Air Force News, June, 2001

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Air Force News is published every month except January for the information and entertainment of members of the Air Force and their families.

June, 2001

		Defence dazzles Melbourne Defence turned on a dazzling display of operational skills and ceremonial finery in support of Centenary of Federation celebrations in Melbourne in May. In a multi-faceted display titled a Defence Force Salute to Federation, public awareness of Defence capabilities was brought to a high level by widely-promoted and very visible activity.

		Jacqui says hello with sign language Relatives sometimes use ingenious methods to keep in touch with members of their families in the Defence force. One of these is Jacqui Johnson of Port Melbourne, who recently designed her own means of communicating with her brother, RAAF C-130 Hercules navigator, Flying Officer Andrew Johnson.

		Centenary of Federation celebrated in Albany The week of 21-27 April saw elements of the WA-based ADF units converge on Albany to assist the city in its celebration of the Centenary of Federation Festival and to commemorate ANZAC Day.

		Leading the Air Force towards the future takes a team I have been Chief of Air Force for almost three years now and as my tenure in this position nears its end, I am keen to let you know of some activities that have been undertaken within the Air Force Senior Leadership Team over the last 12-14 months.

		Four brave airmen finally laid to rest More than 57 years after Beaufort A9-217 was reported missing over the sea off eastern Papua New Guinea during the Second World War, the aircrew have finally been laid to rest.

		Air Force Underwater Recovery Operation In March this year, Air Force Headquarters mounted a successful underwater operation in the waters off Papua New Guinea. The operation was part of the Air Force's continuing activities to locate and recover airmen missing in action from WW II.

		Lest We Forget

		Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery This beautiful lawn cemetery is 48 kilometres from Rabaul. It is the smallest of the three war cemeteries in Papua New Guinea and is set amidst beautiful gardens and bordered by magnificent shade trees.

		Federation Guard

		Service with significance On Wednesday 25 April, thousands of Australians turned out to remember our fallen soldiers from wars and conflicts gone by. This ANZAC Day, Australian Defence Force members serving in Tindal, Darwin and on HMAS Cessnock attended the dawn service held at Adelaide River, 100 kilometres south of Darwin.

		Traditional ANZAC Day service Bougainville's peace monitors watched dawn break over the South Pacific Ocean recently as a part of Australia and New Zealand's traditional ANZAC Day commemorations.

		Memorial demonstrates close bond

		ANZAC spirit commemorated throughout Indonesia On ANZAC Day, few Australians would realize just how many small, but significant, services are conducted overseas in a country such as Indonesia.

		OTS embraces ANZAC spirit The RAAF Officers' Training School (OTS), RAAF Point Cook, is responsible for providing training to newly appointed officers. One of the important aspects of Officer Training is the induction process to transition students from their previous roles - whether as civilians or with prior military service - to be professional Air Force officers.

		Cadets march proudly Air Cadets from 1 Flight RAAF Base Darwin, Cadets Rachel Klesch, Aaron Bickers and Laura Walker, formed part of the cadet contingent for the Darwin ANZAC Day march.

		NZ ANZAC Eleven RNZAF instructors and students from the School of Air Navigation at RAAF East Sale travelled three hours to Melbourne to join one of the largest street parades held in Australia on ANZAC Day.

		Bombers of the skies reassemble The hazards of wartime aviation and lost friends were fresh in the memories of Beaufort bomber veterans who gathered at the Australian War Memorial on ANZAC Day eve.

		Tom's Tribute Air Force News recently ventured out over the Indian Ocean to an atoll of islands, designated the Cocos Keeling. The significance of the flight by No. 10 Squadron and the Chief of Air Force representative, Group Captain Simon Harvey, was marked with the dedication of a commemorative plaque to the memory of late Flying Officer Tom Henniker on 26 April, the 10th anniversary of the pilot's untimely death.

		ANZAC memorial in remote Australia The isles exist some 1500 nautical miles north west of Perth, deep in the Indian Ocean. With the exception of North Keeling, Cocos Keeling forms a horseshoe contour surrounded by a coral reef and enclosing a natural lagoon; sheer beauty in complete isolation.

		Tandem Thrust 2001 Australia's major biennial training exercise with United States forces, 'Tandem Thrust', has commenced in the Shoalwater Bay area in Queensland. More than 12,000 Australian and 15,000 American personnel will participate in the month long exercise.

		Global Hawk's historic journey a success When the United States' unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Global Hawk, touched down at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia on 23 April there was applause, sighs of relief and a general feeling of achievement that washed over Defence personnel responsible for the deployment.

		WOFF Unwin's part in history When Warrant Officer Steve Unwin became an Airborne Electronics Analyst nine years ago, he never would have believed one day he would be carrying out his normal duties while sitting on the ground in a modified shipping container.

		Recruiting key focus for Defence at Clipsal 500 Eyes were focussed on the sky rather than solidly staring at the track thanks to the RAAF's racey fly-pasts and displays at this year's Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar Challenge.

		Air cadets spread their wings with sponsorship deal The Australian Air Training Corps (AIRTC) will dramatically expand its overseas experience program through a $60,000 two-year sponsorship from Boeing Australia Limited.

		History in the making Tri-Service cadets from around Australia not only made history in March, but also received much praise for their involvement in Norfolk Island's 2001 Foundation Day celebrations.

		Career choices hit heights Aspiring fast jet pilots got first hand information about what it takes to get into the cockpit of an F-18 fighter jet when three pilots visited Greenwood Senior High School's Aviation Careers Expo recently.

		Put to the test Emergency agencies were put to the test recently in a Crash Exercise at Williamtown that saw a simulated C-130 accident on the runway.

		Defence makes a stand at Toowoomba Show Prized cattle, sheepdog trials, farming equipment, arts and craft, sideshow alley and Defence Recruiting were some of the highlights more than 40,000 people were treated to at the 137^th Toowoomba Royal Show.

		RAAF Base Wagga on the look out for new recruits It was a memorable day for Service and civilian members from the RAAF School of Management and Training Technology (SMTT) when they welcomed parents and children from the Kurrajong Early Intervention Service (KEIS) recently.

		Spotlight on Orion crew Children around Australia have had the chance to learn more about the RAAF's P3C Orion and its aircrew thanks to ABC Television's Couch Potato program.

		Volunteer labour pays off for RAAF Museum The RAAF Museum's Walrus amphibian restoration reached a new phase recently, when it left the restoration hangar - its home of almost seven years - for the paint shop where it will undergo a transformation that will bring the aircraft within an inch of completion.

		Reminiscences - Part VII With no more major offensives, 'mining and tunnelling now characterised the fighting through autumn. However, wastage almost doubled from over five per cent in June to nine per cent through August and September.

		RAAF enjoy wet victory On 10-11 March, six teams from Air Force, Army and Navy met at the Hume Dam, in Albury/Wodonga to compete in the Defence Inter-Service Water Ski competition. The team from the RAAF Amberley Water (RAW) Ski Club returned victorious as winner of the prestigious lane race competition.