(Click on logo for detailed Australian web site)
(See beginning photos at bottom of page)
I returned from a 51 day (24 Apr
- 13 June 2001) deployment to Adelaide, South Australia, with my company, Northrop Grumman/ Ryan Aeronautical Center
(NG/RAC), in collaboration with the United States Air
Force (USAF), Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) and Defence Science and Technology Organisation
(DSTO) of Australia.
Global Hawk is the world's most advanced high-altitude, long-endurance, unmanned aerial
vehicle and holds the World Record of 31 1/2 hours for unmanned flight
with over 1000 total flight hours with four operational aircraft.
Global Hawk is a single engine jet-powered aircraft with a wingspan of
116ft, equivalent in wing size to a Boeing 737 commercial airliner.
It has a range of
14,000 nautical miles and can fly at altitudes of up to 65,000 feet for more than
35 hours.
Australia and the United States are collaborating to evaluate and further develop Global Hawk as an airborne surveillance
system. On 22 April 2001, Global Hawk (ship AV-05) flew non-stop from Edwards
AFB, California to Edinburgh RAAF Base, South Australia, where it was based for nearly two months undergoing a series of demonstration
flights. Global Hawk, AV-05, returned to Edwards Air Force Base,
California on 7 June 2001.
The record breaking flight by Global Hawk was the first non-stop crossing of the Pacific Ocean and the longest point-to-point journey ever undertaken by an unmanned aircraft, a total distance of
8,650 miles (13,840 km).
Global Hawk, departed Edwards Air Force Base at 4.48 am California time (9.18 pm Adelaide time) on 22 April 2001 and arrived at RAAF Base Edinburgh 23 hours and 23 minutes later at 8.41 pm (Adelaide time) on 23 April 2001 after crossing the International Date Line.
The Global Hawk was monitored and controlled during the entire flight by mission controllers with the United States Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force and Defence Science and Technology Organisation on the ground at RAAF Base Edinburgh.
Global Hawk (AV-05) was renamed "Southern Cross II" in honor of the first manned trans-Pacific flight by Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, Charles Ulm and their American crew members, James Warner and Harry Lyon in 1928.
Their aircraft was named, "Southern Cross." A replica of
the original aircraft was built and is in operation today and was
on-hand during the deployment. (A
Kodak moment)
During the deployment, I took some 350 digital photos and collected at
least that many more from other sources. These pages have been
created to share some of those photos. They include people, places
and the successful deployment of Global Hawk. I was fortunate that
my wife (Lorraine) and one of my daughters (Kathy) was able to join me
for a short period during the deployment. Our adventure to
Adelaide was outstanding in every way. The country is
fantastic, the people are wonderful, and we completed our mission.
Notice: All
of the photos depicted herein were taken in public & in open to the
public situations and are not restricted for publication in any way by
government regulations. If your personal photograph is depicted
herein and you would like it removed, just notify me of the filename and
I will remove it.
