Today
Today, Albatross serves as home base for the four helicopter squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm, and for the Navy Aviation Group, which coordinates all of the RAN's aviation activities. Albatross also has a number of lodger units:
- Naval Weather and Oceanographic Centre (NWOC)
- Training Authority – Aviation
- Naval Aviation Systems Program Office (NASPO)
- Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre (AJACC)
- RAN Tactical Electronic Warfare Support Section (RANTEWSS)
- Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit (AMAFTU)
- Army Parachute Training School (PTS)
- T. S. Shoalhaven (Navy Cadet unit)
- No. 330 (City of Shoalhaven) Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets
In addition, Albatross is the home of the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the Royal Australian Navy Historic Flight.
Since 1986 there have been Learjet target tugs based at Albatross, operated by civilian companies under contract to the RAN. The first company was Lloyd Aviation, then from 1990 to 1996 Fleet Support (a company later bought by National Jet Systems) and from 1996 until the present Pel-Air. Each company has used four to five Learjet 35/36 series aircraft to provide the services; present incumbent Pel-Air also uses IAI Westwinds for non target-towing support operations.
The naval base had the unusual distinction of being shared by a small civilian passenger terminal, which at various times was utilised by the Masling and later Hazelton Airlines companies flying small propeller driven aircraft on scheduled services for the Nowra community. Until 2004, the Royal Australian Navy Gliding Association (RANGA) also operated from the runways at Albatross with a small fleet of gliders used by both Navy and civilian members.
Read more about this topic: HMAS Albatross (air Station)
Famous quotes containing the word today:
“In times past there were rituals of passage that conducted a boy into manhood, where other men passed along the wisdom and responsibilities that needed to be shared. But today we have no rituals. We are not conducted into manhood; we simply find ourselves there.”
—Kent Nerburn (20th century)
“My advice to people today is as follows: If you take the game of life seriously, if you take your nervous system seriously, if you take your sense organs seriously, if you take the energy process seriously, you must turn on, tune in, and drop out.”
—Timothy Leary (b. 1920)
“Farewell? a long farewell to all my greatness.
This is the state of man; today he puts forth
The tender leaves of hopes, tomorrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honors thick upon him:
The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,
And when he thinks, good easy man, full surely
His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root,
And then he falls as I do.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)