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Stories
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An
old friend returns
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USAF
Master Sergeant Fred Whitehead is reunited with a familar
aircraft.
Photo by SGT Glen McCarthy
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An unexpected
reunion occurred when No. 1 Squadron took part in Exercise Red Flag
at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, USA, last month.
Much to the surprise of US Air Force Master Sergeant Fred Whitehead,
Royal Australian Air Force F-111 A8-109 was one of six aircraft
deployed as part of the exercise.
MSGT Whitehead knew that particular aircraft well when it was on
the USAF inventory. He worked on it for two years and even scored
a much sought after incentive flight in the jet.
From 1977-1979 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, he worked
exclusively on F-111s. He became crew chief on 109 and loved the
challenge of keeping it flying.
“It’s an awesome aircraft, impressive to look at and very
menacing. It’s a shame our Air Force decided to retire the
platform. It can obviously still do the job,” MSGT Whitehead
said.
Currently working at 414th Combat Training Squadron, he has crewed
other aircraft such as F-4 Phantoms and A-10 Thunderbolts, but said
that the F-111 remained his favourite. He first saw an F-111 in
1972 and “fell in love”.
109 was his first aircraft after completing training. “It’s
like your first car, or girlfriend … you never forget. I got
a lot of pride when I saw it fly,” he said.
Aircraft 109 left Mountain Home AFB in 1982, when the RAAF purchased
it to supplement its F-111 fleet.
MSGT Whitehead was delighted when 1SQN invited him to assist in
launching 109 for a mission during the exercise.
He eagerly waited in the burning temperatures and “had a blast”
being involved with his favourite aircraft once again.
He wasn’t alone in admiring the “Aardvarks”, as the
Americans call them. Numerous USAF personnel asked to be shown around
the jets, and there was obvious regret among them at the decision
by their Air Force to cease F-111 operations.
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