√What our Defence Force pilots drive when they’re on the ground

If your office happens to be one of the fastest and most manoeuvrable jet fighters in the world, what would you drive to and from work? Drive heads to the Avalon Airshow to find out.

The Australian International Airshow is back at Avalon Airport for the first time in four years, with a large contingent of military aircraft on display from Australia and around the world.

But what do pilots from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) drive when they’re not protecting the country’s airspace?

Squadron Leader Matt Murphy told Drive he spends his days in the back seat of a Growler (top), which according to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is a specialised version of the F/A-18 Super Hornet designed as an electronics attack aircraft to “disrupt, deceive or deny a broad range of military electronic systems, including radars and communications.”

Based out of RAAF Base Amberley – roughly 40km from Brisbane – Matt’s daily driver is a Toyota LandCruiser Prado, but told Drive his dream car is a 993-generation Porsche 911 from the 1990s.

MORE: Modified 6×6 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series reconnaissance vehicle being tested by ADF

What do you drive if you fly an F/A-18 Super Hornet – one of the most capable fighter jets in the world? RAAF pilot Ryan says he normally drives an Audi Q2, but his dream car is a Porsche 911 Turbo – a car known for delivering jet-like thrust during hard acceleration.

Another Super Hornet pilot who goes by callsign ‘Strobe’ appears to be channelling Tom Cruise’s character Maverick from the film Top Gun by riding a Kawasaki Ninja 650 to work – but hopes to get into a Subaru Forester one day.

When not piloting a Pilatus PC-21 – a trainer aircraft used a stepping-stone for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, and the MRH-90 helicopter – Peter tells us he drives a BMW 340i, but singled out a Porsche 911 GT3 as his dream car.

James comes from the Australian Army but is also undergoing training in a Pilatus PC-21 with the RAAF, and has a garage to match his career: a Nissan Patrol for off-road duties and a Mazda MX-5 for winding roads, but says a BMW M3 is on his wish list.

MORE: Does Top Gun’s Maverick really drive a $30 million-dollar Aston Martin?

When he’s ‘feet dry’, Navy MH-60 Seahawk (above) pilot Nick drives a Subaru Forester XT, but tells us he would like to upgrade to a Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series.

While there’s a diverse array of vehicles mentioned above, we found it interesting that the Porsche 911 was the most common answer when it came to a dream car.

See some of the ADF’s aircraft on display at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon, from Friday 3 March to Sunday 5 March 2023. Drive attended a preview of this event as accredited media.

The post What our Defence Force pilots drive when they’re on the ground appeared first on Drive.