Army’s skills aired during major show
Volume 11, No. 55, November 02, 2006
By Cpl Andrew Hetherington
and Kristina Kalnins

Happy couple: Gnr Aaron Jones, 23 Fd Regt, and his wife Wendy in front of a Royal Singapore Air Force Eurocopter Super Puma. Photo by AC Warren Derwent

IT wasn’t all multi-million dollar, high-tech gadgetry at the Defence Force Air Show at RAAF Base Richmond on October 21-22 – Army also had a significant presence there to entertain and inform the crowds.

The Red Berets dazzled crowds with their brand of aerial wizardry, while 176 AD Sqn supported the air show in a number of capacities. 176 AD Sqn OC Maj Mike Cook said members of the unit were involved in everything from setting up the base to putting on parachuting displays.

“We had 110 personnel involved with the air show. We had members setting up the base, providing security and transport support,” he said.

“There were also six members who performed a free-fall parachute jump from a Hercules aircraft, a low-altitude parachute drop was conducted from a Caribou and soldiers maintained a static display of rigged stores.”

A mixture of aircraft flew in from the School of Army Avn. Kiowa, Iroquois and Black Hawk helicopters put on static and flying displays showing off Army’s airborne capabilities.

The Black Hawks also assisted soldiers from 41RNSWR to deploy to the airfield to put on a ground section defence display.

Cpl Ian Brown, of D Coy, 41RNSWR, said it was a great experience to participate in the show in front of the large crowds.

“Flying into the display area in front of all those people was phenomenal,” he said.

“We disembarked from the Black Hawk and provided section defence with small-arms fire to support Hornet aircraft during the simulated air-to-ground attack.”

Members from 17 Const Sqn and SME played a vital role by repairing and levelling roads to allow for the large influx of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Personnel from three 5 Bde units – 5CER, 1/15 RNSW Lancers and 23 Fd Regt – maintained a recruiting stand that informed a large number of interested visitors about careers available in the Army. WO2 Edward Salcole, 5 Bde Assistant Recruiting Officer, said the recruiting display generated a great deal of interest from the air show visitors.

“On the Tuesday night after the air show, both 5CER and 1/15 RNSW Lancers had a significant number of people attend their careers information night,” he said.