The Fleet Air Arm bid a final and fond farewell to CMDR Tom Kinross in late February. He had been in the RAN for 39 years.

CMDR Kinross joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Junior Recruit in 1963.

Over the period of his successful career he was awarded the prize for Best Overall Mechancian as a petty officer.

He became the first sailor in the RAN to be authorised to conduct unsupervised ground runs on Sea King helicopters and was responsible for the engineering aspects of the first RAN First of class flight trials in HMAS Tobruk.

In 1981 he was commissioned to the rank of sub lieutenant on the Special Duties List as an aircraft-engineering officer and was posted to the United Kingdom for training at the Royal Navy College where he achieved the Best Student Prize.

On returning to Australian in 1983 he was posted to 817 SQN and received a Fleet Commander's commendation for increasing significantly the Sea King rate of effort through the expert management and supervision of engineering practices.

In 1988 he received a Commanding Officer's Commendation for the successful recovery of a downed Sea King from a flooded field.

He received a third commendation from Support Command Australia for professional conduct and integrity in dealing with the commercial sector after being the local expert in the Tier One Commercial Support Program activity of Aircraft Component Maintenance.

Promoted to commander, Tom Kinross took up the post of Fleet Aviation Engineer in 1998 where he remained until his final day at Albatross.

His love of the Sydney Swans and Harley-Davidsons is indisputable as is his no-messing straight-talking honest opinion.

CDRE Keith Eames noted that Tom's direct approach and positive attitude are typical of a breed of sailor and officer destined to succeed in today's Navy.

He also told the audience, "Virtually all of Tom's time in the RAN has been devoted to the Fleet Air Arm in one form or another, and we as a service, are much the better for his excellent contribution".

To use one of Tom's own favourite expressions it's been "bloody fantastic".

By Graham Davis