vultee Vengeances Avro Ansons CAC Boomerangs Supermarine Spitfires and Airspeed Oxfords Disbanded in March 1947 No 2 OTU was re formed at Williamtown in March 1952 in response to the demand for more highly trained pilots to serve in the Korean War It was renamed No 2 Fighter Operational Conversion Unit in September 1958 and since then has conducted training with the CAC Sabre Dassault Mirage III and Macchi MB 326 and the F A 18 Hornet prior to taking delivery of the F 35s Contents 1 Role and equipment 2 History 2 1 Operational training 1942 1947 2 2 Operational training 1952 1958 2 3 Operational conversion 1958 current 3 See also 4 Notes 5 ReferencesRole and equipment edit nbsp RAAF F A 18 Hornets in formation 2011The role of No 2 Operational Conversion Unit No 2 OCU is to support the preparation for and the conduct of effective airspace control counter air strike and combat air support operations through the provision of trained personnel 1 Located at RAAF Base Williamtown New South Wales it comes under the control of No 81 Wing part of Air Combat Group 1 2 No 2 OCU is primarily responsible for conducting operational conversion courses on the RAAF s fifth generationLockheed Martin F 35A Lightning II fighter which entered service in 2019 The unit takes students who have converted to fast jets with No 79 Squadron located at RAAF Base Pearce Western Australia and undergone lead in fighter training at No 76 Squadron based at Williamtown 1 3 Most are new to operational flying but some are retreads experienced pilots converting from another aircraft type 4 No 2 OCU s instructors are among the RAAF s most experienced pilots and often play a major role developing new tactics in co operation with fighter combat instructors at other No 81 Wing units 5 No 2 OCU operates the F 35As the conventional takeoff and landing CTOL variant It is the smallest lightest version and capable of 9 g the highest of all variants The F 35A is largely identical to the B and C model however they have different capabilities such as STOVL and carrier operations respectively Aircraft livery includes a white tail fin flash the base featuring a tiger s head outlined in black with a red mouth white fangs and white eyes The previous aircraft operated by 2OCU the F A 18 Hornets had a yellow and white tail design however they have been removed to suit the F 35 s stealth needs 6 7 The unit crest shows a winged kangaroo carrying a joey in its pouch symbolising Mother Australia flying with her young 8 The motto is Juventus Non Sine Pinnis The Young Shall Have Wings 9 Prior to 2019 when 2OCU operated F A 18s the Hornet conversion courses ran for six months after which graduates were posted to one of the RAAF s front line fighter units No 3 Squadron or No 77 Squadron at Williamtown or No 75 Squadron at RAAF Base Tindal Northern Territory 6 10 Students first gained their instrument rating on the Hornet and then taught basic fighter manoeuvres air combat techniques air to air gunnery and air to ground tactics 4 5 The course culminates with Exercise High Sierra a biannual event that was first run at Townsville Queensland in 1986 5 9 The exercise lasted several weeks and involved day and night flights including precision strike sorties with practice and live bombs 10 11 As well as operational conversion No 2 OCU conducted refresher courses and fighter combat instructor courses 1 Pilots who had not flown Hornets for more than nine months undertook the two week refresher course 12 Fighter combat instructor courses run for five months and are given every two years 1 13 Students were chosen from among the most experienced Hornet squadron pilots and undertook instruction in how to train others as well as how to deal with complex operational scenarios 4 This was tested in simulated combat with other types of US or RAAF aircraft as available including F 15 Eagles F 16 Fighting Falcons and F A 18 Super Hornets 4 13 Graduates became qualified F A 18 instructors and remained with No 2 OCU for the next two year cycle After this time they were posted to one of the front line squadrons or No 81 Wing s headquarters as Hornet weapons and tactics specialists 5 Along with training pilots No 2 OCU were occasionally called upon to conduct operational tasks in certain circumstances 14 History editOperational training 1942 1947 edit nbsp Wing Commander Jeffrey front leading a flight of P 40 Kittyhawk fighters including one flown by Squadron Leader Bluey Truscott second from rear at No 2 OTU Mildura in June 1942During World War II the RAAF established several operational training units OTUs to convert recently graduated pilots from advanced trainers to combat aircraft and to add fighting techniques to the flying skills they had already learned 15 No 2 Fighter Operational Training Unit No 2 OTU was formed on 2 April 1942 at Port Pirie South Australia Its inaugural commanding officer was Wing Commander Peter Jeffrey a fighter ace who had led No 3 Squadron in North Africa 9 16 Jeffrey had recently brought on line Nos 75 and 76 Squadrons two of the first three fighter units raised to help defend northern Australia as the Japanese advanced toward New Guinea 16 17 His team of instructors at No 2 OTU included fellow aces from the North African campaign Clive Caldwell and Wilf Arthur 18 Originally equipped with CAC Wirraways and Fairey Battles the unit s complement was augmented by P 40 Kittyhawks Vultee Vengeances Avro Ansons CAC Boomerangs Supermarine Spitfires and Airspeed Oxfords after it relocated to RAAF Station Mildura Victoria in May 9 By September 1942 its fleet of aircraft included nine of the 106 Kittyhawks the RAAF had on hand at the time 19 During November No 2 OTU conducted comparative trials that pitted a Spitfire Mk V against a P 40E the final report of these trials judged that although the Spitfire had superior performance according to most criteria the P 40E was also a useful design 20 No 2 OTU s Spitfire section was transferred to RAAF Station Williamtown New South Wales in March 1943 under the command of ace John Waddy 9 21 Jeffrey handed over command of No 2 OTU at Mildura in August 1943 the same month the unit logged over 5 000 flying hours its highest level during the war For the remainder of the conflict it maintained an average strength of more than 100 aircraft 9 North African campaign aces and former No 3 Squadron commanders Bobby Gibbes and Nicky Barr served successively as chief flying instructor from March 1944 until the end of the Pacific War 22 23 Group Captain Arthur led the unit from July to November 1944 when Group Captain Jeffrey resumed command 9 During 1945 the Spitfires and Kittyhawks were replaced by 32 North American P 51 Mustangs 24 Training concluded that October following the cessation of hostilities and No 2 OTU was reduced to a care and maintenance unit 1 9 During the war it had graduated 1 247 pilots losing 45 students in fatal accidents 9 Jeffrey completed his appointment in June 1946 and the unit was disbanded on 25 March 1947 9 25 Operational training 1952 1958 edit nbsp No 2 OCU Vampire during the 1950sPost war demobilisation saw the disbandment of all the RAAF s OTUs 9 15 Operational conversion of new pilots then became the responsibility of front line squadrons This practice disrupted the squadrons normal duties and the advent of the Korean War and the introduction of jet aircraft further necessitated a more formal system of operational training 15 According to Dick Cresswell commanding officer of No 77 Squadron in Korea from September 1950 to August 1951 26 It is hard to believe that I actually sent 11 pilots home to Australia as they were not capable of doing the job properly I don t blame the pilots but I do blame the Air Force system We had no operational training units no operational training system and as a result the pilots came to Korea poorly trained and without instrument ratings They just couldn t operate in the area The RAAF moved to rectify the situation by re forming No 2 OTU on 1 March 1952 to convert RAAF pilots to jet aircraft and train them for fighter operations 15 Headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown it was equipped with Wirraways Mustangs and de Havilland Vampire jets 9 27 Cresswell took command of No 2 OTU on 21 May 1953 The unit ceased flying Mustangs that October retaining its Wirraways and Vampires In April 1954 it began conducting fighter combat instructor courses as well as refresher courses on jets 9 Cresswell delivered the first Australian built CAC Sabre jet fighter to No 2 OTU in November and the same month established the unit s Sabre Trials Flight 9 28 The flight was responsible for performance testing and developing combat flying techniques in concert with the Aircraft Research and Development Unit ARDU 29 On 3 December 1954 Creswell led a formation of twelve No 2 OTU Vampires in the shape of two sevens over Sydney to greet No 77 Squadron upon its arrival from service in Korea aboard the aircraft carrier HMAS Vengeance 30 Training courses on the Sabre began on 1 January 1955 9 Once the Sabre entered operational service in March 1956 the Sabre Trials Flight was dissolved and its responsibilities passed to No 3 Squadron 29 Pilots underwent their introduction to jets and fighter combat at No 2 OTU but finished their conversion to Sabres at a front line squadron 15 Operational conversion 1958 current edit nbsp No 2 OCU Mirage IIID foreground and IIIO 1980In May 1958 No 1 Applied Flying Training School began equipping with Vampire jet trainers at RAAF Base Pearce Western Australia 31 As RAAF pilots were now gaining their first exposure to jets elsewhere No 2 OTU took over from the fighter squadrons the responsibility of converting trained jet pilots to Sabres 15 Reflecting its new primary role it was renamed No 2 Fighter Operational Conversion Unit No 2 OCU in September 1958 and ceased Vampire courses the same month 9 15 Wing Commander Neville McNamara later Chief of the Air Staff CAS and Chief of the Defence Force Staff served as commanding officer from August 1959 until January 1961 9 32 During his tenure the unit undertook exercises with No 75 Squadron at RAAF Bases Amberley Townsville and Darwin 33 Two Sabre pilots from No 2 OCU and one from No 75 Squadron died in separate incidents early in 1960 each had attempted to eject at low level and suffered fatal head injuries from colliding with the aircraft s canopy during the ejection sequence All RAAF Sabres were grounded until ARDU developed a modification to shatter the canopy immediately before the pilot ejected 33 34 Along with Nos 75 and 76 Squadrons also based at Williamtown No 2 OCU was under the control of No 81 Wing from 1961 until the wing was disbanded in 1966 35 36 By late 1963 personnel were busy developing training material for the pending Sabre replacement the Dassault Mirage III a task that required them to translate the manufacturer s technical documentation from the original French 37 38 No 2 OCU received its first Mirages in February and March 1964 37 It commenced conversion courses on the type that October and fighter combat instructor courses in August 1968 38 The RAAF eventually took delivery of 100 Mirage IIIO single seat fighters and 16 Mirage IIID two seat trainers No 2 OCU operated both models 39 Squadron Leader John Newham later to serve as CAS held temporary command of the unit from July 1965 to April 1966 40 41 A Sabre equipped aerobatic display team named the Marksmen was formed within No 2 OCU during 1966 and 1967 42 Between 1967 and 1984 six of the unit s Mirages suffered major accidents resulting in three fatalities 39 Experience in the Vietnam War led the RAAF to begin training Forward air controllers in 1968 The task initially fell to No 2 OCU before a specialised unit No 4 Forward Air Control Flight was formed in 1970 43 In October 1969 the OCU began operating the Macchi MB 326 jet for lead in fighter training as well as the Mirage 9 No 5 Operational Training Unit based at Williamtown took over responsibility for Macchi courses from April 1970 until its disbandment in July the following year the Macchis were then transferred back to No 2 OCU 9 44 nbsp No 2 OCU F A 18B Hornet 2011In preparation for the introduction of the F A 18 Hornet No 2 OCU temporarily ceased flying operations on 1 January 1985 and transferred Macchi and Mirage training to No 77 Squadron which assumed responsibility for fighter combat instructor introductory fighter and Mirage conversion courses 9 45 Beginning on 17 May the first fourteen Australian Hornets seven single seat F A 18As and seven two seat F A 18Bs and a Hornet simulator were delivered to No 2 OCU Conversion courses on the type commenced on 19 August with four F A 18Bs and three students 6 46 No 2 OCU has remained the prime user of the two seat Hornet though some are operated by the fighter squadrons Nos 3 75 and 77 6 The first year of Hornet service saw No 2 OCU as the then only RAAF operator undertake demonstration flights around the country to unveil the new fighter to the Australian public 47 All of the Hornet units came under the control of a newly re formed No 81 Wing on 2 February 1987 6 36 An intense training program that year resulted in 21 pilots converting to the type 47 In June 1987 Macchi training courses again became the responsibility of No 2 OCU this role was taken over by No 76 Squadron in January 1989 9 No 2 OCU suffered its only Hornet loss to date when an F A 18B crashed at Great Palm Island Queensland during a night time training flight on 18 November 1987 killing the pilot Two Hornets collided during an air to air combat training exercise the previous year but both managed to return to base 48 The unit temporarily relocated to RAAF Base Richmond New South Wales in July 1990 while Williamtown s runway was resurfaced 49 The RAAF began modifying four of its Boeing 707 jet transports to enable air to air refuelling of the Hornets in December 1988 No 2 OCU staff commenced training for airborne tanker operations in July 1991 subsequently adding this capability to the Hornet conversion course 9 50 By the mid 1990s the unit had 12 instructors and a complement of 18 Hornets including 13 two seaters It was running two conversion courses per year with eight students per course and had an average failure rate of 10 per cent Several of its instructors were US and Canadian pilots on exchange with the RAAF 4 In 2000 No 2 OCU joined Nos 76 and 79 Squadrons as part of No 78 Wing which had been re established as an operational training formation 51 52 As of 2005 the unit had a strength of between 12 and 14 instructors and ran three Hornet conversion courses and one fighter combat instructor course over two year cycles About six new Hornet pilots took part in each of the conversion courses and the unit generally graduated 15 new Hornet pilots over each cycle 5 By 2007 No 2 OCU had returned to the aegis of No 81 Wing under Air Combat Group 53 54 Although the duration of the conversion courses has remained unchanged since the Hornets were introduced into service the content covered has been altered over time to reflect upgrades to the Hornets the replacement of the Macchis with BAE Hawk 127 trainers in the early 2000s and experience gained from using Hornets in combat during the Iraq War 5 No 2 OCU conducted its 32nd fighter combat instructor course in 2013 The graduation exercise Aces North was the first to involve RAAF F A 18 Super Hornets Airbus KC 30 tankers and Boeing E 7 Wedgetail early warning aircraft as well as the Classic Hornets 55 The unit was awarded the 2016 Gloucester Cup for proficiency 56 In December 2017 Australia s first female fighter pilots graduated from No 2 OCU 11 No 2 OCU completed its final Hornet conversion training course in 2019 and ceased flying the type in December that year 57 It began training pilots to operate the F 35s in June 2020 58 See also editMcDonnell Douglas F A 18 Hornet in Australian service nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to No 2 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF Notes edit a b c d e f No 2 Operational Conversion Unit Royal Australian Air Force Archived from the original on 4 May 2013 Retrieved 25 June 2013 RAAF Base Williamtown Royal Australian Air Force Archived from the original on 2 August 2014 Retrieved 22 August 2014 ANAO Tactical Fighter Operations p 43 a b c d e Training Australia s fighter pilots Air Force Today Vol 1 no 3 February 1997 pp 19 22 a b c d e f Frawley Gerard September 2005 Hornet Wings Australian Aviation No 220 pp 50 55 a b c d e F A 18 Hornet RAAF Museum Retrieved 25 June 2013 Wilson Phantom Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service pp 130 131 Crests tell history RAAF News Vol 4 no 11 December 1962 p 5 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v RAAF Historical Section Training Units pp 62 64 a b Newest F A 18 Hornet pilots put through their paces Australian Aviation 21 November 2011 Retrieved 25 June 2013 a b Australia s first female fighter pilots graduate Australian Aviation 17 December 2017 Retrieved 18 December 2017 ANAO Developing Air Force s Combat Aircrew p 28 a b Students take to the sky Royal Australian Air Force 6 March 2013 Archived from the original on 27 April 2013 Retrieved 25 June 2013 Horner Making the Australian Defence Force p 210 a b c d e f g Stephens Going Solo pp 167 168 364 a b Garrisson Australian Fighter Aces pp 142 143 Stephens The Royal Australian Air Force pp 139 141 Alexander Clive Caldwell p 99 Wilson The Spitfire Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service p 140 Wilson The Spitfire Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service pp 142 143 Newton Australian Air Aces pp 114 115 Chisholm Who s Who in Australia p 361 Dornan Nicky Barr pp 94 95 263 266 Wilson The Spitfire Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service p 102 Jeffrey Peter World War 2 Nominal Roll Retrieved 25 June 2013 Odgers Mr Double Seven pp xiii 150 Stephens Going Solo p 489 Odgers Mr Double Seven p 156 a b Stephens Going Solo pp 348 349 Odgers Mr Double Seven p 153 RAAF Historical Section Training Units pp 40 42 Air Chief Marshals Air Marshals of the RAAF Air Power Development Centre Archived from the original on 25 May 2013 Retrieved 25 June 2013 a b McNamara The Quiet Man pp 117 118 Canopy believed cause of Sabre pilot deaths The Canberra Times Canberra National Library of Australia 19 April 1960 p 3 Retrieved 25 June 2013 Stephens Going Solo pp 350 489 a b 81WG then and now RAAF News Vol 36 no 6 July 1994 p 15 a b Susans The RAAF Mirage Story pp 40 41 a b Stephens Going Solo p 358 a b Susans The RAAF Mirage Story pp 155 158 165 Susans The RAAF Mirage Story p 142 Air Marshals Air Marshals of the RAAF Air Power Development Centre Archived from the original on 1 June 2011 Retrieved 25 June 2013 McLaughlin Hornets Down Under p 76 Stephens Going Solo p 485 RAAF Historical Section Training Units pp 71 73 Susans The RAAF Mirage Story pp 90 107 Wilson Phantom Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service p 116 a b Wilson Phantom Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service p 118 Wilson Phantom Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service p 124 Wilson Phantom Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service p 119 RAAF Historical Section Maritime and Transport Units pp 38 40 Liebert Simone 17 July 2003 Cloudy day bright outlook Air Force Archived from the original on 5 April 2011 Retrieved 28 March 2011 Peacock Jackson Jane s World Air Forces p 19 Defence Annual Report 2006 07 ADF Units and Establishments PDF Department of Defence pp 429 430 Archived from the original PDF on 8 February 2010 Retrieved 1 May 2013 No 81 Wing Royal Australian Air Force Retrieved 25 June 2013 Friend Cath 18 July 2013 An integrated fighter force Air Force pp 12 13 Retrieved 20 July 2013 Anderson Stephanie 19 April 2018 Rising to the challenge Air Force Vol 60 no 6 p 3 Retrieved 16 April 2018 Lap of honour for hometown Hornets Media release Department of Defence 12 December 2019 Retrieved 15 December 2019 Payne Jacqui 19 March 2020 Bringing it back to home base PDF Air Force Department of Defence p 4 Retrieved 20 March 2020 References editAlexander Kristen 2006 Clive Caldwell Air Ace Crows Nest New South Wales Allen amp Unwin ISBN 1 74114 705 0 Australian National Audit Office ANAO 2000 Tactical Fighter Operations Department of Defence PDF Canberra ANAO ISBN 0 642 44266 5 Archived from the original PDF on 19 March 2012 ANAO 2004 Developing Air Force s Combat Aircrew Department of Defence PDF Canberra ANAO ISBN 0 642 80777 9 Archived from the original PDF on 17 March 2012 Chisholm Alec H ed 1947 Who s Who in Australia 1947 Melbourne The Herald and Weekly Times OCLC 221679476 Dornan Peter 2005 2002 Nicky Barr An Australian Air Ace Crows Nest New South Wales Allen amp Unwin ISBN 1 74114 529 5 Garrisson A D 1999 Australian Fighter Aces 1914 1953 Fairbairn Australian Capital Territory Air Power Studies Centre ISBN 0 642 26540 2 Archived from the original on 24 November 2016 Horner David 2001 Making the Australian Defence Force The Australian Centenary History of Defence Vol IV Melbourne Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 554117 0 McLaughlin Andrew 2005 Hornets Down Under Fyshwick Australian Capital Territory Phantom Media ISBN 0 646 44398 4 McNamara Neville 2005 The Quiet Man Canberra Air Power Development Centre ISBN 1 920800 07 7 Archived from the original on 12 May 2014 Newton Dennis 1996 Australian Air Aces Fyshwyck Australian Capital Territory Aerospace Publications ISBN 1 875671 25 0 Odgers George 2008 Mr Double Seven Canberra Air Power Development Centre ISBN 978 1 920800 30 7 Peacock Lindsay Jackson Paul 2001 Jane s World Air Forces Surrey Jane s Information Group ISBN 0 7106 1293 1 RAAF Historical Section 1995 Units of the Royal Australian Air Force A Concise History Volume 4 Maritime and Transport Units Canberra Australian Government Publishing Service ISBN 0 644 42796 5 RAAF Historical Section 1995 Units of the Royal Australian Air Force A Concise History Volume 8 Training Units Canberra Australian Government Publishing Service ISBN 0 644 42800 7 Stephens Alan 1995 Going Solo The Royal Australian Air Force 1946 1971 Canberra Australian Government Publishing Service ISBN 0 644 42803 1 Stephens Alan 2006 2001 The Royal Australian Air Force A History London Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 555541 4 Susans M R ed 1990 The RAAF Mirage Story RAAF Base Point Cook Victoria RAAF Museum ISBN 0 642 14835 X Wilson Stewart 1988 The Spitfire Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service Curtin Australian Capital Territory Aerospace Publications ISBN 0 9587978 1 1 Wilson Stewart 1993 Phantom Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian Service Weston Creek Australian Capital Territory Aerospace Publications ISBN 1 875671 03 X Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title No 2 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF amp oldid 1067851569, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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