Jacqui Johnson says hello to her brother, RAAF C-130 Hercules navigator, FLGOFF Andrew Johnson, who took part in the RAAF fly-past.

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.

Jacqui was part of the large crowd on Station Pier in Melbourne for Defence's Salute to Federation on 6 May.

The Salute included a RAN ships' open day and fly-pasts and displays by RAAF aircraft including the Roulettes, a C-130, P3C Orion, two F/A-18 Hornets and one
F-111.

As it happened, Andrew was a member of the C-130 crew and Jacqui decided to go one better than waving. She opted for nothing less than sign language in the form of a banner held up by two wooden poles, reading, in large black letters, 'G'day Johnno'.

Asked when she decided to make the banner, she said: 'This morning, it was a last minute thing.'

Jacqui, an accountant, later confirmed that Andrew hadn't seen the banner as he was busy navigating at the time. 'But he was quite touched,' she said.

Andrew, who completed his navigator training at RAAF Base East Sale, is now based at Richmond. Andrew and Jacqui's father is a former Navy Skyhawk pilot.

Story by Peter Johnson
Photograph by SGT David Grant