816 Squadron
Commanding Officer
Commander Chris Smallhorn, RAN
Chris Smallhorn was born in Toowoomba, Queensland where he graduating from Toowoomba Grammar School before joining the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1987 where he commenced training as an Aeronautical Engineer. Following graduation from the Academy in 1990, and subsequently with a Bachelor in Aerospace Engineering in 1991, he completed Naval Officer training at the Royal Australian Naval College. Chris completed his Aeronautical Engineering training at HMAS ALBATROSS, serving at 817 Squadron where he was awarded his Engineering Certificate of Competency in February 1992.
In 1992 he was posted to pilot training at No. 2 Flying Training School at RAAF Base PEARCE in Perth to complete his fixed wing pilot course. Chris was promoted to Lieutenant in January 1993 and was awarded his wings in October 1993. Chris then completed his Rotary Wing conversion course at the ADF Helicopter School at RAAF Base FAIRBAIRN in Canberra before being posted to 816 Squadron in 1994 for Operational Conversion to the S-70B-2 Seahawk. Over the two and a half years following completion of his S-70B-2 Seahawk conversion Chris served on ship's flights onboard HMAS CANBERRA, SYDNEY and ADELAIDE completing deployments through the Pacific and South East Asia and participating in numerous exercises including RIMPAC, New Horizon and Flying Fish.
In 1998 Lieutenant Smallhorn was posted to the United States Naval Test Pilot School at NAS PATUXENT RIVER in Maryland, USA. Following graduation from USNTPS in 1999 he was posted to the Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit (AMAFTU) at HMAS ALBATROSS. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in January 1999. Whilst posted to AMAFTU he served as an Experimental Test Pilot on numerous RAN flight trials and international research programs.
In March 2002 Lieutenant Commander Smallhorn was posted to join the PS1411 Super Seasprite Resident Project Team based at Kaman Aerospace in Bloomfield, Connecticut, USA. He served as the Commonwealth Test Pilot with the Resident Team before returning to Australia in February 2004 when he returned to AMAFTU as the Officer-in-Charge. In March 2005, after only a short stint as OIC AMAFTU, he was promoted to Commander and posted as Project Manager of PS1411, the Super Seasprite Acquisition Project. Chris served in this position until December 2006 whereupon he was posted to long service leave before returning to assume Command of 816 Squadron on 7 December 2007.
