▁ 8 7 8 ▁and ▁ 8 7 9 . ▁ ▁Oper ational ▁history ▁ ▁Royal ▁Australian ▁Navy ▁ ▁R AN ▁Sky h awk ▁operations ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁January ▁that ▁year ▁ 8 0 5 ▁Squadron ▁was ▁recomm ission ed ▁at ▁H MA S ▁Al bat ross ▁to ▁operate ▁the ▁type ▁from ▁Melbourne . ▁Sky h awk ▁flight ▁training ▁started ▁later ▁that ▁month , ▁with ▁six ▁experienced ▁pil ots ▁being ▁instruct ed ▁by ▁a ▁US ▁Navy ▁officer ▁and ▁two ▁other ▁Australian ▁pil ots ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁posted ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁qual ify ▁as ▁instruct ors . ▁Short ages ▁of ▁spare ▁parts ▁dis rupted ▁flying ▁activities ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁course ▁graduated ▁in ▁mid - Dec ember ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁rather ▁than ▁May ▁as ▁had ▁been ▁originally ▁planned ; ▁the ▁short ages ▁were ▁largely ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Navy ▁prior it ising ▁deliver ies ▁to ▁its ▁forces ▁fighting ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁over ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁R AN . ▁The ▁A - 4 G s ▁first ▁operated ▁at ▁sea ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁when ▁they ▁land ed ▁on ▁board ▁the ▁British ▁car rier ▁ ▁while ▁she ▁was ▁visit ing ▁Australia . ▁ ▁The ▁Australian ▁Government ▁considered ▁deploy ing ▁pil ots ▁from ▁ 8 0 5 ▁Squadron ▁to ▁fight ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁during ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁May ▁ 1 9