These boys are no silly billies

By CPL Simone Liebelt

LAC Owen Geddes in the driver’s seat of the Hornet billycart, flanked by some other team members, LAC Sean Delaney, LAC Dion Zukowski and LAC Ryan Beer.

Photo by LACW Veronica McKenna

SIX airmen from RAAF Base Williamtown will attempt to win a Grand Prix with a Hornet – a replica Hornet, that is.

The team of workmates from No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron will line up with their hand-made F/A-18 billycart in the Billycart Grand Prix in Melbourne on November 28. They entered the race for charity – and a bit of fun.

Leading Aircraftman Owen Geddes will take to the cockpit, supported by his pit crew: chief engineer Leading Aircraftman Dion Zukowski; media liaison officer Corporal Paul Sletten; and official billycart pushers Leading Aircraftmen Ryan Beer, David Mercer and Sean Delaney.

The novelty event, first run in 2002, will test 100 teams and their gravity-powered machines on a 500m downhill course. After a push start by team members, two carts will make a mad dash for the finish line, running parallel to each other with their paths crossing halfway down the track.

Competitors will be judged on the creativity of their designs, the speed of their run and the performance of their billycarts in entertaining the crowd. First prize will be a trip for the winning team to an international Formula One race, second prize a racing day with Formula Ford and third prize a hot lap for five people in a V8 Supercar.

After seeing the first Grand Prix on TV, LAC Geddes thought it looked like fun. He recruited five of his workmates at the Mechanical Equipment Operational Maintenance Squadron (MEOMS) to help design, build and test a Hornet model billycart. Their mini-jet was chosen from more than 2000 entries for the final line-up, which also includes a model Navy helicopter.

“At first we were going to do it off our own backs but then found out the Navy had entered so the old interservice rivalry kicked in,” LAC Geddes said. “I spoke to our OIC who went into bat for us and got our CO on board, and they have looked after us exceptionally well. All the materials, with the exception of the wheels, have been donated by the various squadrons, as well as their time, which has been greatly appreciated.”

Weighing around 70kg, the billycart has a welded stainless steel frame with racing bike wheels and comes complete with the F/A-18 grey paint scheme and No. 3 Squadron tail markings and mini dummy bombs. It will remain at MEOMS where it will be modified and upgraded for future races.
LAC Geddes said if the team won a prize, it would be donated to the Variety Club.

“We are most certainly in it to win because it’s for a good cause and if we have a bit of fun along the way then all the better,” he said. “None of us have done anything like this before but would definitely like to do it again. As long as we beat Navy, we’re happy.”

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