SHAH ALAM: Butterworth Airbase Open Day, Sept 8. Selamat Menyambut Hari Kebangsaan ke 61. As per the title of this post, RMAF will hold an open day at the Butterworth airbase this Sept. 8. As it is an open day it will only be held on that day.
Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu is scheduled to officiate the open day. Among the programs scheduled for the day are marching band and drumline performances as well as aircraft on static display.
A400M M54-04 and the five Hornets bound for Darwin lined up for the sending off ceremony on July 24. It is likely the open day will be held here next to the engineering hangar.
Two air displays are scheduled – one in the morning shortly after the opening ceremony, around 10am and an afternoon one at 1.45pm. Aircraft based at Buterworth are expected for the air displays, the Boeing F/A-18D Hornet, BAE Systems Hawk Mk 108/208s and the Nuri. RMAF Paskau troopers are also expected to conduct parachute jumps to kick start both displays.
A Hornet taking off from Butterworth airbase on July 24.
No details of the air displays have been released but I expect formation and solo displays from the Hornet and Hawk squadrons, 18 and 15 respectively.
A view of the apron next to the engineering hangar of Butterworth airbase, the likely location of the open day venue.
For those who want to take pictures of the displays, the afternoon one is perhaps the best time to do it as the sun will be from behind. One could still take pictures of the morning display if only to prepare for the afternoon display.
Its time to buzz the tower. A RMAF Hawk 208 peel over the airbase after the RMAF RAAF anniversary flypast. in late June, 2018
There is no word yet on the open day planned for Kuching. I will write a post on it once details are out.
Two RMAF Hawk 208s 04 and 06 getting ready to take off for the RMAF-RAAF anniversary flypast. This picture was taken in the morning facing the sun.
By the way posted below are some video screenshots from the Merdeka Parade rehersals on June 29. I did not go for the Merdeka parade today but basically this are the flypasts performed by RMAF and other government agencies.
After the formation flypast, the Hawks, Hornets and Flankers flew over the Merdeka parade venue but they were too fast for me to get a proper focus from my video camera.
Edited, to show new afternoon display time
— Malaysian Defence
6 flankers? I thought Mat Sabu said there’re only 4 left while all reached the mandatory overhaul flight hours? Btw, with 5 hornets, 6 flankers and 6 hawks, this is the best time for country with next to none existence fighter fleet such as the Philipines to buzz our airspace… Seriously, any more aircraft left in alert hanger?
Yes the Minister says four were able to fly good. However RMAF says 12 were waiting for the their mandatory overhaul which left another two which when Mat Sabu came out with the statement were probably down under routine maintenance. The six were the last ones delivered to the RMAF in around 2010/2011 hence their 10 year mandatory overhaul is about three or four years away though there will be down time for regular maintenance
Only 4 Hornet on actual day.
@Ed
A couple of the F18s would be thoroughly checked and maintained after their strenuous trip to Aussie for the exercise and back home recently. The remainder would have to be on standby since the rest of the MKMs are on Merdeka flypast.
Can a foreign student visit the Butterworth airbase open day? A student from Pakistan is interested in going to see our air force in action.
Reply
Yes
It was awesome day today. Manage to go there just now. It was great to see SU-30MKM in front of my eyes. However, Im still disappointed for not able to see my favourite fighter; MiG-29N Fulcrum. Thanks RMAF for this awesome opportunity.
These historical articles and notes were displayed at the open house and may be of interest to some. Some of the text was unfortunately undated and not readable. My notes are in .
ARTICLES AND TEXT DISPLAYED UNDER THE HEADING “1995-1996”
[NO 15 SKUADRON DITUBUHKAN ASALNYA BAGI MENGAMBIL PERJAWATAN PUSAT LATIHAN TERBANG 3 (PULATIBANG 3). PULATIBANG 3 TELAH DIBUHKAN DENGAN KEKUATAN 12 X PESAWAT PEJUANG RINGAN JENIS AERMACCHI MB 339A.]
[PEMBELIAN PESAWAT HAWK MELALUI MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) BERSAMA KERAJAAN UNITED KINGDOM YANG TELAH DIMETERAI PADA 10 DIS 1990. PIHAK ATASAN TELAH MEWUJUDKAN ORGANISASI BARU BAGI MEMASTIKAN PESAWAT-PESAWAT INI BEROPERASI DENGAN LANCAR DAN BAIK. PEMBANGUNAN PESAWAT MB 339A DAN BAE HAWK DIWUJUDKAN BAGI MENJAYAKAN SEMUA BENTUK PROGRMA LATIHAN, OPERASI DAN JUGA SENGGARAAN PESAWAT-PESAWAT DAN SEGALA ALAT BANTUAN YANG BERKAITAN.]
[PULATIBANG 3 TELAH DIPINDAHKAN KE PANGKALAN UDADA BUTTERWORTH PADA 15 DIS 1993. SELEPAS PERPINDAHAN TERSEBUT, NO 15 SKUADRON TELAH DITUBUHKAN SECARA RASMI PADA 10 MAC 1994.]
[PENERIMAAN 2 BUAH PESAWAT HAWK YANG PERTAMA ADALAH PADA 15 APR 1994 DAN DIIKUTI OLEH 2 BUAH PADA SETIAP BULAN SETERUSNYA. DENGAN ITU JUMLAH PESAWAT HAWK YANG DIBELI ADALAH 10 BUAH PESAWAT HAWK 108 DAN 18 BUAH PESAWAT HAWK 208. 8 BUAH DARIPADANYA TELAH DIPERUNTUKKAN KEPADA NO 15 SKN.]
[NO 15 SKUADRON DITUBUHKAN DIMANA IANYA DIBAHAGIKAN KEPADA DUA FLAIT PENERBANGAN IAITU FLAIT ALPHA BAGI PESAWAT MB 339A DAN FLAIT BRAVO BAGI PESAWAT HAWK 108/208. LT KOL WONG LOK KHUAN TUDM TELAH DILANTIK SEBAGAI PEGAWAI MEMERINTAH TANG PERTAMA.]
[HAWK DAN AEMACCHI BEROPERASI DAN KAWASAN UTARA MALAYSIA UMUMYA DAN BUTTERWORTH KHUSUSNYA]
[PESAWAT HAWK TURUT MENYERTAI PERTANDINGAN JAGUH “TOP GUN” DAN MENJADI PESAING KEPADA PESAWAT MIG 29 DAN F/A-18D.]
[Sanusi defending ‘Top gun’ title ]
ARTICLES AND TEXT DISPLAYED UNDER THE HEADING “1996-2002”
[PESAWAT SKYHAWK DITAMATKAN PERKHIDMATAN]
[Aug 1997 Panji Wira
Panji Wira has made its first debut during RMAF College open day sometime in August 1997. There are two Hawk version that has been used by the team, namely the Hawk Mk. 108 and Hawk Mk. 208. Most of its aircraft as well as the pilots were drawn from the No. 15 Skn, then operating from Butterworth AFB. These pilots were:
Kol. Lau Kong Cheng TUDM
Lt Kol. Wahbullah TUDM
LT Kol. Roshaimi Zakaria TUDM
Mej. Felix Gonsalves TUDM
Mej. Sanusi Samion TUDM
Mei. Tan Hui Hock TUDM
Mej. Lim Thian Hu TUDM
Mej. Zam Zam TUDM
Kapt. Chandran TUDM]
[Exercise to pick RMAF ‘top gun’ dated 04 Apr 1996
Butterworth: The RMAF launched an exercise yesterday to upgrade the efficiency of pilots and ground crew in handling combat aircraft. The 16-day exercise Jaguh 9/96 will involve six jet fighter squadrons based in Kuantan, Labuan and here.
RMAF First Division Commander Kol Toh Boon Fook said the first phase of selecting the best pilot or Top Gun would begin today.
Kol Toh said air-to-air and air-to-ground firing using training weapons- the first ever held here- would be held during the first phase.
In the second and third phases, live ammunition – CRV-7 rockets, 500-lb bombs and airfield destruction bombs – would be used in maritime and ground attacks.
Apart from the Top Gun, the exercise will select the overall best pilot, best air-to-air combat pilot, best air-to-ground combat pilot and best ground crew. – Bernama]
[Air-to-ground combat test for MiG-29
Butterworth – Thurs. Malaysia will be the first country to maximise the use of the Russian made MiG-29 interceptor fighter aircraft into a multirole combat aircraft at the ?…? .
RMAF ??? air division commander Kol Toh Boon Fook said the MiG-29 aircraft, originally built for air-to-air combat missions will be tested as an air-to-ground combat aircraft for bombing, for the first time by RMAF pilots during the 10-day exercise beginning today.
Toh told a press conference this after launching the training exercise at the Butterworth RMAF base in Teluk Air Tawar yesterday.
“We are now trying to maximise the use of the MiG-29 aircraft for air-to-ground strikes. Besides testing the jets, we can evaluate our MiG pilots’ manoeuvring capabilities in a combat situation.”
Malaysia has 16 single seater – ]
ARTICLES AND TEXT DISPLAYED UNDER THE HEADING “2003-2007”
[NO 9 SKN DIBUBBARKAN KERANA MENGALAMI KEKURANGAN PESAWAT DANSENGGARAN DAN PANGKALAN UDARA LABUAN DIJADIKAN DETASMEN.]
[PESAWAT HAWK DARI NO 15 SKUADRON AKTIF MELIBATKAN DIRI DALAM PELBAGAI OPERASI TERMASUK OPS SIERRA WATCH.]
[PENERBANGAN TERAKHIR PESAWAT MB 339 A SEBELUM DITAMATKAN PERKHIDMATAN.]
[DENGAN PEROLEHAN PESAWAT MB 339 CM, MAKA PULATIBANG 3 DIWUJUDKAN KEMBALI BERTEMPAT DI PANGKALAN TUDM KUANTAN DAN NO. 15 SKUADRON MENERUSKAN PENGENDALIAN PESAWAT HAWK 108/208.]
ARTICLES AND TEXT DISPLAYED UNDER THE HEADING “2008-2014”
[PENGLIBATAN HAWK DALAM PELBAGAI EKSESAIS SETIAP TAHUN.]
[PADA MAC 2013, 02 X PESAWAT HAWK TELAH DITUGASKAN UNTUK MEMBANTU ANGKATAN TENTERA MALAYSIA SEMASA OPS DAULAT DI LAHAD DATU.]
[PESAWAT HAWK DARI NO 15 SKN TURUT TERLIBAT DALAM “OPENING GAMBIT” UNTUK LIMA 2013.]
When typing out the above articles, I put my notes in pointed brackets but they were recognised as html elements and hidden. So here they are again:
“Sanusi defending ‘Top gun’ title” : This was a newspaper article. Unfortunately it was displayed blurred and undated.
“Air-to-ground combat test for MiG-29″ : This article was unfortunately displayed undated, incomplete (cut off where my text ended) and in blurred text. I believe the first paragraph was supposed to end in “Jaguh exercise.”
I typed and shared these articles because I believe the holdings of such knowledge should be diversified. The more holders, the less likely that it will be lost with time.