Boeing

OAKEY, Queensland, Oct. 31, 2012 -- Flight instructors from Boeing [NYSE: BA] subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) recently traded their training posts at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre for Gold Coast beach patrols as part of a unique arrangement between BDA and Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ).

The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service provided three-day training sessions for 12 BDA helicopter instructors on its EC135 aircraft, giving them hands-on experience with the aircraft Boeing has offered in a bid for the Australian Defence Force's Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) program. The SLSQ plans to use the funds earned from the BDA training to invest in equipment upgrades.

"The training provided an opportunity for BDA to experience the Eurocopter EC135's capabilities in a variety of real-life situations," said Mark Brownsey, BDA Army Aviation Training and Training Support (AATTS) project manager. "The program is part of our pilot engagement strategy, which allows BDA instructors to update their skills on a modern aircraft to support our partnership with the Australian Army."

The BDA flight instructors on the AATTS program currently provide basic flight training to Australian Army pilots using Kiowa aircraft, and more than 100 pilots have graduated from the program in the past five years. HATS is a follow-on contract to AATTS and will provide training to Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army pilots.

"The training partnership between Boeing and SLSQ has provided an excellent opportunity for our pilots to share information about this very capable, technologically advanced twin-engine aircraft," said Peter Bird, chief pilot for the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service Queensland. "BDA's training investment will help the SLSQ fund ongoing equipment upgrades for the service so it can continue to provide this important public service along the Gold and Sunshine coasts."

Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company and a business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, is a leading Australian aerospace enterprise. With a world-class team of nearly 1,300 employees at 15 locations throughout Australia and four international sites, Boeing Defence Australia supports some of the largest and most complex defense projects in Australia.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 61,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

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Contact:

Melanie Shanahan
Boeing Defence Australia
+61 (0)7-3306-3132
melanie.a.shanahan@boeing.com