LIFE, THE UNIVERSE & EVERYTHING (According to Deggz...): RAAF

LAST FLIGHT OF THE F-111:

I travelled to Brisbane last year for the Last Flight & Retirement Ceremony of the venerable F-111. The RAAF was the last operator of the F-111 aircraft in the World. It was an emotional day for everyone involved. Sad to see the Pig go, but it had served well and its time had come. This is dedicated to my mates who gave their lives while flying the Pig: Pykey, Nige and Shorty. Lest We Forget.

Chief of Air Force, Air Marshall Mark 'Binny' Binskin AO

High humidity combined with speed and G forces make s for an impressive sight!

The Last 'Dump & Burn'

Pig Symmetry

Wing Commander 'Micka' Gray, CO 6 Squadron and the last man on Earth to fly an F-111

A great looking aircraft!

AIRCRAFT I'VE FLOWN IN:

Some of the following aircraft I've flown in as passenger, some in an operational capacity. They were all fun. Any day flying beats the best day sitting in an office! I've indicated the aircraft type and the squadron I flew with wherever possible. Please note, none of the following photos are mine, they are taken from 'official' websites wherever possible:

McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18B: 2 OCU
(with 75SQN F/A-18B in background)

Macchi MB326: 76SQN

CA-25 Winjeel Forward Air Control aircraft; FAC Flight Williamtown (now 4 Squadron)

Grumman E-2C Hawkeye: VAW-120, VAW-122, VAW-126

Grumman C-2A COD: VRC-40
You sit in the cargo hold facing backwards for carrier landings!

Boeing E-3A Sentry: USAF 961st AWACS SQN,
Clarke Air Force Base Phillipines during Exercise Cope Thunder 1989

Boeing E-3D Sentry: 8SQN RAF

SAAB 340 Erieye: Forvarsmakten (Swedish Defence Materiel Flight Test Centre)

Lockheed AP-3C Orion: RAAF 92 Wing

C-130H: 36 and 37 SQNs

De Haviland Canada DHC-4 Caribou: 37SQN

Boeing 707 Tanker: 33SQN

USAF KC-135 Tanker

KC-135: View from the Boom Operators seat

Helicopters:

Things to avoid flying in if at all possible. Helo pilots tend to be a little crazy, I guess it helps! Here's a few types I've flown in as a passenger over the years. They are all scary. You have to hope the technicians tightened the 'Jesus Nut' that holds the blades on! Where possible I identify the aircraft model or type and squadron I flew with as a passenger. All RAAF helicopters were handed over to the Australian Army in the late 80s.

US Navy CH-53, I flew off USS EIsenhower to Puerto Rico in one of these huge helos

CH-47 Chinook. 12 SQN RAAF

Bell UH-1B. RAAF Williamtown Rescue Flight.
We used to volunteer as 'tea bags' so the RAAF rescue crews
could practice their techniques. We must have been mad!

Bell UH-1H. 9 Squadron

Blackhawk S70-A9. 9 Squadron RAAF

Aerospatiale AS350B Squirrel. SAR Flight RAAF Darwin.

US NAVY STUFF:

US Navy Naval Flight Officer Wings

It's hard to believe it's been almost 15 years since my exchange posting with the US Navy! I'm planning on heading back to the US next year to join in the 100th Anniversary of US Navy Aviation celebrations:
US Naval Aviation 100th Anniversary

Curtiss 'Pusher' - you'd have to be mad!!!

USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19)

The USS Blue Ridge is the Command and Control ship for the US Navy 7th Fleet.

I served onboard the USS Blue Ridge during Exercise Tandem Thrust 2001. The first phase of the exercise was a combined contigency planning scenario and took place onboard the Blue Ridge while we sailed from Tokyo to Hong Kong and return. The return trip was a little more exciting as we sailed into a storm in the Taiwan Strait. Phases 2 and 3 of the exercise were conducted in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and surrounding waters. The ADF contingent boarded ship in Darwin and sailed through the islands north of Cape York on our way to Magnetic Island where we anchored while conducting exercise activities (I think to save running costs!) and finaly disembarked in Cairns. I was one of two Combined Air Operations Centre Directors during phase 2 and senior RAAF representative to the Commander 7th Fleet during phase 3 - the live flying phase - sorting out airspace, ATO and other coordination issues with the US forces. It was an interesting time and a lot of fun.

USS Blue Ridge LCC-19, a floating antenna farm!

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (with Perry Class Frigate alongside)

I served onboard the 'Ike' for a couple of months in 1994 during COMPTUEX the carrier battlegroup final workup prior to embarking on 6 month cruise. I flew with VAW 126 (the Seahawks) teh E-2C Hawkeye Squadron attached to Carrier Air Wing 3. I was lucky enough to fly in just about every type of mission the E-2 conducts. It was a pretty intense few weeks! I was like a kid in a candy shop - we had all the toys to play with. A ship with some impressive stats: 80,000 tons, over 1100 ft in length, crew of over 5000, over 75 aircraft.

On the deck of the Ike in front of VAW 126 E-2C Hawkeye 603
in which I flew my first catapult shot and trap

The 'Cat' shot: Zero to 260 kph in 3 seconds, what a ride!

Not so much fun: The 'Trap' as the navy call a landing.

240 kph to zero in 2 seconds & 90 metres, one you walk away from is a good one!

The Aviation Art of Troy White

I've just ordered an art print of the Sharkmouth spitfires of 457 Squadron RAAF. Troy White is an accomplished aviation artist living in Uruguay, South America. Go to his website for a look at his amazing paintings: Stardust Studios - The Aviation Art of Troy White

Bobby Gibbes leading 457 Squadron during WWII

RAAF Spitfires

...on the subject of RAAF Spitfires, Aero Imageworks is considered the definitive website on the subject. It's a great resource, especially if you are into scale models.
Aero Imageworks

ADF Air Show 2010

I recently attended the ADF Air Show at RAAF Base Williamtown in NSW. It was an amazing day, lots of old war birds and current RAAF aircraft. Managed to catch up with old colleagues and work mates and see some pretty amazing flying and static displays. Here are some images from the day: