Although the F-28 appears to bear the registration A-2803, it is actually the A-2802 (c/n 11113), which, for some reason, was marked with the identification belonging to c/n 11117. The "A-2802" has been on display at that location since January 2019.
The Skadron Udara 17, or Skadud 17/VIP, was formed in 1963 following an internal reorganisation of the Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara - TNI-AU), having previously been designated Air Squadron IV. This squadron is responsible for providing air transport for the President, Vice-President, Ministers and State guests, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of State Secretariat. Its mission is particularly important when transporting senior officials on working visits to remote areas of Indonesia.
At the time of its reorganisation, the squadron was equipped with Ilyushin Il-14 aircraft, most of which had been withdrawn from service by the mid-1970s and replaced by three Lockheed C-140 JetStars. By the time the first Fokker F-28 joined the fleet, all three JetStars were experiencing severe operational difficulties.
Prior to this, VIP transport had been provided by other aircraft, including specially configured Fokker F-27s and Lockheed C-130/L-100s.
Perhaps the immediate precedent for presidential flights aboard Fokker F-28s in Indonesia dates back to August 1974, when President Haji Mohammad Soeharto visited Singapore aboard PK-PJV, a Pertamina-owned F-28 Mk1000 which served as the Indonesian presidential aircraft for a period. The aircraft featured a VIP configuration.
In December 1983, the squadron received its first and only F-28 from Pelita Air Service: PK-PJT (msn 11042), which was re-registered as A-2801 ("A" for Avion [Aircraft], "28" for Fokker F-28 and "01" indicating its sequence in the fleet, according to the Indonesian Air Force's identification system).
Fitted with a VIP interior, this aircraft would serve as the principal presidential transport for many years. However, it operated alongside numerous other aircraft within the squadron, and the President also made use of alternative means of transport on various occasions.
In 1995, the fleet was strengthened with the addition of two F-28 Mk3000Rs acquired from Garuda: PK-GFR (msn 11113) and PK-GFQ (msn 11117), which were respectively registered as A-2802 and A-2803.
In 1998, during the country's transition from authoritarian rule to democracy, the Commander of the Armed Forces, General Wiranto, used an F-28 as an airborne command aircraft on a flight between Malang and Jakarta.
In 2013, the need for a final reinforcement of the fleet became apparent. A Fokker F-28 Mk4000, formerly registered as PK-TWA (msn 11234) and acquired from Transwisata, was incorporated and registered as A-2804.
By 2014, a Boeing 737-BBJ2 had already joined the fleet to undertake the important presidential transport role, leaving F-28s A-2801 and A-2803 in storage at their base at Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta.
During an air show in 2017, aircraft A-2802 and A-2804 were observed in airworthy condition.
Officially, the last flight by an F-28 belonging to the squadron took place on 6 November 2019. It was performed by A-2804 on the following route: Jakarta (HLP) - (ADI) - Surabaya (MUL) - Balikpapan (DMB) - Manado (SAM) - Pontianak (SPO), before returning to Jakarta (HLM).
This final Fellowship was placed in reserve during 2020, although it subsequently undertook a few sporadic flights and was spotted in Bandung in February. It was withdrawn from service later that same year.
Subsequently, it was transferred alongside A-2803 to the grounds of Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, where both aircraft were displayed in a location visible from the outer perimeter. Today, they are in poor condition as a result of prolonged exposure to the elements.
Aircraft A-2802 was moved to a prepared area within the same base and preserved as a monument, outside the premises of the Aerospace Museum at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base.
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