F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is introduced to the Hunter at RAAF Base Amberley | photos, video

Two of the long-awaited and controversial strike fighters made their Australian debut on Friday at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon airport at Geelong.

The RAAF had originally announced that the jets would circle over Newcastle on Sunday, en route to Amberley, but concerns over lightning meant this trip was cancelled.

The Newcastle invitees assembled at Williamtown at 8am on Monday, expecting to fly to Amberley in a C-130 Hercules, and to be there before the F-35As, which were flying from Geelong.

But a problem with the first plane meant leaving later in a plane with fewer seats – an E-7A Wedgetail – so some of the invitees had to stay behind. When the Newcastle group arrived the two F-35As were already parked up – one on display, one in a hangar – meaning it was a visual inspection only, with a perimeter barrier and a guard dog to ensure no-one came too close.

Despite these limitations, all who made the trip said they were glad the RAAF had reached out to them and the community, and that the visit to Amberley was worthwhile, even if those who were worried about aircraft noise didn’t get to hear the plane in action.

The head of the Amberley base, Air Commodore Ken Robinson, said the federal government had approved the purchase of 72 aircraft, together with weapons and support materiel.

Air Commodore Robinson said the first public flight of the F-35A at Avalon was “quite an extraordinary moment” and there was a definite “mood of excitement” at the airshow.

He said it was “usually decades between celebratory drinks” when it comes to acquiring new fighter aircraft – and it was definitely time for a celebratory drink.

 Air Commodore Zed Roberton of Williamtown RAAF described the F35-A as “the world’s greatest 5^th generation aircraft”, and he thanked the plane’s manufacturers, Lockheed Martin, and its other “US partners”.

Asked about the cost controversy over the F-35A, Air Commodore Robinson said its “unit costs continued to reduce”, and the average cost of an Australian plane off the production line was now $US90 million ($119 million at current exchange rates).

The two planes that had flown to Australia had been used for training purposes since December 2014. They were going back to Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona, where more Australian pilots were being trained.

The two Australian pilots who brought their planes across are Wing Commander Andrew “Jacko” Jackson, 39, and Squadron Leader David Bell, 37, both of Williamtown base.

Wing Commander Jackson had been at Williamtown from 1999 until his posting to Arizona in 2014, and Squadron Leader Bell, a test pilot, had been at Williamtown for more than six years.

Describing the plane, the pair said it flew at Mach 1.6, or almost 2000 kilometres per hour. But it was the “situational awareness” that the pilots had in their helmets, which gave them 360 degree vision without having to move, and the weaponry, that set it apart, rather than outright speed.

Queensland media at Amberley on Monday were keen to talk up the potential for F-35As to be at the Ipswich base, but Wing Commander Jackson said: “We’ve had a long association with Newcastle, it’s a fantastic place to live, and it’s been the home of the fighters for a long time and that is going to continue into the future.”

Williamtown base commander Air Commodore Craig Heap said the RAAF was working closely with the community both on the preparations for the F-35A and the firefighting foam contamination problems.

Air Commodore Heap said Williamtown’s runway extensions meant the F-35A would be able to take off without its afterburners – the main noise concern with the plane.

The Labor federal member for Paterson, Meryl Swanson, said the visit had been worthwhile but she and the members of the Williamtown Advisory Group and the Community Reference Group who had made the trip were disappointed that they did not get to hear the plane.

One Nation Senator Brian Burston said noise was a secondary concern given how much Williamtown did for the defence of the nation.

egional