Pair’s historic flight in F-15E Strike Eagle

Flight Lieutenant Paul Simmons and Flight Lieutenant Tony Southwood team up to make history. Photo by Staff Sergeant Keith Brown

TWO Australian Air Force members on exchange to the United States have made history in the skies over Alaska.

Flight Lieutenant Paul Simmons, a pilot, and Flight Lieutenant Tony Southwood, a Weapons System Officer (WSO), recently took to the skies in an F-15E Strike Eagle – the first time in the history of the Pacific Air Force (PACAF) that a foreign pilot and WSO have flown a US Air Force jet together.

FLTLT Simmons flew to Elmendorf, Alaska, from Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, where he works as an instructor pilot with the 333rd Fighter Squadron, teaching new pilots and WSOs to fly the F-15E as well as training new instructors.

FLTLT Southwood serves as a WSO in the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf.

90th Fighter Squadron director of operations Lieutenant Colonel John Zentner welcomed the decision to let the Australians fly the F-15E.

“Flight Lieutenant Simmons was a welcome addition to the Dicemen roster during his visit,” he said. “We heard that he could fly a brick if it had wings. He has tremendous air sense and flying ability.”

FLTLT Simmons admitted the flight was “fun”, even if the pair turned a few heads before taking off.

“Watching the crew chief’s expression when he finally realised that two Aussies were very serious about taking his jet flying was priceless, and he looked a full 10 years older by the time we got back.”

He said his visit to Elmendorf was significant for a number of reasons.

“To the US Air Force, the first significance of the flight was the fact that a foreign aircrew took a US Air Force fighter jet into the sky and actually brought it back,” he said. “Secondly, the relationship between the US and Australian military is close and this demonstrated the relationship quite clearly.”

LTCOL Zentner said the episode “was a great chance to see a Royal Australian Air Force crew in action”.

FLTLT Simmons said the trip gave him an “appreciation of how US Air Force fighter squadrons operate both tactically and in the training of new fighter pilots and weapon system officers”.

• By 2nd LT Amy Hansen,
  3rd Wing Public Affairs, USA

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