AIR COMBAT AUSTRALIA
The instructions said go to “HANGER 57” at Camden Airport and I would find the sign…
The first thing that you see on entering Air Combat Australia (ACA) at Camden Airport is the smiles on everyone who works in the business. Everyone here is very happy and passionate about aviation. It is a niche warbird and flight market training business that has been around for a few decades.
ACA offers a range of products and services 
for enthusiasts, trainee pilots and businesses. Established in the 1990s as a small business providing training services it has grown in size to nowadays encompass many more options to cater for the wider aviation market. DUAN spoke at length to Ray and Jay Ekinci about the business, what they do to make it very successful and the enjoyment they get out of it.
CREATING A NICHE MARKET
Ray Ekinci, Air Combat Australia’s owner, care
er background is quite impressive with part of his career being spent teaching air to air combat for the Turkish Air Force and helping restart the Royal Brunei Airforce training program. From these career highlights, Ray was well versed in operating jets and military aircraft and lead into his future business idea. Air Combat Australia started out in the early 1990s when Ray found that there was no-one offering paid adventure flights in ex military aircraft and leapt at the opportunity.
Ray began MiG 21 operations overseas and saw an opportunity to purchase some MiG 15’s and bring them back to Australia. These were delivered to the previous ACA location at Bankstown airport.
The MiG-15s were accompanied by a Polish engineer to train Australian engineers and to assist in the reassembling of the aircraft. When all was ready ACA had 2 MiG-15, serials 126 and 807 operational by around the mid 90’s. Ray started what was a very niche market – warbird rides in former Eastern block fighter trainers. No one had done that yet and so for a few years Ray’s business was extremely popular and saw many people from all around the world flock to Sydney. Initially, the flights attracted customers from all over the world, until the Russian MiG 29 experience became operational.
Due to a dispute in the early 2000s with CASA over with warbirds, the ACA business moved from Bankstown Airport to Camden Airport. Aviation at Camden Airport is expanding as pilots and business slowly leave the very expensive Bankstown Airport for cheaper suburban in Sydney (well whats left and Camden is it….besides Wedderburn in southern Sydney) and regional airports in NSW.
BUSINESS EXPANSION
A few years ago the MiG – 15UTIs 
were retired due to age and limited spare parts. Newer, faster and more advanced jet trainers were acquired 3 examples of the L-39 Albatros. With these new jets over the last few years, Air Combat Australia has grown into a part of a wider business model.
Air Combat Australia offers a range of services with warbirds include warbird adventure flights and L-39 flight training. Their pilots include 
ex-RAAF, and ex-Fighter Combat Instructors (with real combat experience). The general aviation and civil operations are managed by Atlas Aviation Australia which focuses on executive transport and flying school / aerobatic training. Options include basic flight training, advanced flight training (aerobatics, formation, spinning, formation aerobatics, instrument flight, instructor rating, charter, maintenance and aerobatic joy flights. Atlas Aviation and ACA provide aircraft for servicing global government contracts in trouble spots since 1991.
The flying operations are supported by a number of other flight instructors, ground engineers and office staff. All ensure that ACA functions as a well run and efficient business.
End of another long day and the CT-4 flight trainers are put into the hangar.
ACA FLEET – 2018
The current ACA fleet is comprised of the following types at Camden – in the Limited Category: 2 x operational L-39’s, 1 x L-39 in maintenance.
Photos supplied by ACA below of operating L-39s.
1 x Yak 52 (hasn’t flown in a long time).
In the normal category:
2 x PAC CT4/E. (ex-Singapore AF) 300hp version of the ‘B’ model used in Tamworth,
1 x T6/24 Airtourer. (ex-NZAF),
1 x Extra 300/L,
1 x Citation 650,
Lear 24 jet
And 1 x Victa 115 in maintenance.
A RISING STAR
Ray’s son Jay Ekinci is a key member of the ACA team and helps to run the business. A review of Jay’s career to date is an impressive list for such a young person.
He began flying as a toddler at age 2 in ex RNZAF Airtourers and officially started lessons at age 12. Jay grew up around aeroplanes on weekends/after school, used to watch Ray operate the MiG-15’s from Bankstown, and fly with instructors and students in the aircraft.
Jay’s first solo on 16th birthday, GFPT (RPL) at 16 followed by Aerobatics, Formation, Formation Aerobatics, Spinning ratings. He then gained his PPL at 17, CPL at 18, became an instructor at 19. Jay flew a L-39 solo at age 17 from YSNW. Jay provided DUAN with more insights to his flying experiences, “My first aerobatics flight as a toddler, by the time I was age 12 I could already complete a basic aerobatic sequence despite having to sit on multiple cushions in the aircraft.”
“I used to help ground crew the MiG 15 flights when we re-located to Camden airport.” Jay says that “I flew solo on the afternoon of my birthday at 16 yo, and completed my GFPT a few weeks later. Once I had finished my first licence I quickly gained aerobatics, formation, formation aerobatics and spinning ratings/endorsements.”
Jay explained that “I began commercial operations at 18 years old, conducting aerobatic joy flights and warbird adventure flights. I am currently, Instructing from basic training (RPL, PPL, CPL) design feature, unusual attitudes, formation, aerobatics, to L39 type training. L-39 adventure flights.” Last year Jay got to perform at an international airshow in China in a Formation aerobatic team (father and son team) in the Extra 300 and Extra 300L as the wingman.
L-39 WARBIRD RIDES
Focusing on the Air Combat Australia warbirds, they operate/have operated warbird trainer aircraft throughout most of the eastern states of Australia, and these now forms a major part of the company. ACA have th
e ability to operate on any day of the week from the Camden base, as it operates alongside the flying school/charter company. They also have access to any spare parts for the L-39 series of aircraft.
Since the beginning of L-39 Albatros rides, ACA has attracted mainly people in their 40s, 50s and 60s (major milestones). With 
over 15,500 jet fighter rides to extremely satisfied customers – ACA has tapped the market well. However since using the L-39 due to its lower running cost Air Combat Australia now have customers ranging from 18th birthday, to anniversaries, ‘just because’, bucket list items, international clients, and companies. The lure of a fast jet warbird ride really does inspire many people to go flying.
When flying in the warbirds CASA regulations, for the most part, have been the same since the beginning of warbird adventure flights. Aside from pre purchase warnings, and indemnity forms (or acknowledgment forms) the current requirements are no more tedious than a charter flight. Ray and Jay find the majority of the regulations reasonable for warbird operations.
FUTURE OPERATIONS
In 2017 ACA started an expansion plan to include a new base out at Cowra Airport. This base will be there to supplement the flying that takes place from Camden. Looking ahead, Ray sees that Jay is the future for Air Combat Australia. Ray has been mentoring him to become a business director and step up to become just as successful as he has been over the past few decades. Jay is expected to take over running the business in the longer term while also expanding his flying skillsets too.
If you are in Sydney, northern Victoria or western NSW and want a special charter, flight training or a warbird ride, perhaps consider Air Combat Australia for your needs. If your interested in ACA or flying general aviation, you can see their website at http://aircombat.com.au/ or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aircombataustralia/
Down Under Aviation News kindly thanks Ray, Jay and the rest of the team at ACA for hosting us during our media visit. We wish them well on their future expansion plans.
Down Under Aviation News 