WOFFs’ sky high flying hours

By Andrew Stackpool

WOFF Rudy Mech has flown the equivalent of 136 trips around the world in C-130s.

Photo by LAC Ben Dempster

WOFF John Boshammer.

Photo AB Phillip Cullinan

* WOFFs Rudy Mech and John Boshammer have flown 10,000 and 13,000 hours respectively on Hercules.

WARRANT Officers Rudy Mech, a loadmaster, and John Boshammer, a flight engineer, both with No. 36 Squadron, recently achieved 10,000 hours and 13,000 hours respectively flying Hercules.

WOFF Mech has clocked up an extra 3490 hours on helicopters and Dakotas.

These milestones were reached while they were on C-130Hs between Darwin and Banda Aceh earlier this year.

WOFF Mech’s C-130 hours over 27 years equate to 417 days of continuous flying, 3 million miles or about 136 trips around the world.

He has served in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Solomons.

“Unlike the choppers, in the Hercs, the world is our backyard. I went to places I’d never even thought of,” he said.

Over the past 33 years, WOFF Boshammer has participated in most exercises. In 1975 he was in Saigon during the Australian evacuation.

CAF Air Marshal Angus Houston recalled when in 1973 he was flying a single engine helicopter with WOFF Mech who was a crewman then.

“We experienced a power loss and Rudy transmitted a very precise mayday call,” AIRMSHL Houston said.

“I entered autorotation, jettisoned the external load and landed the aircraft. It was certainly an experience where I was grateful for his skills and experience.”

WOFF Mech said they were at about 600ft and the fuel control unit failed.

“We looked at each other for what seemed ages and then got on with trying to land. The boss recovered it just before we touched. It certainly got the heart working.”

WOFF Boshammer has also had a few scary moments.

“I once landed on a Pacific island on a wet coral runway. Pilot landed long, bounced, we had difficulty stopping and kept rolling. We stopped right at the end, in silence, but soon had to laugh at the locals reappearing from behind bushes and trees!”

A highlight was trips made from New Zealand to Antarctica.

“It was a novel experience to land on snow then hold position for a penguin to cross.”

WOFF Boshammer said flying so many hours represented a personal and professional milestone.

“It is a chance to reflect upon the experiences and things we’ve done and seen over this time. Also, it reminds me that I am where I am with the help of many people.

Professionally, I think our juniors see it as a measure of expertise, while for some aircrew it is a security factor. They feel this bloke knows what he’s doing.

WOFF Mech intends to take up golf once he leaves the Air Force in 13 months’ time.

WOFF Boshammer said he couldn’t go back to his family farm “too bloody technological; it’s easier flying aeroplanes.”

 

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