An RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) F-35A Lightning II put on an impressive aerial display over Sydney Harbour.
On Jan. 26, 2022, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) joined celebrations to mark Australia Day 2022 in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. As part of the celebrations, an RAAF F-35A from Number 2 Operational Conversion Squadron based at RAAF Base Williamtown, has conducted a flying display over Sydney Harbour.
The “airshow” took place between 12.02PM to 12.14PM LT and saw the stealth jet carry out a flypast on the last notes of the national anthem followed by a 10-minute low altitude aerial display with some horizontal and vertical maneuvers, most of those under afterburner thrust. Pretty cool.
According to the ADF, the F-35’s mini-airshow was part of the Salute to Australia, a combined show by the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.
During the Salute, HMAS Parramatta was the centrepiece at Sydney Cove, Army fired a 21-gun salute from Hicksons Road Reserve and the F-35A demonstrated some of its maneuvering capabilities the aerial display. Over the course of the day, spectators on the harbour foreshore viewed HMAS Diamantina as the flag ship for the Australia Day Regatta and a MH-60R Romeo Seahawk helicopter carried an underslung Australian National Flag around Sydney’s Northern beaches, through the Harbour and down south to Nowra. In the evening, the Army’s Red Beret’s descend above the Sydney Opera House in a parachute display, which coincided with the Australia Day Live Concert.
The F-35’s air display in the fantastic setting of Sydney Harbour was filmed by 9 News Channel. Here below you can find the cool video that has already gone viral on social media.
Here’s the same display, filmed from Point Piper. The video description on YouTube also suggests additional vantage points at Milsons Point, Hickson Road Reserve, Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
BTW, the RAAF always carries out pretty impressive low altitude flypasts around the country, the most famous of those are the low level displays over Brisbane during the annual Brisbane Riverfire Festival that we have covered multiple times during the years.
