Eyes were glued to the skies over Williamtown this week when one of the world’s largest aircraft touched down at the RAAF base.
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An Antonov An-124 landed in Williamtown on Wednesday and departed on Thursday, drawing more than 100 people to the roads surrounding the RAAF base to watch.
According to the RAAF, the Antonov An-124 is the second largest transport aircraft in the world.
It has a wingspan of 73.3 metres – or the equivalent of six F/A-18A Hornet jets lined up together.
The aircraft is 68.96m in length, the equivalent of more than 15 standard size cars lined up rear to bumper, and 20.78m high, which is as tall as about four adult giraffes.
The Antonov An-124 is only beaten in size by the Antonov An-225 Mriya.
The large large aircraft was in Williamtown to deliver training equipment for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.
The equipment included a F-35 Weapons Load Trainer and Ejection Seat Maintenance Trainer.
The training systems were unloaded and installed in the Australian F-35 Integrated Training Centre at RAAF Base Williamtown’s F-35A facility.
With these systems now installed at Williamtown, Australia has its own F-35 pilot and maintainer training capabilities.
The two trainers form part of the overall Australian F-35 training system being procured through the F-35 Joint Program Office.
According to the RAAF, the delivery of the two training systems is an “important milestone” as it prepares for the first two F-35A aircraft to be based at Williamtown from December 2018.
Six full mission simulators are required for F-35A pilot training, with the first two simulators due to be delivered later this year.