Australian Defence Force Basic Flying Training School

The Australian Defence Force Basic Flying Training School (BFTS) was located in Tamworth in northern New South Wales. It was run by BAE Systems Flying Training Academy, which conducted tri-service flight screening and basic flying training for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) aircrew from the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) using CT-4 Airtrainer aircraft.

Basic Flight Training School
Active1993-2019
DisbandedFebruary 2019
CountryAustralia
BranchRoyal Australian Air Force
RoleFlight Training
Garrison/HQTamworth Regional Airport
Motto(s)Cogito Ergo Sum
Aircraft flown
TrainerCT-4 B Airtrainer

BFTS was raised in response to the RAAF and RAN beginning all-through training on the Pilatus PC-9 in December 1992. in 1993, Headquarters Training Command Detachment A was raised in Tamworth consisting primarily of civilian instructors. Army students were trained here as the PC-9 course was not appropriate. The detachment also screened prospective military pilots at this time. BFTS was officially reformed in 1999 and quickly began tri-service training.[1]

The training preceded streaming into single service flying training, with RAAF and RAN pilots having moved to No. 2 Flying Training School (2FTS) at RAAF Pearce, Western Australia while Army pilots undertook further training at the Australian School of Army Aviation in Oakey, Queensland. All flying training was conducted by the ADF with the provision of aircraft and support services from BAE Systems Tamworth. Flying instructors were from all three branches of the ADF with several civilian flying instructors from BAE.[2] The school formed part of Air Training Wing RAAF.[3]

In 2015, BAE Systems lost a contract bid to Lockheed Martin Australia for the ab-initio training of pilots. Training was transitioned to No. 1 Flying Training School (1FTS) on the Pilatus PC-21.[1] The drawdown of training in Tamworth began in 2018 and the final ADF course graduated from BFTS in February 2019. In the years of operation, the school trained approximately 4000 military and flight screening students and operated over 280 000 flight hours. Flying training for the ADF is now conducted at 1FTS.[1]

A BFTS Pacific Aerospace CT-4B Airtrainer at the 2008 Defence Force Air Show RAAF Base Amberley.

Aircraft
Aircraft type Variant Origin Role Service period Notes
Mudry CAP-10CAP-10BFranceTwo-seat aerobatic aircraft2005-2019Three aircraft
PAC CT/4 AirtrainerCT/4B AirtrainerNew ZealandTwo-seat primary trainer aircraft1991-201931 aircraft
Piper PA-34 SenecaPA-34-220TUnited StatesTwin-engine light aircraft2005-2019Two aircraft

Notes
  1. "Colour party – BAE and the ADF prepare to farewell the 'Plastic Parrot'". Australian Aviation. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  2. Horner 2001, p. 300.
  3. "Air Force Training Group". Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved 15 January 2017.

References
  • Horner, David (2001). Making the Australian Defence Force. The Australian Centenary History of Defence. Volume IV. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-554117-0.


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