ADF Helso School will make its last training flight over Canberra on November 30.

ALMOST 40 years of ADF rotary wing flying history will come to an end in Canberra later this year and the party to mark the occasion will be appropriately grandiose.

ADF Helo School at RAAF Base Fairbairn will make its last training flight over the nation's capital on or about November 30 with several major events planned for that weekend.

2IC ADF Helo School Maj Blue Phillips said 40 years of history was considered far too important to allow it to pass without a proper send off.

"We have several functions happening on the Friday night and on Saturday ranging from the informal meet-and-greet type events through to a formal dinner in the Boeing hangar with a major open day in between," he said.

"Actually the open day, which will feature a major flypast, is basically a Clayton's open day in that it is exclusively open to personnel who have had some form of connection with the school over the years and not to the general public."

He said the celebrations promised to be a fitting end to helicopter history in Canberra and he encouraged all interested members of 9 Sqn, 5 Sqn and the ADF Helo School to get in touch with organisers urgently.

"We need to get cheques in as soon as possible. In fact we intend to close the guest list this week [September 28].

"So if you don't get your cheque in right now you will miss out on a truly historic event in Defence aviation history."

Interested personnel should contact Capt Pete Tolchard on (02) 6287 6235, WO2 Ian Groves on (02) 6287 6251 or Pete 'Rat' Cullerne (02) 6287 6594 without delay.

A wide range of quality memorabilia, including a forthcoming book on the history of the school, is also available.

Flying training first commenced in the capital under the auspices of 9 Sqn RAAF in 1962. In 1965, 9 Sqn was deployed to Vietnam, whereupon 5 Sqn RAAF took over the training responsibility until 1989.

Following the transfer of the battlefield helicopter capability from RAAF to Army, flying training responsibilities passed under the Army's wing when the ADF Helo School opened on January 1, 1990, to train both Army and Navy rotary-wing pilots.

Army pilot training will recommence in Oakey in 2002 at the newly established Army Helo School while Navy training has already been shifted to Nowra.

By Sgt Brian Hartigan