February

Air traffic specialists to help control disaster zone

By FLTLT Jaimie Abbott THEY’RE among the most sought-after in the world, and now a team of RAAF air traffic control officers (ATCOs) have been hand-picked to assist relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Five personnel have deployed to Haiti where they will be embedded with a US Air Force team to provide specialist air traffic control duties including tower and approach control in the disaster zone.

FLGOFF Laura Vize and FLTLTs Aaron Doherty, John Woodhouse, Joel Adelstein and Matthew Ferguson- Mclellan were on a short-notice stand-by when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made the announcement on January 23. They have been drawn from air traffic control detachments across Australia that belong to Surveillance and Response Group’s 44WG. “Our ability to quickly mobilise this team of highly specialised air traffic controllers at relatively short notice reflects our tactical flexibility and builds on the experience gained from running air traffic control operations in the Middle East at Baghdad Airport and Balad,” CAF AIRMSHL Mark Binskin said.

With so many aid flights attempting to get into Haiti there have been delays at the main airport, from where US forces are operating. The ATCOs chosen for this mission will work to improve the safety and air traffic flow from airports where aid flights are now being sent, to ensure emergency assistance is received and moved quickly through the Caribbean nation.

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Doos open in MEAO

By LT Madeline Denholm

A SIGNIFICANT enhancement to the supporting capability for Australia’s operations in the Middle East has come online at the ADF’s forward support base in the Gulf. Constructed at a cost of almost $8 million, the new aircraft maintenance hangar was officially opened by former Commander Joint Task Force 633 MAJGEN Mark Kelly on December 5. “This is a significant day in the history of the ADF in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO),” MAJGEN Kelly said.

MAJGEN Kelly said the facility was long overdue, particularly for the ADF’s aircraft maintenance and ground crews. “We’ve got a great facility now to allow you guys to conduct your important task in maintaining our aircraft, to keep them in a position to maintain and support the rest of the task groups across the MEAO and, in particular, Afghanistan,” he said.

The hangar is large enough to allow the entry and maintenance of one airframe, either an AP-3C or C-130, while the taxi-way and apron facilities are of sufficient strength to cater for a C-17.

Orions seven yeas away

Item by australianaviation.com.au

Warrant Officer Dave Dyer tracks a contact of interest from an AP-3C Orion's radar console. (Dept of Defence)

The RAAF’s AP-3C Orion maritime reconnaissance fleet celebrated seven years of continuous operations in the Middle East in late January.

“This milestone is a great tribute to the men and women of Air Force’s Surveillance and Response Group who have worked long hours flying and maintaining the Orions. Maintenance staff have often worked in 50C plus temperatures to achieve a very high aircraft availability rate,” Chief of Air Force AIRMSHL Binskin said. “The support provided by members of Air Force’s Combat Support Group, Maritime Patrol Systems Program Office and Aerospace Operational Support Group have been vital to the Orions’ achievements in the Middle East.”

The RAAF says the aircraft, three of which are rotated from their home base at RAAF Edinburgh to the Middle East every six months or so, have completed more than 1750 missions and 16,500 flight hours as part of Operations Bastille, Falconer, Catalyst and Slipper.

10 Feb 2010 21:43:52 GMT

King Air fleet grows

By FLTLT Eamon Hamilton

THANKS to the combined efforts of the Defence Materiel Organisation, Hawker Pacific and the Air Lift Group Transition Team, the first of five new King Air 350s has joined the family at 38SQN at RAAF Base Townsville. Fast proving an efficient and reliable transport for the ADF, 38SQN’s fleet of King Airs grew to four with the addition of A32-651 on February 3.

In November, 38SQN accepted three King Airs from Army’s 173 (Surveillance) Squadron. Hawker Pacific will deliver a new King Air to 38SQN every six weeks, with a total of eight aircraft being leased from the company for the Interim Light Transport (ILT) fleet at 38SQN. Under the arrangement, 38SQN technicians are working as members of a combined team with Hawker Pacific staff at Townsville to support the fleet. The Training Aircraft Systems Project Office (TASPO) has also been working hard, in close partnership with Air Lift Group, to establish the new contract with Hawker Pacific; but also the technical airworthiness and other regulatory work necessary to accept the new aircraft into service.

The value of 38SQN’s King Airs is already being demonstrated, with a number of support tasks for Army units in northern Queensland. The unit’s King Airs have also supported a number of Air Force movements across Australia. 38SQN will remain strongly focused on training new crews for most of this year. Each King Air conversion course at 38SQN will produce six pilots, with three courses due to be completed by December. With a full aircraft and crew complement established in just over 12 months, and less than 24 months from when the decision was made, 38SQN is expected to be well positioned for any challenges that lie ahead.

15 Feb 2010 22:05:01 GMT

Sweet deal for lucky airmen

HOW do you turn $200,000 into $30,000 but still walk away a winner?

Just ask SGT Nathan Layton and FSGT Ben Wright, who took centre stage on the hit television game show, ‘Deal or No Deal’ recently. SGT Layton from Defence Force Recruiting in Melbourne teamed up with friend FSGT Wright from AFHQ to try their luck on the show – and boy, did their luck pay off. Together, they scored nearly $32,000 in prize money and had a ball in the process. SGT Layton said late last year he put an application in to appear on the show and then mentioned it to FSGT Wright, who jumped at the chance to be involved. “Ben was pretty keen to get on the show, too, so he flew down from Canberra [to Melbourne] for the audition, and the filming,” SGT Layton said. The episode was filmed in November last year but aired on February 3.

SGT Layton said it was a lot of fun being filmed on the show but he had to focus to ensure he stayed in the game. “I had a great time there and the ‘Deal or No Deal’ crew were really great at getting me prepared,” he said. “It was very hard not to keep on going and keep ‘pushing the envelope’ as I was really enjoying myself. The situation forced me to be a little sensible, although it was certainly assisted by Ben’s encouragement to take the deal. “If I had knocked out the $200,000 [prize suitcase] I would have been quite disappointed with myself.” FSGT Wright said that things moved quickly. “It was pretty cool to end up on the show. The most we were realistically hoping for was to get on a suitcase on the podium,” he said. “When they called out Nathan’s name to play we both nearly fell over; I couldn’t believe it. “Everything happened so quickly on the set. As soon as they called out Nathan’s name we were taken back stage, miked up, and then next thing we knew, Nathan was on the podium. “When the show is being filmed, it’s pretty much done exactly as you see it on TV.

When they take a commercial break or throw to the news desk, they stop recording the show for that exact period of time. The tension really builds during those breaks because no-one is talking with the contestants and they are left to contemplate whether to deal or not deal,” FSGT Wright said. Despite his enthusiasm, SGT Layton struck a deal and, although he missed out on the $200,000 that was in his case, he and FSGT Wright were ecstatic with the result. “When Nathan made the deal with [host] Andrew O’Keefe I think the next closest amount to the 200k was only $4000, so if he had lost the big one we would have been left with nothing,” FSGT Wright said. “It’s pretty easy for our mates to tell us we should have played on, but the risks were too high. We said before the game that we didn’t want to get greedy and lose it all like most people do, so I’m glad we stuck to that strategy. “At the end of the day Nathan still made a deal worth over 30k so I think that’s pretty awesome.”

SGT Layton said he is now planning an overseas trip and “something nice” for his girlfriend. FSGT Wright said following the win, “the next thing we knew we were sitting in Federation Square in Melbourne having a beer in shock that we had just won $30,000 – it was such an amazing day.”

Air Force News - Page 8

16 Feb 2010 03:41:06 GMT

Sea-ing is believing

By FLTLT Skye Smith

RECENT Australia Day Medallion recipient CPL Jarrod Nikolsky celebrated Australia Day in style while anchored at Darling Harbour after an 11-day voyage on the Young Endeavour.

The avionic technician from 75SQN was selected as Air Combat Group’s second recipient of the Young Endeavour Scholarship. “I was very excited, surprised and honoured to be selected to represent the Air Force,” CPL Nikolsky said. “I’ve spent some time sailing in the Whitsundays, but I couldn’t wait for the challenges that lay ahead.” Those challenges started with torrential storms on the first day at sea, but that didn’t dampen his enthusiasm. CPL Nikolsky enjoyed the leadership and teamwork exercises during the voyage from Newcastle to Sydney from January 17 to 27. The lack of personal space took a while to get used to, but “with 27 youth crew and 13 staff on board it meant everyone got to know each other quite well by the end of the voyage”.

Sail handling, rigging and navigational skills were just some of the new skills CPL Nikolsky put to the test as the ship headed south and sailed through two nights of unforgiving waters. The ship arrived in Sydney Harbour at about 1am and the crew went straight to work to clean her in preparation for Australia Day. Navigating the ship into Sydney Harbour during the early hours of Australia Day and climbing nearly to the top of the mast while sailing was the highlight of his Young Endeavour voyage. He said he “had a blast” taking in the Australia Day fireworks on Darling Harbour, following a win in the tall ships race the Young Endeavour participated in. “It was a once in a lifetime experience,” he said. “I have met some interesting people and made some great new friends and I would strongly recommend all eligible people to give it a go.”

17 Feb 2010 21:35:09 GMT

F-111 pilot is laid to rest

ABOUT 70 family, friends and colleagues farewelled one of the Air Force’s most respected F-111 pilots in Ipswich, Queensland. AIRCDRE Robert “Bob” Walsh, AFC (ret’d) passed away at Kenmore, Brisbane, on January 22. OC 82WG GPCAPT Peter Lloyd delivered the eulogy which highlighted AIRCDRE Walsh’s wide posting history and continued involvement in aviation after his retirement from the Air Force.

A number of colleagues attended, including former CAF, AIRMSHL Geoff Shepherd (ret’d). Friend and colleague AIRCDRE Peter Growder (ret’d) paid tribute to AIRCDRE Walsh’s solid leadership during a period of considerable change and exceptional ability as one of the early F-111 pilots. He said he regarded him as one of those pilots “who had good hands”. SQNLDR Nev Duus (ret’d) recalled AIRCDRE Walsh’s skills at negotiation and sense of humour at an international planning conference, which assisted in achieving a good outcome for the RAAF.

AIRCDRE Walsh joined the Air Force as a cadet in 1955. He served in various flying positions at 75SQN, 1 Advanced Flying Training School, 2 Operational Conversion Unit, 3SQN and was CO of 1SQN and 6SQN during the mid 70s. AIRCDRE Walsh served in various staff appointments in Canberra and Headquarters Operational Command (now Headquarters Air Command) before completing tours as OC of Headquarters Point Cook and Headquarters RAAF Base Amberley. After the group reorganisation in 1987 he became the first Commander Strike Reconnaissance Group at Amberley. AIRCDRE Walsh retired from the Air Force in March 1989 after 34 years of service.

22 Feb 2010 03:13:40 GMT

Acceptance of the Australian Super Hornet

Acceptance of the Australian Super Hornet, aircraft number A44-203, from Defense Contract Management Agency, USA to Defence Materiel Organisation, Australia, at Naval Air Station, Lemoore, California, USA.

The acceptance is a handover/takeover, from Defense Contract Management Agency, USA to Defence Materiel Organisation, Australia.

Image gallery

22 Feb 2010 22:28:56 GMT