{"id":243632,"date":"2019-09-09T10:28:39","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T00:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=243632"},"modified":"2020-07-17T18:02:01","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T08:02:01","slug":"squadron-says-thank-you-to-wondai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/09\/09\/squadron-says-thank-you-to-wondai\/","title":{"rendered":"Squadron Says Thank You To Wondai"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Squadron Leader Nathan Thompson … Spartan aircraft are frequent visitors to Wondai Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 9, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

A big crowd rolled up to Wondai Airport on Saturday morning to check out one of the RAAF’s latest aircraft.<\/p>\n

Squadron Leader Nathan Thompson said the C27-J Spartans were a replacement for the long-serving Caribou transport aircraft.<\/p>\n

The RAAF took delivery of their first Spartan in 2015 and the last one last year.<\/p>\n

The planes are designed to airlift people, equipment and supplies and can land and take off from unsurfaced airstrips.<\/p>\n

This makes them perfect to support humanitarian missions – and also makes Wondai Airport a great training location for pilots.<\/p>\n

“We love coming up to Wondai as it is the perfect training area,” Sqn Ldr Thompson said.<\/p>\n

“We come up here very frequently.”<\/p>\n

He said the Spartans were also now “near neighbours”.<\/p>\n

No 35 Squadron was relocated from RAAF Richmond to Amberley this year where 10 of the aircraft are now based.<\/p>\n

Each plane can carry 34 passengers, 21 stretcher patients or 5000kg of cargo.<\/p>\n

They can also airdrop cargo and paratroops in flight.<\/p>\n

Sqn Ldr Thompson said the open day was a way to thank the people of Wondai and the surrounding area for their support.<\/p>\n