No. 34 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force VIP transport squadron. It operates Boeing 737 Business Jets and Bombardier Challenger 604s from Defence Establishment Fairbairn in Canberra. The jet fleet consisted solely of Dassault Falcon 900s from 1989 until 2002, when it began operating the 737 and Challenger.
About No. 34 Squadron RAAF in brief
No. 34 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force VIP transport squadron. It operates Boeing 737 Business Jets and Bombardier Challenger 604s from Defence Establishment Fairbairn in Canberra. The squadron was formed in February 1942 for standard transport duties during World War II, initially flying de Havilland DH. 84 Dragons in Northern Australia. In 1943 it re-equipped with Douglas C-47 Dakotas, which it operated in New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies prior to disbanding in June 1946. The unit was re-established in March 1948 as No. 34 Squadron at RAAF Station Mallala, South Australia, where it supported activities at the Woomera Rocket Range. It was raised to full squadron status in March 1956. As of 2011, No. 34 Squadron’s strength included around thirty pilots and thirty flight attendants. Captains are generally senior pilots who have previously flown the RAAF’s Boeing C-17 Globemaster, Lockheed C-130 Hercules, or Lockheed AP-3C Orion. Most logistical support, including meal preparation, is provided under commercial arrangements rather than by RAAF personnel. The jet fleet consisted solely of Dassault Falcon 900s from 1989 until 2002, when it began operating the 737 and Challenger. The jets are classified as ‘Special Purpose Aircraft’ meaning that their tasking is governed by Federal guidelines for carrying ‘entitled persons’ on official business.
The aircraft are leased from, and maintained by, the Special Purpose Aircraft Business Unit of Qantas Defence Services. The lease commenced in 2002 and is due to expire in 2014. The twin-engined Boeing Business Jet is crewed by two pilots and up to four flight attendants, and can carry thirty passengers, and carries up to nine passengers. The BBJ, which has a range of over 11,000 kilometres, is generally used for long-range transport, and the Challenger on shorter routes. No.34 Squadron conducts between 1,200 and 1,800 flights each year. The VIP Operations Cell is responsible for managing requests for VIP air transport as well as dedicated security staff. It has a secondary role providing emergency transport during humanitarian operations. Its motto is Eo et redeo, which means ‘Eo, et redea, eo, Eo, ee, Ee, eu, ei, ea, ete, eo, eu, eu. It is based at Defence Establishment Fairb airfield in Canberra, and administered by No. 84 Wing, which is part of Air Mobility Group. During the 1960s it operated Dakotas,. Convair Metropolitans, Vickers Viscounts, Dassault Falcon-Mysteres, Hawker Siddeley HS 748s, and BAC 1-11s, the last three types continuing in service until the late 1980s. During April 2013, Prime Minister Julia Gillard travelled on board a No. 33 Squadron Airbus KC-30 Multi Role Tanker Transport in China.
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