Up to 20 RAAF Super Hornets are expected to buzz southeast Queensland on Friday.

The RAAF will celebrate the completion of the fleet for 1 and 6 Squadrons, based at Amberley, near Ipswich, with the flypast before an official ceremony at the base on Friday morning.

(See timetable below)

A RAAF spokesman said the arrival of four jets from the US will take the number of the F/A-18F fighter jets to 24 at the base.

``A flypast of up to 20 jets will take place over the skies of Queensland on Friday followed by a solo aerial display that will be performed over the base,'' she said.

The jets will fly over the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and then arrive at the base after 11am.

The first 15 Super Hornets became operational in December after the retirement of the F-111s.

Thousands of spectators witnessed the final flight of the F-111s from multiple vantage points last year.

Another spokesman said the Super Hornet display would be a good training exercise for the RAAF.

"There will be a mass formation flypast of up to 20 F/A-18F Super Hornets over the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Brisbane and Ipswich, this Friday as part of the welcoming ceremony for four new Super Hornets," he said in a statement.

"Sixteen aircraft will depart RAAF Base Amberley between 10am and 10.30am and will fly in a loose formation to a point off North Stradbroke Island, where they will form up and fly south, crossing the coast at Southport before flying down the Gold Coast to Tweed Heads.

"The armada will then fly out to sea and reform at a point off the Sunshine Coast where it will join with the four new Super Hornets.

"The 20-strong formation will fly south from Noosa Heads down the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane where it will then fly over the CBD en route to Ipswich and RAAF Amberley. It is expected to pass over the base at 11.30am.

"The formation will be accompanied at intervals by up to two Hawk Mk127 lead-in fighters.

"The final number of aircraft flying will depend on operational and training tasks for the aircraft."



FLIGHT PATHS:

Outward leg including Gold Coast

Up to 16 x F/A-18F Super Hornets

10am: 16 x F/A-18F Super Hornets commence their launch from RAAF Amberley.

10.18 Springwood

10.21 North Stradbroke Island

10.23 South Stradbroke Island

10.25 Southport

10.26 Surfers Paradise

10.26 Burleigh Heads

10.27 Coolangatta

10.28 Trweed Heads.

Sunshine Coast

Up to 20 x F/A-18F Super Hornets

11.04 am Noosa Heads

11.06 Coolum Beach

11.07 Maroochydore

11.08 Caloundra

11.11 Bribie Island

11.13 Redcliffe

11.14 Fisherman's Islands

11.15 Manly

11.16 Wellington Point

11.17 Southern Tip Moreton Island

11.19 St Helena Island

Brisbane - Ipswich

Up to 20 x F/A-18F Super Hornets following the Brisbane River

11.20 am Lytton

11.21 Balmoral, Hawthorne, Kangaroo Point, Botanic Gardens/Captain Cook Bridge

11.22 Highgate Hill, St Lucia, Indooroopilly, Kenmore

11.23 Jindalee, Moggill

11.24 Ipswich

Note: The aircraft will fly at approximately 2000 feet (609m) and up to 350 knots (648km/h). Times and locations may vary dependant on the weather.



Originally published as Super Hornets to give Queensland a buzz